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Interacting with faiths and cultures

One way to understand a faith or culture is to step into someone else’s shoes and visit the place they practice it.
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Planning your visit

The best place to start is where you’re at – wherever you usually meet. The best visits are the ones where everyone mucks in to plan together, helping to decide which faiths or cultures they’d like to learn more about. To learn about a faith or culture   you have to ask why so you can start to see the world through someone else’s eyes. 

To begin exploring a faith, think about its key beliefs, important practices such as fasting or wearing special clothes, and important dates. If you choose a culture, explore traditional arts and crafts, dancing, clothes, and music. Leaning isn’t just about words, it’s about getting stuck in – see what the clothes feel like, hear the beat of the music, and taste the flavours of the food.

When it comes to planning the trip, it’s all up to you. Let everyone have their say through a Forum, or go online to find out where people gather in your local area. You could also email parents and carers for their recommendations – you never know who’ll have the perfect piece of advice. The National Scout Active Support Faith Units are the best people to chat to if you want to know more about a particular faith. You can reach them through the Scouts website here.

Before you go

To get the most out of your trip, do some preparation before you go.

  • Make sure everyone knows about the dress code – do you need to make sure your clothing is appropriate and respectful?
  • Think about any questions you have – it’s great to think on your feet, but it’s also good to be prepared. What do you want to find out?
  • Look at other buildings used by the religion or culture around the world. Do they have any features in common (for example, stained glass windows or domed roofs)? Note them down (drawing is fine) to take with you on your visit. Do you think the place your visiting will have any of the things on your list?

While you’re there

It’s up to you to make the most of your visit by opening your eyes, ears, and mind. This is a great time to ask questions – just make sure you listen to the answers, and try to see things from their point of view. Remember that beliefs and communities are very important to a lot of people, so it’s important to be respectful, especially if we don’t understand something.

Visits to new places are also a great time to use all your senses to notice what’s around you – what about colours, smells, textures, and sounds? Does anything stand out to you? Is anything familiar? How do you feel?

Safety

Outdoor activities

You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.

Guidance

Reflection

This visit helped you to value and trust others for who they are. Did you meet anyone while visiting? What were they like? What did you learn about the faith or culture? Do people who go to the place you visited have any things in common with you? Did you do anything to show that you respected and valued people and their place of worship (or cultural centre)?

This visit also reminded you that you’re a local, national, and international citizen. What did you expect the place to look like, and what did you think would happen there? What was it like – was it a big colourful hall with a lot of art, or a small quiet room? What were people down – were they praying, dancing, or eating? Was it like you expected? Is it a good thing that citizens are diverse and different? What do local, national, and global citizens share? What responsibilities do we have to other citizens (whether they’re the same or different to us)?