Oxford Interfaith Friendship Walk 2024

The 20th annual Oxford Interfaith Friendship Walk, organised by the Oxford Council of Faiths, took place on 27th June 2024. 

The walk was founded in 2004 by Rev’d Dr Charlotte Bannister-Parker, in response to the ending of the Iraq war, to represent Oxford’s religious communities’ hopes for a peaceful transfer of power. Since then it has grown in size and scope, with this year’s walk seeing over 160 participants. 

This year’s route started at the Oxford Synagogue & Jewish Centre in Jericho, with stops for refreshment and reflection at St Giles Church and Oxford University Church, on the way to the Stanley Road Medina Mosque in East Oxford, where participants shared in a buffet supper donated by the Central Oxford Mosque. 

Reflections and addresses were made by leaders from Oxford’s Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindhu and Baha’i communities, and included a joint pledge made by all participants and led by Bede Gerrard, current co-chair of the walk:

We trust for the future
We resolve to honour the differences in our narratives, 
We take risks to journey together
as we face the challenges ahead
and we pray for new beginnings and for peace in our world

The pledge reflects how peace, friendship and cooperation underpin this event and its hopes for collaboration and understanding between people of different faiths, a message which has felt all the more crucial in the face of the conflict in Israel and Palestine. 

A collection was made in conjunction with the walk, with proceeds split between the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and to support the future of the walk itself. The event was covered by BBC Oxford - click here to listen to the recording made on the evening.