Dear Naseem,
I am very interested in having a look at JMUs policy on cultural and
religious diversity and the information on a range of faiths/beliefs.
Unfortunately I can't find it on the websites that you mention below (its
probably me...).  Did you actually attach it to this e-mail?  I wonder if
you would mind re-sending it?
Thanks for your help.
Regards
Dawn Steel, Personnel Officer (Directorate Services), The Open University.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anwar Naseem [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 24 July 2002 18:07
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Religion
>
> Dear All
>
> Mannie thank you for your excellent and thought provoking response.
>
> Perhaps I can help colleagues a little in this case. Please find attached
> JMU's policy on cultural and religious diversity and information on a
> range
> of faiths/ beliefs.
>
> The Policy has been used to trigger some best practice developments
> including:
>
> 1. introduction of Halal/ kosher diet in all JMU and Students Union
> refectories;
> 2. short break during exams to break fast during Ramadhan;
> 3. re-arranging exams for students unable to attend due to particular
> religious requirements such
>    as Jewish students;
> 4. equally staff have also utilised this policy to take time out for
> particular events/ dates.
>
> A most recent development relates to a staff audit which we undertook in
> February 2002 asking staff to share information on religious background/
> sexual orientation amongst a range of other equality indicators. The
> question on religion was worded as follows:
>
> Religion:               I would describe my religious background/beliefs
> as
> ___________________
>
>                         I have no religious
> beliefs______________________________
>
> From a response rate of 44% (of 2500) staff at JMU professed to belong to
> 20
> faith/ denominations and/ or held alternative beliefs.  Majority of staff
> (58%) acknowledged belonging to the Christian faith. Whilst a third (30%)
> professed to having no religious belief.
>
> Finally awareness raising for staff is delivered through mandatory
> training
> programmes (for the past 7 years) on Cultural Diversity and Disability
> Awareness.
>
> I trust this is helpful to colleagues in the sector aiming to develop
> consistent and pro-active support.
>
> Regards,
>
> Naseem Anwar
>
> Senior Adviser Equality & Policy Development
> Liverpool John Moores University
> The Mews
> 7 Roscoe Street
> Liverpool
> L1 2SX. UK
> Tel: (00 44)0151-231 3188
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
> website:
> http://cwis.livjm.ac.uk/pws/equalopportunities/
>
> latest publication:
> www.chelt.ac.uk/el/philg/gdn/disabil/mobility/index.htm
>
> learn to sign your name:
> www.bda.org.uk
>
>
>
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Emmanuell Kusemamuriwo [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> >Sent: 24 July 2002 16:52
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: Religion
> >
> >
> >Dear Virginia,
> >
> >Thanks for your response and further request. I would like to
> >commend the
> >fact that you are looking at Equality and Diversity issues for your
> >institution. This is a practice that I would advise all institutions to
> >adopt, though it is pertinent to point out that when we do
> >this, we must
> >make sure that all the areas that constitute equality and
> >diversity, are
> >being addressed, equally,fairly and squarely. This needs to be
> >effectively
> >and consistently done otherwise we are in danger of making
> >diversity into a
> >"comfortable" conscience assuaging way of still implementing some
> >institutional discriminatory practices. The only way of assuring true
> >diversity is by underpinning it with equality and from an
> >explicit point of
> >view where we can actually show evidence of mainstreaming
> >diversity within
> >institutional practice. This also takes it out of the
> >idiosyncratic box of
> >"it's not my responsibility" to acknowledging that if it is a
> >mainstream
> >institutional responsibility,then we all have to identify where our
> >responsibilities, accountabilities and liabilities are in
> >being expected to
> >practically reflect this institutional commitment.
> >
> >Religion and sexual orientation, though intended to be
> >legislated for, by
> >December 2003, could be considered, with all the other areas
> >of intended
> >legislation (Disability adjustments, by October 2004 and Age,
> >by December
> >2006)as areas of working towards institutional best practice.
> >I think it
> >would be much more comfortable and practical, for institutions to start
> >considering now, instead of waiting till the legislation
> >demands it, how we
> >can embrace all these Equality and Diversity areas into our current
> >institutional practice. We certainly would not want to go
> >through the same
> >experiences as we are, under the RRAA.
> >
> >In order to effectively do this and to answer your query on
> >religion, we
> >could use the RRAA template, as based on the CRE Statutory
> >Code of Practice
> >and Guides. All we would need to do is substitute the word
> >race for the word
> >religion and the rest is relative. I know there are some
> >issues concerning
> >the official categories etc. which I think legislation will
> >define, but we
> >could start thinking around the whys, whats, whens, and with
> >whoms, around
> >religion. We could also start to monitor, in order to build up
> >a picture of
> >what religions we have in our institutions, centring our
> >thinking around the
> >RRAA template. After all equality and diversity is about
> >establishing the
> >needs of our employees and learners so that we can effectively
> >address them.
> >This is the spirit that the law is trying to promote through
> >its letter. So
> >in the end, whether certain religions are defined as legal or
> >not, it might
> >still be useful for us as institutions, to find out what
> >religious beliefs
> >exist in our institutions, in order for us to be able to
> >effectively address
> >any challenges that may arise.
> >
> >I do accept that these are complex issues that will be very
> >demanding and
> >taxing but I do not think that this is a good enough reason
> >for us not to
> >"grasp this nettle" as some of us might see it. Also we have
> >each other to
> >work with and I am sure with our sum total, we will "know a
> >man/woman who
> >can"
> >
> >Monitoring religion also raises issues of staff support and/or
> >training that
> >can only be provided by appropriate trainers who are aware of
> >the issues and
> >how they should be addressed effectively and sensitively, so
> >as to benefit
> >and not alienate those of us who will need to implement the various
> >consultation, communication and monitoring strategies.
> >
> >The other issues to consider of course are that certain
> >religious groups
> >like Muslims, Jews and Sikhs are already covered by the RRAA,
> >indirectly for
> >Muslims and directly for the other two, because they are also minority
> >ethnic groups.
> >
> >A word of caution, can colleagues please desist from using the
> >word "ethnic"
> >as a substitute for "black and minority ethnic groups." Not
> >only can this be
> >offensive and insulting to some people but also we must
> >remember that all
> >religions are either minority ethnic or majority ethnic since
> >we all belong
> >to different ethnic backgrounds, it really depends where you
> >happen to be,
> >geographically.
> >
> >As far as religious practices and the curriculum are concerned, then my
> >advice would be for institutions to find out about practices and what
> >material is available, from the appropriate religious groups, contact
> >numbers and addresses can be made available, as Mohammed
> >Dhalech from Oxford
> >has already done. When it comes to safeguarding the rights of
> >those who have
> >no religious beliefs and dealing with beliefs that conflict with
> >legislation, then I would advocate that we are guided by best practice
> >intentions under what British equality law dictates. This way
> >diversity will
> >indeed and truly be based on equality, fairness and justice,
> >under British
> >law and not on what individuals think should happen.
> >
> >Any comments are most welcome.
> >
> >Regards
> >Mannie.
> >
> >
> >
> >Mannie Kusemamuriwo
> >Policy Adviser: Ethnicity & Cultural Diversity
> >Equality Challenge Unit
> >3rd Floor, 4 Tavistock Place
> >London  WC1H 9RA
> >
> >Tel 020 7520 7063
> >Fax 020 7520 7069
> >[log in to unmask]
>  << File: FAITHS March 2002.DOC >>  << File: POLICY.RED March 02.doc >>