Green Ramadan is an initiative to develop a platform for developing a ‘faith inspired’ dialogue on green issues. It is an international creative cultural education programme focusing on celebration of shared human values. Generosity responsibility hospitality and celebration are at the heart of Ramadan and the initiative offers innovative and creative ways of raising awareness about some of humanities most serious challenges today.

The first annual British Ramadan Festival was successfully held in August 2008, bringing members of both the Muslim and non-Muslim community together under the auspices of fostering a positive celebratory and educational atmosphere, instigating an open and honest dialogue concerning the modern challenges facing communities within the globalised world.

Specifically, Green Ramadan aims to establish a platform to explore creative counter extremism narratives through Islamic culture and preventing the growing polarisation between Western and Islamic communities, whilst also entreating its participants to consider how both Ramadan (purification through self-restraint and good deeds) and the aims of the Green movement (conservation and environmentalism) hold synergising and mutually reinforcing ideas.

Our method of delivery is primarily rooted in culture and the creative arts, harnessing the unifying qualities of creativity- art, music, dance, food and debate –and promoting interaction, we have been able to create an invaluable space for cohesive and environmentally progressive discourse to occupy, a defining force for renewal within British civil society.

The Festival has gone from strength-to-strength, the aim now is to broaden the Festival’s horizons and increase its capacities to engage and influence more people from more diverse backgrounds- our target in 2010 was begin seeding the Green Ramadan (then known as “Ramadan Festival UK”) globally (from Europe to Islamabad, Delhi to the United States), a process we hope to expand upon yet again in 2011.

We have already begun to build a strong global network of stakeholders- supporters, artists, academics, partners and media types –this we will continue to expand and build upon utilising our in-house skills and talents. Moreover, we have begun to assemble a dynamic team of individuals to form our core operations team, a shared community of knowledge undertaking key fundraising and administrative roles.

The long-term aspirations of this project include the running of complementary themes alongside the Green Ramadan, such as the Ramadan Olympiad 2012. During Ramadan Muslims are compelled to show respect for their fellow humans and to open themselves to charity, fraternisation and reflection – ideas which not only can the non-Muslim community learn from and share a part in, but which harmonise with both Green issues (via the Islamic understanding of hima and the Quranic obligation to practice khalifa over nature) and the celebration of human talents which is the London Olympics 2012.

The goal now for Arts Versa and Green Ramadan 2011 must be to secure the core funding it needs to pursue its ambitious agenda. The more we are able to raise, the further the festival will be able to spread its life-affirming and progressive message of community cohesion, the necessity for a growth in environmental sustainability and of how cooperation can help achieve these goals through cultural arts education.

In essence; we wish to imbue modern societies with the spirit of enquiry and the confidence to ask often difficult and challenging questions, provide opportunities for participation in activities and experiences that can enhance cultural competence and bolster awareness of our environmental responsibility in the community, so as to enhance both positive community relations and ecological stability through intercultural and interfaith dialogue, project Western Muslim arts and culture globally and develop a model of continued self-sustainment for future Green Ramadan festivals.