Keeping Faith: A How To Guide

Women's Interfaith Network

Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide explores how women keep faith - in ourselves, in each other, in a cause, or in religious faith - so you can learn how to keep faith too. Each episode, we’ll be interviewing a different guest, some names you know and some you should know, to find out what keeping faith means to them.

Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is a podcast from Womens' Interfaith Network, a women’s charity bringing together all faith’s and none, as part of our 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Find out more at https://www.wominet.org.uk/

Hosted by Maeve Carlin
Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto

Edited by Adam Brichto

Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy

Theme music composed by Jamie Payne.

Logo designed by Jasey Finesilver

Podcast support from Tara Corry

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Keeping Faith in Justice with Sahdaish Pall (Sikh Women's Aid)

Keeping Faith in Justice with Sahdaish Pall (Sikh Women's Aid)

Content Warning – This episode contains descriptions of Gender-Based Violence, including Harassment, Femicide and Domestic, Sexual, Spiritual and Financial Abuse. Please listen with care.What does it look like to shine a light on violence against women and girls (VAWG) when others are trying to sweep it under the rug? Why do harmful narratives stay so entrenched across communities and traditions when our scriptures preach egalitarianism? How do we keep faith in meaningful justice when the institutions designed to protect women and girls all too often let us down? In this episode, we speak to Sahdaish Pall (BEM), Co-Founder and CEO of Sikh Women’s Aid – an organisation founded by and for Sikh and Punjabi women to support victims of domestic & sexual abuse in the UK. This confronting conversation spans Sahdaish’s journey through the VAWG sector, the importance of specialist services and the backlash she’s faced in tackling taboo topics.You can read Sikh Women’s Aid’s reports and surveys here or listen to their podcast, The Phulkaari, on YouTube, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Sikh Women’s Aid on Instagram, Facebook and X/Twitter to keep up with their vital work. The Faiths Against Domestic Abuse Campaign was founded in 2020 by Tara Corry from Women’s Interfaith Network and Jeeves Rohilla, formerly of Faiths Forum for London, and is now run as an independent project. If you need support or are affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please reach out to Sikh Women's Aid, the organisations below, or call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. Please note that WIN is not a frontline organisation. Jewish Women's AidKarma NirvanaMuslim Women’s Advisory CouncilWomen's AidGalopSouthall Black SistersKeeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Episodes

Keeping Faith in Justice with Sahdaish Pall (Sikh Women's Aid)

Keeping Faith in Justice with Sahdaish Pall (Sikh Women's Aid)

Content Warning – This episode contains descriptions of Gender-Based Violence, including Harassment, Femicide and Domestic, Sexual, Spiritual and Financial Abuse. Please listen with care.What does it look like to shine a light on violence against women and girls (VAWG) when others are trying to sweep it under the rug? Why do harmful narratives stay so entrenched across communities and traditions when our scriptures preach egalitarianism? How do we keep faith in meaningful justice when the institutions designed to protect women and girls all too often let us down? In this episode, we speak to Sahdaish Pall (BEM), Co-Founder and CEO of Sikh Women’s Aid – an organisation founded by and for Sikh and Punjabi women to support victims of domestic & sexual abuse in the UK. This confronting conversation spans Sahdaish’s journey through the VAWG sector, the importance of specialist services and the backlash she’s faced in tackling taboo topics.You can read Sikh Women’s Aid’s reports and surveys here or listen to their podcast, The Phulkaari, on YouTube, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Sikh Women’s Aid on Instagram, Facebook and X/Twitter to keep up with their vital work. The Faiths Against Domestic Abuse Campaign was founded in 2020 by Tara Corry from Women’s Interfaith Network and Jeeves Rohilla, formerly of Faiths Forum for London, and is now run as an independent project. If you need support or are affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please reach out to Sikh Women's Aid, the organisations below, or call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. Please note that WIN is not a frontline organisation. Jewish Women's AidKarma NirvanaMuslim Women’s Advisory CouncilWomen's AidGalopSouthall Black SistersKeeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Bonus Episode: Lucy Calcott (East Sussex WIN)

Bonus Episode: Lucy Calcott (East Sussex WIN)

In our bonus episodes, we speak to women from our Women's Interfaith Network (WIN) community to share their stories and give their own unique perspectives on keeping faith. In our third bonus episode, Lucy Calcott from WIN’s East Sussex Group shares what interfaith means to her, how she keeps faith in dark times and her advice for someone thinking of getting involved with interfaith work. You can find out more about Lucy's artwork and writing here, or listen to her poetry reading shared as part of WIN's 2020 Interfaith Week commemorations, 'Unexpected Connections'. You can also find out more about Compass Community Arts here.Read our blog about East Sussex WIN’s 10th Anniversary Celebrations.Find out more about our grassroots women's groups and our wide-ranging projects. Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Listening with Dr. Rageshri Dhairyawan

Keeping Faith in Listening with Dr. Rageshri Dhairyawan

Why do so many women and marginalised communities feel silenced in medical settings? How do we keep faith in ourselves when we feel we aren’t being heard? Can we empower patients and providers to make sure everyone feels listened to in healthcare?In this episode we speak to NHS consultant and researcher Dr. Rageshri Dhairyawan, author of the new book 'Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing', which unpacks why patients are so often disbelieved by their doctors and her hopes for a future where listening is at the heart of healthcare. Follow Dr. Rageshri Dhairyawan on Twitter/X, Instagram or via her website. Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing is available now as a hardback, ebook and audiobook.Listen to WIN's 2022 panel bridging secular and faith-based perspectives on mental health, Time to Talk: Mental Health.If you've been affected by the issues in this episode, you can find support through the networks and organisations below:Endometriosis UKPain UKNational Voices UKFind out more about patient advocacy options near you and ways to support the NHS.Find out more about our upcoming event in partnership with Women's Environmental Network (WEN), Keeping Faith in Climate Action here. Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Change with Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin

Keeping Faith in Change with Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin

Can we keep faith in meaningful institutional change, even when we can't see the way forward? How can we shift the narrative around migration to one that centres compassion? And what does it look like to really live our values? We unpack these questions in this uplifting conversation with the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin: the first Black woman to be ordained as a Bishop in the Church of England as well as the first woman and person of colour to become Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. You can follow Bishop Rose's work with the Diocese of Canterbury on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Listen to Bishop Rose's recent address at Women and The Church (WATCH)'s recent Not Equal Yet conference here. Support some of the organisations helping migrants and refugees in Dover:The Samphire ProjectKent Refugee Action NetworkMigrant Help UKYou can also get involved with City of Sanctuary and Borough of Sanctuary networks near you.Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Leading with Zara Mohammed (Muslim Council of Britain)

Keeping Faith in Leading with Zara Mohammed (Muslim Council of Britain)

How do you keep faith in yourself as a leader while balancing the high expectations and intense media scrutiny that come with being ‘first’? What do we mean by ‘systemic Islamophobia’ and where does it lead? Can we still find reasons to laugh, even when faced with hate and divisive rhetoric? We spoke to Zara Mohammed - the first woman, first Scot and youngest leader to be elected Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain – about what leadership means to her, how she keeps faith in times of crisis, and her thoughts on the future of interfaith in the UK. The Muslim Council of Britain is the umbrella body representing 500 Muslim member organisations across the UK. Find out more about their work here and read their latest reports and initiatives around Black Muslim identity in Britain, representation of Muslims in the media and analysing recent census data on the British Muslim community. Follow the Muslim Council of Britain on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Follow Zara on Twitter and LinkedIn.This episode contains descriptions of hate crime. If you’re affected by the issues discussed in this episode then support is available, including from Tell MAMA and Stop Hate UK. Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Bonus Episode: Marion Waruguru (WIN CEO)

Bonus Episode: Marion Waruguru (WIN CEO)

In our bonus episodes, we speak to women from our Women's Interfaith Network (WIN) community to share their stories and give their own unique perspectives on keeping faith.In our second bonus episode, WIN's CEO Marion Waruguru shares her journey with WIN since joining in 2005, the changes she’s seen in the interfaith space and her advice for aspiring leaders. Find out more about our team, our grassroots women's groups, and our shared meal project Food and Friendship with asylum seekers, refugees, and women from migrant backgrounds. Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Magic with Dr. Linda Woodhead

Keeping Faith in Magic with Dr. Linda Woodhead

How has magic become such a mainstream part of our spiritual landscape, from #WitchTok to astrology apps? Can these practices offer safe spaces for women and young people who feel that established faith institutions have left them behind? What does all this tell us about what ‘keeping faith’ really means in 2024?In this conversation, Dr. Linda Woodhead - F.D Maurice Professor of Moral and Social Theology at Kings College London and head of the department of Theology and Religious Studies - helps us decode the contemporary religious landscape of the UK and how young women are "keeping faith" on the margins of established religion. Follow Dr. Linda Woodhead on X (formerly twitter). Watch the Religion Media Centre's 2022 Annual Lecture: Professor Linda Woodhead - The Future of Religion in Britain Find Dr. Woodhead's published work online, including:Gen Z Explained, The Art of Living in a Digital AgeThe Spiritual Revolution: Why Religion is Giving Way to SpiritualityKeeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Humanitarianism with Sandrine Tiller (Doctors Without Borders)

Keeping Faith in Humanitarianism with Sandrine Tiller (Doctors Without Borders)

As crisis after crisis demands our attention, how can we hold onto our compassion and find meaningful ways to make a difference? Who do we trust when ‘fake news’ can travel the world through a tweet or WhatsApp chain? And how do we keep faith in humanitarianism, under attack from competing political agendas?In this episode, we speak to Sandrine Tiller – Strategic Adviser to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders – about what she’s learnt from decades working in the humanitarian sector and the small ways we can all be humanitarians in our everyday lives. Find out more about Sandrine's work on Mis-/Dis-information:2020 MSF 'Let's Talk Covid-19' Panel on Fighting Misinformation ICRC Blog: 'The Fog of War...and Information'Follow Sandrine on X (formerly Twitter). Follow MSF UK on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter/X. Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Bonus Episode: Lady Gilda Levy (WIN Chair)

Bonus Episode: Lady Gilda Levy (WIN Chair)

In our bonus episodes, we speak to women from our Women's Interfaith Network (WIN) community to share their stories and give their own unique perspectives on keeping faith.In our first bonus episode, we spoke to WIN's chair and co founder Lady Gilda Levy about the last 20 years leading WIN, the importance of interfaith in 2024, and how she's keeping faith in challenging times. Read more about the WIN Team and our organisation's origin story. Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Community with Hadiya Masieh

Keeping Faith in Community with Hadiya Masieh

What does extremism really look like in 2024, outside of the headlines and political debates? Can we empower young people to harness their passions for positive change while steering clear of divisive rhetoric? How do we keep faith in grassroots work when the challenges our communities are facing seem to keep getting bigger? Our conversation with Hadiya Masieh, Founder and Executive Director of the Groundswell Project, draws on her 22 years of experience in counter-extremism and the highs and lows of running an organisation that works to bring communities together in an increasingly polarised world. Watch the Groundswell Project's video sharing Hadiya’s storyCheck out the Kindness Mapper to find initiatives in your communityFollow the Groundswell Project on Instagram, Facebook and X (Formerly Twitter)Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Peace with Robi Damelin and Laila Alsheikh (The Parents Circle Family Forum)

Keeping Faith in Peace with Robi Damelin and Laila Alsheikh (The Parents Circle Family Forum)

What does it mean to keep faith in peace and reconciliation after unimaginable loss? How can we sit with disagreements and different worldviews to find our common humanity? What can we do to ensure women’s voices are heard and uplifted in peace-building work? Our conversation with Robi Damelin and Laila Alsheikh – both bereaved mothers and spokespeople for the joint Israeli-Palestinian organisation The Parents Circle Family Forum - encourages us to look again at the ongoing conflict through the lens of reconciliation and restorative justice. Sign up for their English Language Newsletter via the American Friends of the Parents Circle Family ForumFollow the Parents Circle on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Keeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry

Keeping Faith in Climate Action with Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers

Keeping Faith in Climate Action with Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers

How do we keep faith in climate action when governments and corporations keep dragging their feet? How does a ritual described in the Torah help women navigate life’s transitions in 2024? How do we nurture open dialogue between communities with hate crime on the rise? Our conversation with Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers, lecturer at Leo Baeck College and trustee of Faiths for the Climate, ranges from environmental activism to the importance of nuance in tough conversations. Find out more about the Wellspring ProjectFollow Rabbi Debbie on Twitter and InstagramKeeping Faith: A How-To Guide is part of Women’s Interfaith Network's 2024 Keeping Faith Programme. Read more about the programme here and be the first to hear about upcoming events and ways to get involved by signing up to our newsletter. Views expressed on this podcast are the speaker’s own and may not reflect the views of Women’s Interfaith Network. Hosted by Maeve Carlin Produced by Maeve Carlin and Adam Brichto Edited by Adam Brichto Executive Produced by Lady Gilda Levy Theme music composed by Jamie Payne Logo and Artwork designed by Jasey Finesilver Support from Tara Corry