Luton man shares MBE for strengthening community cohesion with those who have supported his work over two decades

A Luton man who has spent two decades of his life building community cohesion and interfaith relations in the town has been rewarded with an MBE.

David Jonathan, 53, of the Grassroots Programme, Luton Council of Faiths and the Near Neighbours Programme says he feels "humbled" after receiving the accolade in the Queen's New Year's Honours.

Following Friday's nights announcement, David told the Luton News: "It is with a sense of gratitude and privilege that in 2021, I marked 20 years of my work with Grassroots and Luton Council of Faiths and 10 years with the Near Neighbours Programme. During these years, the focus of my work has always been on strengthening peace building and reconciliation by appropriate mediation and constant relationship building across Luton's diverse communities and individuals of faith or of no particular faith affiliation.

"I feel humbled and honoured to be included in the Queen’s New Year's Honours List 2022 and to receive the MBE for services to community cohesion and interfaith relations in Luton, but I would like to share this with the people of Luton and many others who have supported and enabled the work over the years.

He added: "John Donne's phrase 'no man is an island' is a poignant reminder that human beings do badly when isolated but thrive if they are part of a community. There is nothing that I could have done all by myself. 'I am because we are', as says the African Philosophy of Ubuntu.

"So, while I shall be ever awed by, and thankful for, this honour bestowed upon me, I also remain grateful to the people and diverse communities of Luton, my past and present co-workers, colleagues, volunteers, trustees and partner agencies which include Council for World Mission and United Reformed Church who invited me initially for a 4-year term in 2001 to develop inter faith work in Luton."

David said over the years, four different Church denominations have consistently supported inter faith work in Luton through the Grassroots Programme - The Church of England St Albans Diocese, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton, The Methodist Church Beds, Essex & Herts District, and The United Reformed Church Thames North Synod.

He said: "I am also grateful to the Luton Borough Council, Luton Rising (formerly known as London Luton Airport Ltd) and Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation for supporting inter faith work in Luton through Luton Council of Faiths.

"And thanks to Near Neighbours Programme for supporting nearly 300 different community projects and initiatives, over the last 10 years, through Luton's diverse community and voluntary sector organisations.

"It is all this work that has kept Luton’s diverse faith communities together, consistently over the years and that has enabled Luton to stand stronger, taller and resilient in the worst as well as at the best of the times."

Recalling Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr inspirational quote 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,' David added: "At Grassroots, Luton Council of Faiths and Near Neighbours Programme and many other local faith and community organisations I have had the privilege to work with, we feel we are called to light a candle rather than to curse the darkness. We are called to embrace the ‘otherness’ of all those ‘others’ who are often perceived as enemies, despite the fact that they share common aspirations for a better world for all, just like we do.

"Long may our work continue to inspire communities to stand together in solidarity with one another and send a strong message of defiance to all those who seek to divide in the name of race, religion or ethnicity, by promoting prejudice and hate. May we appreciate the strength that comes from being united in concern and work together for the well-being of all and that of our common home, the planet Earth."