About us
Mission and values
What the Council is for, where it is going, and the seven values it works by.
Our mission
To build an inclusive and welcoming community for all citizens of Halton through education.
Our vision
To promote greater awareness, understanding and respect amongst all people of our increasingly diverse community.
How we work
Knowledge and Leadership, built on TRUTH
Seven values, each illuminated by one of the faith traditions represented on the Council — and Teamwork by two, so that every tradition at our table has a voice here. Two of the seven are what we carry into the community. The other five spell out what holds them up.
What we carry into the community
Buddhism
Knowledge
I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction.
The 14th Dalai Lama
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, University of Oslo, 10 December 1989
Islam
Leadership
Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Muttafaqun ‘alayh — recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
What they are built on
TRUTH
Judaism
Trust
Provide yourself with a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every person favourably.
Yehoshua ben Perachyah
Pirkei Avot 1:6
Sikhism
Respect
Call everyone exalted; no one seems lowly.
Guru Nanak
Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 62 (Siree Raag)
Christianity
Understanding
Do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand.
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Tractates on the Gospel of John 29.6 — crede ut intelligas
Bahá’í Faith and Zoroastrianism
Teamwork
Bahá’í Faith
So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
Bahá’u’lláh
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXII
Zoroastrianism
May we be among those who make this life fresh.
Zarathushtra
The Gathas, Yasna 30:9
Hinduism
Honesty
Truth alone triumphs, not falsehood.
The Mundaka Upanishad
3.1.6 — satyameva jayate, the source of India’s national motto
Everyone is welcome at the table
Seven values. One community.
These values are not the property of any one tradition. Every faith on this Council teaches them in its own words, and the words above are only the ones we chose to stand for each. What matters is that we hold them together.
That five of them spell TRUTH was not by design. We noticed it, and kept it.