Buddhism was represented at the ‘Together in Service: National Celebration at Coin Street in London on the 27th November 2012. All of the major faiths currently recognised in the UK had stands and material illustrating their charitable and socially engaged work.
Many thanks in particular to Rokpa for sending leaflets and material publicising their charity programmes. And thanks also to Lama Zangmo and Ani Tsering Drolma from Kagyu Samye Dzong for attending for much of the day.
Don Foster MP Minister for Community Cohesion, and Baroness Warsi – Minister for Faith – gave talks as well as representatives of the Faith Based Regeneration Network and Year of Service team. The event was sponsored by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
As a general observation – finding Buddhist volunteers for this type of interfaith event has proved difficult, as is finding Buddhist inspired organisations willing to help publicise their good work. The alternative is that Buddhism is not represented at all at major interfaith events and that the excellent work undertaken by many inspired by Buddhism goes unnoticed – which would seem harmful to the good reputation that Buddhism currently enjoys and discouraging to those who might be inclined to include generous social action as a key part of their spiritual practice.
