PETER GILBERT MEMORIAL LECTURE 2021 - 9th September 2021

You are cordially invited to our next meeting:

The Seventh Annual Professor Peter Gilbert Memorial Lecture

To be held on Zoom on Thursday 9th September 2021

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of 9/11

We commemorate one of the most horrific events in history, the destruction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York on the Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

The terrorist attack cost the lives of over 3000 innocent people with an additional 6000 injured, of all faiths and beliefs.

This commemorative event is in two parts, the subject of the first presentation

Spirituality and the Ethics of Inter-faith Responsibility

Reflections on

"The Dignity of Difference"

How to avoid the clash of Civilisations

by the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l.

Following the single most devastating and tragic terrorist attack on innocent people this century, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks together with other faith leaders from around the world gathered at Ground Zero to witness the result of man's gross inhumanity to man. On his return to London, he set about writing this book.

Our First Speaker will be:

Martin Aaron, BEM, Ph.D, MBA, FAIA, FRSM, FRSA.

Founder Chair of this Forum in 2000 and a Trustee to date.

Martin was also Founder Chair and is Hon. Life President of the Jewish Society for Mental Illness.

He is a Co-Founder Member of the academic association the International Network for the Study of Spirituality. As a volunteer, he has spent his life since his teens aiding and supporting children and adults with learning disabilities and mental ill-health.

From the mid- 90s, his voluntary work has included inter-faith work in mental health and liaised with the late Peter Gilbert in the promotion and direction of the Spirituality and Mental Health Project in the NHS. The NHS Project was initiated by Peter Gilbert and together with Professor Anthony Sheehen started in the NHS immediately following 9/11; it lasted only until 2008. Martin then appealed to the NHS Directorate of Mental Health and obtained a 3-year grant which enabled the Forum to administer the National NHS Spirituality Project under Peter's lead for a further three years which ended in April 2012.

Our Second Speaker will be:

Amrich Singh Ubhi FCMI, FInstLM, FRSA, FIC, MBA (Warwick), BA (Hons)

Director Engagement & Partnerships, Nishkam Civic Association and a Trustee of the Forum

A thought leader and change agent with a successful track record of challenging the status quo to change the traditional business model to one where social and ethical values are integral. With extensive experience in interfaith facilitation and promoting collaboration to bring about positive outcomes. He is also passionate about working with people to enable them to excel and to make change for the betterment of society. Driven by the value and impact of social change, he has experience in organisational development, business transformation, quality improvement, and organisational capacity building with integrity, attention to detail, and tangible results. Amrick Singh will speak briefly about Prof Peter Gilbert and the formation of the Birmingham Faith Leaders Group following 911. The Birmingham Faith Leaders Group will be marking its 20th Anniversary this year as the group continues to promoting interfaith collaboration, peace-building, and interfaith dialogue.

The subject of the second presentation

Faith Response to 9/11

Our third speaker will be:

Canon Dr Andrew Smith is the Director of Interfaith Relations, for the Bishop of Birmingham 

Canon Dr. Andrew Smith is the Director of Interfaith Relations for the Bishop of Birmingham. He has been involved in interfaith work for over 25 years working with groups in Birmingham as well as national and international projects. He is the founder and chair of The Feast an interfaith youth charity and has been an active member of the Birmingham Faith Leaders’ Group for ten years. He has written extensively on interfaith work and his doctoral studies were on interfaith relations amongst teenagers in Britain. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and a Visiting Research Fellow at Coventry University. In 2018 he was awarded The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation by the Archbishop of Canterbury for his outstanding contribution to interfaith relations.

Andrew will be reflecting on the act of friendship that formed the basis of the Birmingham Faith Leaders’ Group. He will look at how faith can inspire people to respond to the tragedy in ways that defy expectation but lead to new and creative opportunities for reconciliation.

The waiting room will be open from 6:15 pm and then the event will start at 6:30 pm prompt. The event will end at 7.45 pm, to allow time for questions and reflections.

The event is free of charge. However, a small donation will be appreciated to The National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum. You can choose the amount you wish to donate on the website.

Please click on the link to register your interest in attending the online event. The Zoom connection details will then be forwarded to all those wishing to participate just prior to Thursday 9th September. 

We look forward to seeing you at the event. 

The National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum is a registered charity No. 1118286