Staff network recognised for promoting cohesion and tolerance during challenging times

People pose at an award ceremony — IFN co-chair Monna Rizvi (centre left) and IFN member Dr Ariel Kahn with MDX staff members

Middlesex University’s thriving staff Inter Faith Network (IFN) has won the Alliance Award for promoting community cohesion following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East in October 2023.

The university’s IFN, which received the accolade at the University Alliance Awards 2024 ceremony in London last night, was recognised for initiatives to promote understanding and tolerance among the diverse communities in the London Borough of Barnet where the university’s Hendon campus is based. The Alliance Award recognises a team or individual who have demonstrated great collaborative working while respecting and embracing different viewpoints.

The IFN works closely with local faith leaders and builds on the university’s proud tradition of interfaith dialogue with 64% of its students identifying as ‘BAME’ and its campus in an area of London which is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community.

On accepting the award, Monna Rizvi, a Middlesex University librarian and IFN co-chair, said: “It is a real honour and pleasure to win. The award recognises the university’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and our work to continue building bridges and creating dialogue.”

Monna said the award was dedicated to a large team effort in promoting cohesion within the university and in the community, including contributions from the university’s Inclusion and Wellbeing Team, Facilities and Estates Team, Students’ Union, Barnet Council and Barnet Multi Faith Forum among others.

Dr Ariel Kahn, IFN member and Programme Leader for Creating Writing and Journalism at the university, commented: “This award is a validation of the inspiring work of a dedicated team who have made a real difference to both the Middlesex University and wider community. We look forward to bringing more people together in the year ahead.”

Following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, Middlesex University and its IFN actively engaged with the student body, staff and the wider community to support community cohesion in response to an increase in the number of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Barnet.

The initiatives included organising a Together for Humanity peace vigil in January where more than 200 people listened to speeches from local faith and community leaders. The vigil was attended by representatives from the Barnet Multi Faith Forum, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Nisa-Nashim Jewish-Muslim Women’s Network, and schoolchildren from the Barnet Sacre Inter-Faith Choir, among others.

A broader programme of interfaith events led by the university’s IFN over the past year, reaching more than 1,000 people in the local area, have included:

An annual interfaith Big Iftar event, inviting everyone to break their fast together during Ramadan.
Hosting Barnet’s annual Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony.
Hosting Barnet’s Diwali Hindu festival of lights celebration to more than 200 guests.
Co-organising ‘Peace Walks’ to bring local people of different faiths together to walk and explore each other’s places of worship.
Hosting an exhibition for Islamophobia Awareness Month.

The MDX IFN’s initiatives have already seen the network succeed in other awards, including the London Faith and Belief Community Awards in 2022 and 2023 and the Mitzvah Day Awards 2023.

The shortlists for each award were selected by an independent panel of judges from across the higher education and research sector. Winners were selected from more than 130 nominations for seven awards.

The University Alliance Awards celebrate the dedication and achievements of staff from 16 member institutions nationwide, who are all leading providers of technical and professional education.

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