“We are from our own denominations and backgrounds but when it comes to issues of social justice there are many things that we share in common and many times on issues we agree far more often than we disagree,” said Hope, winner of a Rhodes Scholarship for 2007. “It will be places like the Multifaith Centre where people can see those points of agreement.”

Located in the Koffler Institute at 569 Spadina Ave. in space formerly occupied by the Department of Pharmacy Management, the centre’s mandate is to support the spiritual well-being of students, staff and faculty and to increase the understanding of religious beliefs and practices at U of T.

Today’s students reflect the diversity of the greater Toronto region and bring with them not only the cultural traditions and expectations with which they were raised but also a set of spiritual beliefs that act as an important part of their self-identity and development,” said Professor Vivek Goel, vice-president and provost. “The creation of this new centre will help to ensure that students of all faiths can feel their values are respected at the university.”

Goel said the centre will be more than a place for the practice of faith. The dialogue and discussion generated at the centre will also complement the university’s educational mission.

The Multifaith Centre will encourage discussion and debate around the roles that religion, faith and spirituality play in individual and community development. The university campus offers one of the most promising opportunities for creating a framework within which religious pluralism can be discussed, debated and understood,” Goel said.

The centre’s two-story space was designed by Moriyama and Teshima Architects and features a main hall for prayer and worship, a meditation room with separate women’s and men’s ablution rooms, meeting and multi-purpose rooms, private offices for spiritual consultation and a resource centre.

The design style does not reflect any one religion but creates a universal spiritual esthetic that inspires divinity, civility and tolerance,” said Jason Moriyama, a principal with Moriyama and Teshima Architects.

Asmaa Hussein, a fourth-year English and sociology student, said that U of T has gone to great lengths to instil and support the values of equity and diversity in university life. She believes establishing the Multifaith Centre is a pivotal step in these ongoing efforts.

“The more we interact with people of other faiths and walks of life, the more likely it will be for us to come to common ground and foster respect for one another,” said Hussein, who is also vice-president of the Muslim Students’ Association. “I believe that knowledge gives rise to openness, tolerance and acceptance and I foresee this building as being the centre of this growth on campus.”

Elizabeth Vosburgh, vice-chair of University Affairs Board, said one of U of T’s great strengths is the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of its students, staff and faculty. She said this diversity creates many opportunities for the university community to learn from one another. “

This centre provides another place for students to expand their learning outside the classroom. There are not only spaces for worship, meditation and prayer for all faith groups, there are also programs, events and initiatives that will raise big questions about faith and spirituality and what it takes to live peacefully in a religiously diversified world,” she said.