Interfaith Glasgow Declaration

I’m at Adhisthana for the International College meeting. I will write more about that next blog post.  For now, I want to write about my experience of being a signatory for the Interfaith Glasgow Declaration. Some of you might recall that this year (2025) is the 850th anniversary of Glasgow being granted Royal Assent to becoming a Burgh, a milestone on its way to becoming becoming a City. In January, I took part in a Faith Leaders event in St Mungo’s Cathedral. This was one of the opening events of the city’s celebrations and I found it very moving. Each of us were asked to offer a 5 minute prayer or reading for the City. My contribution was a few lines from the Metta Sutta and a hope for a welcoming, love filled city.

A few months ago, we were approached again by Interfaith Glasgow and asked if I would be a signatory of the Glasgow 850 Interfaith Declaration. Having read it I was very happy to add my name - and therefore, Triratna’s - to the Declaration. As it says on the website for the Declaration:

Launched against a backdrop of growing global and local division—with rising hate crime, anti-immigrant sentiment, and strains on interfaith relationships caused by international conflicts and social polarisation—the Declaration stands as a powerful reaffirmation of Glasgow’s enduring commitment to unity, compassion, and dialogue.

This is the link with the text of the Declaration, some background and some photos.

When I was asked, I initially thought that it would be an electronic signature but then realised that there would be a ceremony in the City Chambers with each of us physically signing the Declaration which is now hanging in the City Chambers. A second copy (also signed by the 12 Faith leaders) will probably be hung in St Mungo’s museum of Religious Life and Art. Unfortunately the signing coincided with the College meeting here in Adhisthana so I had to make a mad dash up for the evening. I left Adhisthana at 7.30 on Thursday morning and I was back by early afternoon Friday. I was delighted to have attended and found the whole evening very moving. It was nice to be accompanied by Viryadevi who was my nominated understudy in case I fell under a bus or some other catastrophe happened which meant I couldn’t attend in person. It was fun watching her interact with lots of people, some of whom she knew from her time as chair of the GBC. 

Each of the 12 signatories were asked to read out one of the statements from the Declaration. The one I read was that we commit to:

Advocate for peace in a world marked by conflict, drawing on the moral and spiritual resources of our diverse traditions to speak up courageously for just and lasting alternatives to war

I was of course very happy to read this out and felt very moved doing so.

It was also a good opportunity to catch up with friends from other Faith communities and also to have a wee chat with Kaukab Stewart who is the Minister for Equalities in the Scottish Parliament. She was keen to hear how plans are going for the new centre which is currently in her constituency of Glasgow Kelvin. Currently because the constituencies change in May 2026 so we might have a different MSP. It was good to feel that she is interested and wants us to let her know when we are opening.

So, it was a bit mad but a worthwhile journey. I appreciate our contacts with folk of other faiths especially now, as it says in the introduction to the Declaration, the times we are living in are marked by rising hate crime, anti-immigrant sentiment, and strains on interfaith relationships caused by international conflicts and social polarisation

May we be part of a movement for peace and harmony and May Glasgow Flourish. I felt quite emotional and proud to be in a City which makes such a declaration.

For now, as always, may all beings be well, may all beings find true happiness and its causes and may all beings be free from suffering.