World Religion Day takes place every January on the third Sunday of the month aiming to promote interfaith understanding and dialogue between all religions as well as mutual understanding and tolerance between people from different backgrounds.

The day is a global observance for people of all faiths and beliefs to come together to celebrate diversity, foster peace, and promote religious tolerance. It was established by the Bahá’í Faith community in the United States in 1950. Its purpose is to encourage people of all backgrounds to explore the teachings and principles of various religions and to promote unity and understanding among different faiths.

The University is committed to promoting interfaith understanding and dialogue and to creating a non-discriminatory, inclusive environment where the religious and non-religious faiths and beliefs of all are respected, and where the values of open and respectful debate are upheld.

The University has established a Religion and Belief Forum which meets termly Religion and Belief Forum. The Forum has agreed terms of reference describing its role, including providing advice and information and supporting the University’s policies, procedures and practices relating to this strand of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work. The intention of the Forum is also to make links with other programmes of work, to share and build knowledge, understanding and awareness, and identify shared values that support positive engagement between people of different faiths (and none) and with a wide variety of deeply held beliefs. The Forum considers how to support colleagues in their diversity of beliefs, and it will explore how best to promote inter-faith and inter-belief dialogue.

The University Chaplaincy team also upholds the university’s commitment to interfaith understanding and dialogue and is supported by a team of Associate Chaplains who represent many different religious and spiritual traditions, including Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Pagan, and Humanist chaplains.  For further information and/or support please contact James Croft, University Chaplain and Lead Faith Advisor, email J.F.Croft@sussex.ac.uk or visit the Chaplaincy webpages here.

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