On Thursday 13th February 2025 in the International Convention Centre Wales, over 200 people of different faiths joined together for a Summit of the Future, organised by the Interfaith Council of Wales. This event was based on the United Nations conference of the same name held in New York last year. The purpose of the summit was to engage in a transformative interfaith dialogue towards a shared future, with Baháʼís, Muslims, Ahmadiyyas, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews, and Christians being represented as well as Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament cabinet members and political and civic leaders at the event.
Katie McColgan, chair of the Cyngor Rhyngfydd Cymru/Interfaith Council of Wales, and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave the welcome address. This was followed by a talk from Jacob Ellis of the Future Generations Commission. The evening also featured a talk from Chief Whip and Social Justice Minister of Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament, Jane Hutt, and Chief Executive of the Welsh Centre of International Affairs, Hayley Morgan.
Speakers reminded those gathered that while the past year had been dark, they could become a beacon of light in their communities. They suggested that it is not enough to simply wish for an absence of war, but that there are things that can be done to work towards an active peace. Sadly, this is not a quick process, and it can often be painful and difficult, but the conflict we are currently entrenched in is worse. Wales cannot become complacent as there are those who are still facing discrimination and exclusion.
The centrepiece of the evening was the discourse at individual tables. With 18 tables in the conference centre sitting up to 10 people each, attendees were encouraged to sit with people they were not already familiar with to facilitate more enlightening and varied discussions. Three initial questions were posed to the summit, eliciting discussion on what participants wanted to see, hear and feel from a shared future. A final question asked the groups to consider what small positive changes they could make in their communities to reach their desired future. Each table wrote down their thoughts and feelings around each of these questions, something that will later be collated to better represent the summit as a whole.
These discussions were interspersed with the song 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' which was beautifully performed by Lizzie McColgan, a member of the Church in the Cardiff area, a poem and a video that focused on positive stories from the last year. Everyone in attendance stood at the end to read the pledge written by Gwyneth Lewis, National Poet of Wales 2005/6. The final few lines read:
"If I turn my back and walk away
Who'll ask for others what I want for me?
I can only be well when others are free.
And right has a price I'm prepared to pay."
The evening concluded with food and further conversations among attendees.