Allan Hayes says we must approach one another with goodwill, expecting it in return

When a young Muslim man stayed with and helped my wife for two hours when her car broke down and left saying that his faith required this of him, I felt that this was an Islam that we should all appreciate. We must learn to look for the good in one another – and not simply because we have to live together, but because that is part of being a good human being.

This does not mean that we have to agree on everything or not voice different views, but it does mean that we should avoid reducing those with differing views to a caricature – I take the last phrase from the remarkable address of President Obama to Notre Dame University.

How do I, personally, try to live according to these precepts? I have served for many years as humanist representative on the Leicester Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education working with people from the local religious groups, teaching organisations and the city council to improve the teaching of RE. I have been on the board of Leicester Secular Society for many years, latterly as president. During this time I have seen the society search for understanding of other communities. Our latest programme includes a talk from a local scientist about his Christian faith and one from the Diocesan Director of Social Responsibility. We took part in last year's National Interfaith Week.

I am a trustee of the British Humanist Association, which co-operates widely with religious groups and strongly supports RE in schools. I am a life member of the National Secular Society. I am a trustee of the Sea of Faith, a national network aimed at "exploring and promoting religious faith as a human creation".

My concern with religions and humanism has been lifelong. I moved from choir boy to humanist over 60 years ago, and have had period as chair of Leicester humanists. I have been strongly motivated by having grandchildren in a Christian/humanist family.

I fear the division that I see coming from the growth of faith schools – I think that schools should be for all and in the interests of all; I fight for the proper recognition of those who choose not to be in a religion; and I join in the search for an approach to life and society which we can all share.

Leicester is a wonderfully diverse city: some years ago, returning from an almost entirely white part of the US, I came out of Leicester station and was greeted by a tall Sikh in a turban with "Hello my friend – how do you like my new taxi", and suddenly I felt "I'm home". We must care for it.