A wide range of beliefs and faiths will be brought together under one roof Sunday in a bid to overcome prejudice in the city.
The Speed Meet Different Beliefs event will have tables set up for groups ranging from atheism to Zoroastrianism.
Organizer Sarah Wayland says people will be given 15-minute windows to ask questions and hopefully learn.
“You might wonder why someone wears a turban or a head scarf,” she said.
“Or why they don’t use electricity on a Sunday.
“We think that human connection is very powerful and we’re hoping that it will be a kind of insurance against intolerance as we move forward, should things deteriorate in our country in any way.”
Wayland says the idea was sparked, in part, by a Statistics Canada report that listed Hamilton as having the second highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in the country last year.
She says she hopes the event will send the message that Hamilton is a welcoming city.
The event runs from 2 – 4 p.m. at First Unitarian Church on Dundurn Street South.
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