‘One city, many voices’. Barcelona to host an interfaith gathering as part of the America’s Cup

The Barcelona City Council through its Religious Affairs Office (OAR) and in conjunction with the Stable Working Group on Religions (GTER) are organising an interfaith event on 26 September as part of the America’s Cup, entitled ‘One city, many voices. Inter-religious celebration of the America’s Cup’. The idea is to recognise and highlight Barcelona’s richness, diversity and plurality, as well as the city's open and welcoming nature.

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13/09/2024 - 09:40 h - Interculturality OAR

After hosting the Olympics in 1992, the America’s Cup is the second international event of this magnitude to be held in the city. The Patriarca Abraham Centre was built for the Olympic Games, and it will be the venue for an event linking the city’s past and present, building a bridge between two crucial points in Barcelona’s international outreach.

The America’s Cup is an international sailing competition which is reaching its 37th edition this year in Barcelona. It began on 22 August and will run until 27 October at the latest (depending on how the competition evolves), with different teams from around the world. The event is accompanied by the Cultural Regatta, which is offering a programme of cultural, artistic, food, science and entertainment activities, inviting all city residents to learn about and enjoy one of the leading sporting events in the world. Some 60 organisations, institutions and facilities will be offering more than 200 activities before, during and after the America’s Cup.

Within the context of an international event of the scale of the America’s Cup, and as part of the Cultural Regatta, the event ‘One city, many voices. Inter-religious celebration of the America’s Cup’ is being organised to recognise and highlight Barcelona’s richness, diversity and plurality, as well as the city’s open and welcoming nature. Religious organisations and communities in our city have played and will continue to play an essential role on behalf of social justice and cohesion in the city. We need to make it clear that religious and spiritual communities, like others, bring enormous heritage and cultural wealth that makes Barcelona a benchmark city. One of the goals of this event is to highlight and recognise this contribution.

The Religious Affairs Office (OAR) is organising this celebration in conjunction with the Stable Working Group on Religions (GTER). The Religious Affairs Office (OAR) is a municipal service that works to guarantee the right to freedom of religion and conscience among Barcelona’s citizens, facilitates knowledge and recognition of the religious plurality found in the city, and creates spaces for participation, dialogue and positive interaction. Religious pluralism has been integrated into the city’s interculturality policies due to the Barcelona Interculturality Plan (2021-2030), which in addition to its commitment to progressing towards real, effective equality in terms of rights, also involves recognition and respect for cultural diversity and religious pluralism, as a structural aspect of society that must be taken into account and valued, and the aim of facilitating positive interaction, creating ties, participation and intercultural dialogue under conditions of equality. The GTER is a network of religious denominations that promote peace and harmony among religions and serves as a reference point for practical dialogue and joint work among them. Its aim is educational: to eliminate prejudices and stereotypes and seek to eradicate discrimination and ignorance. The network also works to ensure that religions can exist and be part of society in a harmonic and normalized manner. This gathering also seeks to recognise notable interfaith dialogue initiatives in Barcelona and promote greater mutual understanding among different communities.

The event is being held on Thursday 26 September. It will be attended by religious and spiritual communities and organisations from Barcelona, along with people from the teams taking part in the America’s Cup. It will also be open to the public at large. The ceremony with be bilingual, in Catalan and English. It will start with a welcome at the City Council’s hospitality point at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), where attendees can track the competition (from 2 to 4 pm), which will be followed by the interfaith gathering at the Patriarca Abraham Centre, located in the Poblenou neighbourhood (at 5 pm).

The choice of venue is also symbolic from both a religious and a historical standpoint, relating to the 1992 Olympics. The Patriarca Abraham Centre was built to welcome all athletes from around the world during the Olympics. Its name refers to Abraham as a founding figure common to the three main monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

‘One city, many voices. Inter-religious celebration of the America’s Cup’ will be attended by Mayor Jaume Collboni and the Commissioner for Public Relations and Cultural and Religious Diversity, Sara Belbeida, as well as representatives and leaders of the different religious and spiritual traditions. The Mayor’s participation in this ceremony is a tangible demonstration of Barcelona’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and intercultural and interfaith dialogue, while also recognising the important social role of religious and spiritual communities in the international outreach of a plural, open city.

The ceremony will revolve around reflection and music. Figures linked to the city’s different religious communities will reflect on writings from different religious traditions inspired by creation, water, and the sea as symbolic elements. The ceremony will also feature music performed by Burruezo & Nur Camerata.

Before the interfaith event, attendees will be able to watch an important day’s session of the competition from the privileged setting of the America’s Cup hospitality building in the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park from 2 pm to 4 pm. The session should feature the final of the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup, as well as the start of the final of the main competition, the Louis Vuitton Cup.

ONE CITY, MANY VOICES. INTER-RELIGIOUS CELEBRATION OF THE AMERICA’S CUP

Advance booking required (capacity limited).

  • REGISTER HERE. Prior registration is required for the interfaith gathering (Patriarca Abraham Centre). Once registered, you will receive an email with the option of registering for the welcome reception at the Hospitality point at the PRBB filling up another form.
  • DAY: Thursday 26 September
  • TIME:
    • Watch the competition from the hospitality point at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB): 2 to 4 pm * For organisational purposes, attendees must arrive at the hospitality point at 1:30 pm (light refreshments will be available; no lunch service)
    • Interfaith gathering at the Patriarca Abraham centre: 5 to 6:30 pm (light refreshments available afterwards).
  • VENUE:
    • Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB): Carrer del Dr. Aiguader, 88
    • Patriarca Abraham Centre: Carrer de Jaume Vicenç Vives, 6

*** People with mobility difficulties should notify the organisers when registering to facilitate the transfer between the two venues, checking the corresponding box.

More information: oar@bcn.cat

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