A delegation of teachers from Norway visited Islamic Relief Headquarters in the UK on the 16th of March 2004, as part of a study tour of Birmingham.

The group from Queen Maud’s College in Trondheim was led by Dr Sturla Sagberg, and was interested in the contribution of faith communities to social cohesion in the UK.

Dr Hany, President of Islamic Relief, and Dr Abdullah Sahin head of Islamic Relief’s newly established Research and Policy Unit, welcomed the Norwegians to Islamic Relief.

Shared Values

The teachers listened to a talk presented by Muhammad Imran, Islamic Relief’s Development Education Manager, about the importance of building on shared values and using common principles to establish understanding.

“I find it very interesting, how you try to establish bridges across the notion of shared values,” commented Dr Sagberg, “I will be reflecting more upon this with my students”.

The teachers left Islamic Relief with plans to organise more educational and cultural exchange visits between Queen Maud’s College and Islamic Relief.

Making Connections

The delegation went on to visit a local Islamic school, places of worship, and other local faith communities in Birmingham.

International visits such as these help to establish connections across seemingly disparate communities, strengthening understanding and encouraging dialogue.