North American Interfaith Network
Building Bridges of Inter-religious
Understanding, Cooperation and Service.
Nain Gathers in Vancouver
NAIN gathers in Vancouver – Stealing away to paradise
For two years, the North America Interfaith Network (NAIN) has
partnered with other North American interfaith organizations for summer
gatherings, valuable experiences that bear repeating. This summer,
though, NAIN gathered in Vancouver for four days to rediscover its own
roots by doing what it does best.
Remarkable presenters took on a panoply of interfaith peace issues.
Representatives from different traditions led worship. Fifteen
90-minute how-to workshops (you could take up to three) filled out the
agenda. And schmoozing opportunities were protected from overboard
programmers, so we went home refreshed rather than worn out. At a
45-minute evaluation before leaving, the word “mastery” came up several
times as people shared their highlight experiences.
And then there was Vancouver, with enough rain this year to startle
Noah. Somehow summer broke through, greeting NAIN with blue skies,
balmy weather, and one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
Food, lodging, and the program space were close to each other, with
most activity in the Iona Building. Called Chancellor House when it was
built in 1927, this stately, fortress-like stone building, home to
Vancouver School of Theology, completed a total renovation last
January. The massive central tower offers cutting-edge technological
amenities and meeting rooms with amazing views. For late evening
refreshments many headed to the new porches near the top of the tower.
We witnessed miles of inland sea, snowcapped mountains, and an
occasional bald eagle, as the sun sank into the horizon.
2006 NAINConnect – Passion for Peace, Commitment to Change
About 50 attended, the crowd more than doubling when co-registrants
from the concurrent World Peace Forum attended our plenary sessions. A
keynote from Rt. Rev. Michael Ingham, Episcopal Bishop of Vancouver and
interfaith activist, surveyed the challenges and opportunities facing
the interfaith movement. His subtext was the difficult but critical
task of addressing intrafaith relationships with what we have learned
about interfaith relationship-building. The rest of the plenary
presentations were equally compelling:
* The first morning together featured master teacher Nancy Fisher and a
Buddhist perspective. She presented a case-study about public-school
students learning mindfulness (a safer word for parents, she said, than
meditation). The project and its measurable results have been so
transforming across Vancouver’s socio-economic spectrum that Harvard is
paying close attention.
* Douglas Roche and Lois Wilson, national leaders in Canada’s political
and religious life, offered a devastating expose about a second nuclear
arms race more dangerous than the first. Rather than predict a doomsday
scenario, they challenged faith communities to join together to end
this deadly race.
* Louay Safi, responsible for leadership development for the Islamic
Society of North America, talked about peacemaking from a Muslim point
of view. A lively conversation followed responses from Jewish, Muslim,
and Unitarian leaders, focused largely on Abrahamic traditions. The
need to bring indigenous and Asian traditions to this ongoing
discussion was noted.
One evening was spent looking at a variety of interfaith videos.
Another was devoted to a downtown peace concert featuring an interfaith
gospel choir, chants from Jewish singers, drumming from Aboriginal
musicians, and kirtan (sacred songs) from Sikhs. If 200 NAIN members
and friends could have been with us for the week, it would have been
better. Otherwise it came close to perfect. And since the group was
small, it enjoyed an intimacy and family bonding nurtured by our hosts
and the volunteers who were so good to us.
The Larger Picture
As so many have observed, relationship-building is as important as
program at NAIN gatherings, even in a year of exemplary programming.
Having young adults fully participate enhanced this networking. Nearly
20 percent of Vancouver registrants were in the under-30 category, and
an auction on the last day generated over $900 to fund young-adult
involvement. Two young leaders – one Christian, one Muslim – were
elected to the board before we headed home.
Ten percent of the registrants have been or are United Religions
Initiative (URI) leaders, including Yoland Trevino, the current chair
of URI’s Global Council. Considerable time was spent discussing ways to
build mutual support amongst our different grassroots interfaith
organizations, even when we don’t formally partner on a project.
For example, NAINConnect 2007 will be held in Richmond, Virginia, July
12-16, with a focus on “Embracing Religious Freedom.” The program is
largely designed and organized already. Stephen Fuqua, a staffer for
URI-North America, took the next creative step. He used his time in
Vancouver to set up a framework for URI Cooperation Circles in North
America to support and attend NAIN’s Richmond gathering next year. Good
for NAIN – good for URI-NA.
In 2008 NAINConnect comes to San Francisco, and the tentative theme is
“Hearing the Interfaith Voice in North America.” Under this umbrella,
issues that may be explored in 2008 include… finding an interfaith
voice, collaborating for peace and justice, engaging fundamentalists,
relationships between indigenous and established communities, shared
religious/spiritual,indigenous concerns for the Earth, and the
importance of intrafaith dialogue to the interfaith movement. Online
study groups will be organized to study these issues over the next two
years.
Generosity and hospitality empower the journey from being strangers to
being friends. Vancouver set a benchmark for the kind of hospitality
that empowers interfaith relationship-building and refreshment. Barry
Cooke and Judith Hardcastle from the Multifaith Action Society of BC
did the heavy lifting, and their smartest move was developing a strong
team to help with the details. They were magnificent.
Vancouver’s crowning gift was the outdoor salmon barbeque the last
evening. Who knew that the young people would start dancing to the live
jazz trio, much less that ‘old’ as well as ‘young’ would make their way
over to the new patio and join the celebration? A retired Vancouver
School of Theology professor watched approvingly, observing that it was
probably more celebration than the seminary has ever seen.
Paul Chaffee
NAIN Program Chair
