Blackburn Cathedral will be represented in a country steeped in deeply religious traditions and bitter conflict at an inter-faith community relations conference.

Canon Chancellor Chris Chivers and Anjum Anwar, who is dialogue development officer for Blackburn Cathedral, are set to model Christian-Muslim co-operation at the international week-long event in Tuzla, Bosnia, starting on October 4.

They will also travel with Blackburn Rovers shirts in their luggage donated by the club to give to Bosnian children.

The conference, organised by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Christian-Muslim Forum, will aim to pool international, inter-faith experience and encourage good community relations.

Canon Chivers said: “We intend, through this conference and our report on it, to be able to offer practical help to leaders of local faith communities in both countries.

“Bosnia is a fascinating country from which we in the UK can learn much.

"It’s a European country, a post-communist secular democracy, with deeply religious traditions.

“These are mainly Muslim but with longstanding Christian minorities, Catholic and Orthodox and a small Protestant tradition.

“Bosnia is burdened still with the legacy of the bitter conflict of the 1990s, but it is preparing for membership of the European Union.

"Our Bosnian hosts are keen to learn from us and we, in turn, have much to learn from them.

“The conference will spend time each day in discussion with local political and religious leaders, and in visiting various community projects in towns and villages.

“This conference will give us a chance to explore one of the most pressing issues of our times: how reconciliation between communities can be built from the ashes of conflict.”

Anjum Anwar added: “I am very honoured to be included in this group.

“It will provide an opportunity to grieve and to find opportunities for reconciliation.”