Interfaith Collaboration Prize 2022

The 2022 GINGKO Interfaith Fellowship Collaboration Prize awarded a grant of up to £3,000 to each of the selected projects which demonstrates inspiring scholarship in the field of interfaith understanding.

The panel judges, included Barbara Schwepcke, Anthony Ball and Mona Siddiqui, were very impressed with the 2022 submissions. GINGKO is delighted to award the prizes to two projects under the titles: Comparative Religion Studies in the East and the West: Themes and Methods by Reverend Calum Burke and Ahmed Ragab and Exploring an interfaith approach for clergy engagement to respond to domestic violence: A comparative analysis from Ethiopia, Egypt and the UK by Romina Istratii and Mahmood Ashal Afifi, respectively. The judges believed that both projects encourage interfaith collaborations which have the potential to develop the skills of those involved and strengthen networks and friendships. The wider impact of both projects is mobilising deep faith and scholarship from multiple traditions to offer new resources and perspectives on a defining issue of the 21st Century.

Barbara Schwepcke of GINGKO said:

‘We awarded two prizes, as we did in the inaugural year of the GINGKO Interfaith Fellowship Collaboration Prize:

• One research, one analytical study
• One collaboration of Founding Fellows, one collaboration of New Fellows

Both projects would not have happened if you had not met at the GINGKO Fellowship Retreats; the Fellowship was the bridge – you chose to walk across it. That makes them unique and therefore deserving to win the prize.’

THE AWARDED PROJECTS

• Comparative Religion Studies in the East and the West: Themes and Methods by Reverend Calum Burke and Ahmed Ragab

• Exploring an interfaith approach for clergy engagement to respond to domestic violence: A comparative analysis from Ethiopia, Egypt and the UK by Romina Istratii and Mahmoud Gomaa Afifi. On 3 October 2024, Romina Istratii and Mahmoud Ali Gomaa Afifi presented findings from their study during a webinar organised by SOAS University of London with support from GINGKO. You can watch a recording of the webinar here.