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NAEIS & NAIN Connect 2004
Now is the time to be register to attend the joint
meeting of the National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious
Staff (NAEIS) and the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) that
will be held at Soka Gakkai International (SGI)– USA Cultural Center,
in New York City, on
July 24-27, 2004. The theme of the NAEIS & NAIN Connect 2004 is Connecting Partners, Enlarging the Circle.
The event this summer represents an exciting new
initiative for NAIN and NAEIS who share similar interests yet rarely
interact institutionally. This groundbreaking meeting will bring both
groups together for resource sharing, networking and bridge building.
The conference will have four major “tracks” or focuses
for participants to follow: professional development, public policy and
the United Nations, ecumenical/interreligious relations, and an
interfaith
film festival. (See page 4 for descriptions.)
This is the first time a
joint conference of the two organizations has been held. The joint
meeting of
NAIN and NAEIS is the outgrowth of nearly two years of exploratory
meetings.
Conversations exposed differences in organizational culture and
structure
that will benefit both organizations in the long run, but also many
common
interests.
NAEIS is a professional
organization for persons engaged in ecumenical and interreligious
service at world, national, state, regional and local levels. NAEIS
serves as a resource for the professional development and personal
enrichment of its members, empowering them to
do their work more effectively and faithfully. Membership dues are
tiered
according to position: Executives/Heads of Staff join for $125;
Ecumenical/Interreligious Officers for $100; Program Associates for
$75; and an there is Introductory Membership for $50.
NAIN is a non-profit
association of interfaith organizations and agencies in Canada,
Mexico and the United States. NAIN's programs seek to build
communication and mutual understanding among interfaith organizations
and diverse religious groups throughout
North America. Through its annual conference, newsletter, web site,
member
organizations, Board and supportive participants, NAIN offers
networking
opportunities to persons of many religious traditions and numerous
interfaith
organizations.
NAIN affirms humanity's
diverse and historic spiritual resources, bringing these to bear on
contemporary global, national, regional and local issues. Without
infringing on the effort of existing organizations, NAIN facilitates
the networking possibilities
of these organizations. NAIN encourages cooperative interaction based
on
serving the needs and promoting the aspirations of all member groups.
Membership in NAIN is by
organization. Individuals may become non-voting Friends of NAIN.
Membership dues are tiered according to type of organization:
national/international organizations join for $125; local/regional
organizations join for $75. Individual (non-voting) membership is $35.
Conference registration
(includes breakfasts and lunches, conference banquet, young adult
scholarship contribution, admission to Interfaith Film Festival, and
all programs) is $295 if paid before May 31, 2004, $345 after this
date. Accommodation is at the Union Square Inn, a short distance from
the conference site, at the rate of $110 per night for single, $55 per
night for double. Room reservation and payment is part of the
registration form.
Plan now to attend the
historic joint conference of NAEIS and NAIN. Registration form is
available at www.nain.org, or
you can register on line at www.inpactcoalition.org.
#Return to top
NAIN Board News,
By Don Mayne, Chair
There
is an electricity in the air these days about the many programs that
are happening in the interfaith world. Plans are well under way for the
2004 joint conference of the North American Interfaith Network and the
National Association of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Staff in New
York, July 24 to
27. People are making plans to go to Europe, to the Parliament of the
World’s
Religions in Barcelona, Spain. Reports come to me of imaginative events
being
held by groups in cities across the continent, and as I note each one I
think,
"I wish I could attend that one!"
In my
home city, Edmonton Alberta, we have just had a visit from Mayor
Tadatoshi Akiba of Hiroshima Japan. The Edmonton Interfaith Centre
sponsored an interfaith breakfast, a visit to a high school, and a
public meeting attended by nearly 200 in
our City Hall. What a great experience to think about nuclear
disarmament and peace under Mayor Akiba’s leadership. For me the visit
to the academic high school was special. There were over 300 students
present, half sitting on the floor while he spoke, and they were
entranced by his description of the dropping of the first atomic bomb
and its impact on the people of Hiroshima. 90,000 victims of that
attack still live in Hiroshima and they want to ban nuclear weapons so
that no one else will ever have to suffer as they have suffered for the
past 59 years.
Then the
next day we had our third Jewish Christian Muslim Dialogue,
co-sponsored with the University of Alberta, and over 100 in
attendance. The speakers led us on the theme "The Contributions of
Religious Groups to Civil Society" with a speaker from each faith and
four discussion groups. The conference used a working definition of
civil society as comprising various institutions and associations of
people that make up the public sphere and that operate to limit the
infringement of individual and communal spaces and liberties. The
purpose of the Dialogue was to share understanding of the tri-faith
perspectives of religious tradition and their application in various
civil society arena in Edmonton and Canada now and in the future.
It’s an
exciting time to be working on interfaith issues!
I want to
invite each reader to come to New York this summer. There is still time
to register, though the reduced rate cut-off date is May 31. I’m
looking forward to a great new experience as we look at interfaith
connections with the United Nations and as we hold our first Interfaith
Film Festival. I hope you will plan to come, and will pass along this
information to many others who would benefit from this event. Your
presence will make it a success.
Finally,
thanks in advance to the members of the joint NAIN-NAEIS Committee
which is planning this event. It is a big job, but we will all reap the
benefits of their labours.
#Return to top
Connecting Partners,
Enlarging the Circle - NAEIS & NAIN Connect 2004
NAEIS & NAIN
Connect 2004 is organized around four major "tracks" or foci:
1) Professional
Development: This track features a series of workshops that
will address best practices in management of local interfaith/
ecumenical
organizations, new program developments in the field, and colleague
sharing
forums. Some of the offerings will also look at the more personal side
of things.
2) Public
Policy & the United Nations: Taking advantage of being at
the footsteps of both the United Nations and the Interchurch Center,
attendees will see how religious leaders interact with policy
influencers on the national and international levels.
Participants will be invited to connect their local work to
larger challenges.
3) Ecumenical/Interreligious
Relations: As the first ever joint conference between an
organization that is principally ecumenical and one that is solidly
interfaith in character, event organizers thought it appropriate to
explore the tensions and commonalities between the two. What is
the interfaith movement doing to the ecumenical movement? What
can we learn from one another? As an example, The Pluralism
Project’s Dr. Diana Eck will lead a keynote address on how religious
communities can see themselves in juxtaposition to how cities are
focused and anchored. It will offer an unusual entree into the
discussion.
4) Interfaith
Film Festival: For the first time ever, the NAIN conference
will feature a showcase of the best interfaith films in a multi-day
festival that will bring the media, the arts, and the general public
into the fold of the entire conference. This is the first
international, interfaith festival to be held in New York City.
It will be dedicated to promoting the work of filmmakers that convey
important messages about belief, values, and conflict.
Conference Schedule
Saturday, July 24, 2004
1-4:00pm Optional Excursions
4:00pm Registration Opens (SGI)
6-7:00pm Orientation
7:30-8:30 Meet the Producers Reception
(Dinner on your own)
Sunday, July 25, 2004
8:30am Breakfast & Morning Worship
9:30am Enlarging the Circle
10:30am Workshops & Management Series
12:30pm Lunch
2:00pm Workshops & Management Series
3:30pm Interfaith Film Festival Screening
NAEIS Business Meeting
6:00pm How do we Connect?
(Dinner on your own)
Monday, July 26, 2004
8:30am Breakfast & Morning Worship
9:30am Enlarging the Circle
10:30am Workshops & Management Series
12:30pm Lunch
2:00pm Workshops & Management Series
3:30pm Interfaith Film Festival Screening
6:00pm NAEIS-NAIN Awards Banquet
8:30pm Interfaith Film Festival Screening
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
9:00am Breakfast & Morning Worship
9:30am Workshops & Management Series
10:45am NAEIS-NAIN Membership Meting
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Workshops & Management Series
3:00pm Closing Session
Information on pre-and post-conference events for NAIN & NAEIS
is available from NAIN2004@cs.com or naeisjan@aol.com.
#Return to top
Help
Available for Organizing Interreligious Councils, By Rev. Bud
Heckman
Religions for Peace – USA (RFP –
USA), a new NAIN Member Organization, is offering resources for use by
local
communities throughout the USA. There are Technical Assistance Grants
for developing interreligious councils. RFP - USA believes that one of
the key roles that it can play in meeting the challenges raised by
modern
society is by developing interreligious councils in U.S. communities
where
they currently do not exist. Representative interreligious councils
serve
as a conduit and catalyst for bringing the unique resources of their
respective
religious communities together to enable peacemaking. Recognizing this
fact,
the Rockefeller Foundation has offered generous support to enable RFP –
USA to assist with capacity building in local interfaith structures.
RFP
– USA will work cooperatively with existing religiously cooperative
structures
to enable this to happen.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of the international
arm of Religions for Peace has been the basic development of
representative interreligious councils in dozens of countries around
the globe, including in some of
the most difficult places of conflict on Earth. Seeing the short-term
benefits and knowing the long-term capacity building value that these
interreligious councils have in the world, RFP – USA will model a
similar process for U.S. communities, offering technical assistance,
training, and follow-up to
communities desiring to develop and/or strengthen interfaith structures
in their communities. With the assistance of seasoned interfaith
council leaders like the Rev. Dr. Clark Lobenstine of the InterFaith
Conference
of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., RPF –USA will build new
interreligious
councils in at least three communities, beginning in 2004, and hopes to
expand efforts in 2005 and beyond.
For more information on this
unique
project or to obtain a copy of the “request for proposals,” please
visit
www.rfpusa.org.
Applications
are due by June 30, 2004.
#Return to top
Religion and the
U.S.'s Role in the World
Partnering with more than
a dozen organizations and the United Nations Foundation/Better World
Fund, Religions for Peace-USA is challenging local interfaith and
religious organizations to discuss - from a religious perspective, in
particular - the role of the U.S. in the world, as part of “The
People Speak” campaign. In the Fall of 2004, hundreds of
dialogues across the U.S. will engage citizens into conversation about
foreign policy concerns from a variety of angles.
The U.S.A. stands at a pivotal point in
her relations with the rest of the world. The People Speak
offers citizens a nonpartisan forum to express their views and to learn
more about important decisions to be made as a nation. For more
information, please visit www.thepeoplespeak.org, or, to obtain assistance in hosting
an interreligiously-framed forum in your
community, look for forthcoming details at www.rfpusa.org
#Return to top
MARC and the Golden Rule Poster
By John M. Chell
The Mall of America in Bloomington,
Minneapolis has become the number onetourist attraction in USA, with 41
million shoppers and visitors from around the world. The Mall Area
Religious Council (MARC) -- with NAIN membership, and consisting
of 36 local Twin Cities congregations and world religion groups -- uses
the Golden Rule Poster as one way to effectively bring a spiritual
presence to the Mall. The poster produced by Paul McKenna and
Scarboro Missions (Canada) presents 13 sacred versions of the Golden
Rule along with symbols of each religion. MARC uses the poster
in very unique Mall Interfaith events which create
considerable attention, conversation and mutual understanding.
Here
are four
examples. One, in a development resulting from the 9/11
tragedy, Mall Management contacted MARC to work with them in the
development of an Interfaith Employee Meditation Room. At
the Opening Ceremony in 2002 MARC presented a matted, framed copy
of the poster to Mall Management. It is now the focal point
in the “chapel” readily telling folks of all religions that this
“sacred space” at Mall of America is for use by all faith
traditions. Mall press releases on the Meditation Room have
prompted inquiries to MARC from throughout the world, on how to secure
copies.
Two, an
Interfaith event known as Eleven Days For Understanding
held at Mall of America included diverse Faith Groups: the
Immortal Chaplains Foundation, the Gyuto Wheel of Dharma
Monastery, the Mendota Dakota community,
the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Mall Area Religious
Council.
It presented an extraordinary series of exhibits and performances for
11
days from many traditions -- calling for peace and
compassion.
MARC’s interfaith volunteers created a Golden Rule Poster exhibit
located
in the large Macy’s Court as a place for interfaith conversation.
Thousands of visitors were drawn to this Exhibit and considered the
increasing need to understand and respect our neighbor’s religion and
diversity.
Many purchased the poster for use in offices, homes, schools and
congregations.
Three,
the MARC Golden Rule poster exhibit has expanded and is now used
frequently at Interfaith Holy Days and Holidays of Thanksgiving Around
the World MARC expositions held at prominent Mall of America
locations. These days of dialogue with shoppers, visitors and employees
heighten the awareness and understanding of the significant Holy Days
of our many world religions. MARC Volunteers from many Faiths
become a “living exhibit” for neighborly compassion and respect among
all peoples and religions.
Four,
MARC has a signboard at the Mall with placards available for each
member group directing visitors to local Places of Worship. It
has just expanded tothe Mall’s four guest service centers, including
sample copies of the
Golden Rule Poster.
The
Golden Rule poster and MARC volunteers are eloquent Interfaith “voices”
in America’s largest
Mall.
For more information contact:
John M. Chell, President of the Mall Area Religious Council, Inc.
(MARC), 305 East 77th Street, Richfield, MN 55423; Tel:
952-831-0447, E-mail: Johnmchell@aol.com
#Return to top
Books in Review
A Tapestry of Justice,
Service and Unity: Local Ecumenism in the United States, 1950-2000
Edited by Arleon L. Kelley.
National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Staff Press: Tacoma, Washington, 2004. ISBN: 0-9747290-0-0
In this rich history of local
ecumenism in the United States from 1950-2000, General Editor, Arleon
L. Kelley, asserts that local ecumenism in the second half of the
twentieth century “played a role as an initiator of change, providing a
cup of cold water and advocating for justice and, by its very presence,
acting as a sign or a sacrament,
pointing to the unity intended for all humankind.” Kelley and other
contributors
hypothesize that, out of a theological understanding based in the body
of
Christ, local ecumenism has developed in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries
as a religious counter witness to the excesses of the dominant cultural
forces of nationalism, industrialism and materialism in our society.
This
bold and prophetic witness of the past begs many questions of future
local ecumenical efforts. The primary
question as we enter the new millennium is, “How can the local
ecumenism of the past, instruct us about what we can become?”
As one
who has only recently developed an interest in ecumenism, “A Tapestry
of Justice” confirmed my suspicion that ecumenism, especially on a
local level, offers a unique and effective opportunity for people of
faith to live out the divine command to care for others as we would
care for ourselves, and to “love
mercy, do justice and walk humbly with our God.” Together, we can do
immeasurably more than we can do alone. The whole is truly greater than
the sum of its parts.
The
stories shared begin, in many instances, with the optimistic idealism
of post-World War II America and follow local communities through the
historic Vatican II, the Civil Rights movement, the farm crisis, and
the shift in America from
a manufacturing to a service economy. Most impressive in these fifty
years
(and earlier) is the way local ecumenism responded to major societal
changes
in such a timely, creative and prophetic manner. Rather than remaining
insulated
or detached from the concerns of their communities (tendencies which
faith
communities are all too often guilty of) these local ecumenical
councils,
conferences and informal networks responded with actions such as a 1981
Proclamation
on Racism, as was issued by Dr. Thelma Adiar, President of Church Women
United, a “Save Our Valley Campaign” in response to the steel shutdown
in Youngstown, OH, and telephone hotlines to counsel farmers in
despair, as were developed by the National Council of Churches and
local ministerial associations in Kansas.
In
almost all cases, local ecumenism grew out of a response to a community
concern, whether it was a need for Sunday school resources or a need to
end police brutality against minorities in the community, and developed
out of recognition of common humanity. As America grew increasingly
diverse in its faith traditions, fueled by the 1965 Immigration Act,
these community concerns united not only Christian congregations and
denominations, but also Christians along with those of other faith
traditions such as Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus. This joint work to
address shared needs and concerns grew into interfaith dialogue,
education and community celebration. Charles White writes of this type
of experience, which was experienced by the Buffalo Area Metropolitan
Ministry, Inc, in his chapter entitled, “Local Interfaith Ecumenism.”
White writes, “Of the two purposes of BAMM, addressing quality-of-life
issues was the
first the association tacked. The other purpose, fostering interfaith
dialogue
in ways other than working together on community issues in a dialogue
of
life, developed after 1981. This appears to be a natural progression.”
White
captures well the tensions and obstacles existing when a local
ecumenical organization transitions to an interfaith organization.
Among these tensions are the limits to interfaith prayer, worship and
celebration, church-dividing theology, concerns about intermarriage,
and the difficulty of bringing Evangelicals and the “Religious Right”
to the table. For the most part, in
White’s chapter and others’ on interfaith work, these challenges and
tensions seem to be met with sensitivity, resolve and a commitment to
unity and service that overwhelms possibly divisive and debilitating
circumstances.
One
outstanding issue to be dealt with, however, seems to be the inability
of many ecumenical and interfaith organizations to truly welcome and
engage conservative Christians in their work. It
may be true that often very conservative and fundamentalist Christians
tend to be less willing to participate in interfaith work, and
sometimes even ecumenical work, than those of other faith traditions. But if the invitation to joint service or
dialogue comes from one who, though she or he espouses openness and
love, holds contempt and judgment for the sincere faith and theology of
hers or his more conservative sisters and brothers, then the table will
never be as full as possible. This issue is demonstrated clearly in
Arleon L. Kelley’s chapter entitled, “The Body of Christ and the Family
of God.”
In one breath Kelley states, “It is the vocation of local ecumenism to
include all- not just the denominations…but all, including all races,
genders, sexual preferences, ideologies, theologies, classes,
geographies, and cultures.”
In the next breath, Kelley harshly condemns more conservative
denominations, which believe such things such as women’s subordination,
in a way that would put any person with such views on the defensive
from the start. If it is
truly the vocation of local ecumenism to “include all…ideologies,” then
local
ecumenists need to embrace all faith traditions, not just those with
whose
theology they resonate.
Despite
the obstacles and tensions inherent in ecumenical and interfaith work,
I believe that in the mission of such work—a mission to bring about
unity and affirm the dignity of each of God’s children—lays the answer
to how local ecumenism in the past fifty years can instruct our future
efforts. In the new millennium, the best
hope that local ecumenism has to offer an increasingly nationalistic,
militaristic and economically unjust society, is an alternative vision
of society, one based on democracy and the value of each human life.
Rev. Peg Chemberlin states, “Democracy, at its best, understands
self-interest in a context of other selves, who, when they know their
relatedness, see the truth that the interest of the other is my
interest and know the need to moderate self-interest for the common
good.” At the heart of ecumenism is a
common-good
agenda. Local ecumenism, in particular, offers a very personal way to
work
for the common good. As Robert Grimm states, “the best road to
ecumenism
was in sharing a cup of coffee.”
Christa Mazzone, Field Organizer,
Call to Renewal cmazzone@calltorenewal.org
#Return to top
Men in Black Dresses: A Quest for the
Future Among Wisdom Makers of the Middle East
Yvonne Seng, Ph.D. Pocket Books,
2003. ISBN: 07437726X
When I first learned of an opportunity to review this
book, I was overjoyed. I saw from the
front cover that it was a personal narrative of a Westerner’s journey
into a world of Sufi shayks, Eastern Catholic priests, and Orthodox
monks. As one who also tries to spend as
much time as possible following such people around, this seemed a
likely candidate for my favorite book ever. It appeared to me that Seng
had a brilliant idea in searching for answers about peace and a course
for the future in a terribly war-torn region. Perhaps,
I thought, she will seek some perspective on the Middle East from
people who have a gift for insight: mystics, rather than the usual crew
of corrupt politicians or heavily-armed hotheads. That
project, however, is still desperately in need of a taker.
Though Yvonne Seng is highly educated and a gifted
writer, Men in Black Dresses left me disappointed.
Her smooth, conversational style reveals that she has a
gift for poetic description. However, in
many places the book is very repetitive. To
give her the benefit of the doubt, that may be quite deliberate as a
concession to readers unfamiliar with Arabic names.
On the other hand, she drones so continuously about the
importance of certain individuals, especially the Grand Shayk of the
al-Azhar, that one is forced to wonder whether she is seeking to affirm
his significance or her own by the fact that she is meeting with him. Never mind the fact that, contrary to her
assertions, Shayk Tantawi’s position in the Muslim world is hardly
equivalent to that of Pope John Paul II for Roman Catholics.
Other similar cases appear throughout the book of very
misleading statements. Her discussion of
Ibn al-Arabi, especially, seemed quite weak (202).
She begins by caricaturing the differences between Ibn
al-Arabi and Mevlana Jalal al-Din Rumi. First
she notes that Ibn al-Arabi’s “adherents do not whirl”.
This is misleading because Ibn al-Arabi did not found an
order. His work is closely studied by
members of all orders from the Naqshbandi to the Rifa’i, and many of
those who study his writings are Mevlevi dervishes. She continues by To describe Ibn al-Arabi as “hard-core
science, whereas others are liberal arts” is unfair to all concerned. Though current popular translations of Rumi
indicate a certain wildness and, as Seng notes, an “erotic” quality,
the Mevlevi are generally considered a tranquil order, noted for the
peacefulness, hospitality, and adherence to mainstream Islamic theology. Further, Ibn al’Arabi’s supposed “hard-core
science” produced some of the most
beautiful of all Islamic writings yet he remains a figure surrounded by
immense controversy as many Muslims view his ideas of the unity of
being
as the ultimate in heresy. Other
similar
issues of misleading or overstated claims abound.
Her relaxed style is very readable, but her
accessibility comes at the price of depth. The
insights of her
fascinating interlocutors seem frequently derailed by her lapses into
accounts
of her Australian childhood, her own suspensions of disbelief, or her
physical
attraction to a Sufi shayk with whom she is speaking.
Though her book is written in a stylishly irreverent
style
that is often taken at face-value to be honesty and sincerity, Seng
repeatedly
used language that is remarkably crass. Though
only once does this go further into genuine crudeness, the flaw
contributes to significantly cheapening what could be an extremely
valuable book. Perhaps I am simply
being old-fashioned but I believe that when she has the opportunity to
interview mystics and monks
of the Middle East, she performs us a disservice by instead choosing to
provide
us with risqué commentary on hypothetical hidden cameras in her
hotel.
Even when we do receive the quotations from her
interviews, we are almost always given something about technology or
the internet. It is as though her mission
is simply to show that people called to the religious life are not
opposed to science and are part of the same century that the rest of us
are in. Was this the only question to ask?
Could we be given a more serious look into everyday life, or ancient
mystical truth, or at least one spiritual perspective
on the region’s political situation? Yes,
no doubt, she gives a nod to both daily life and the mystical path. However, the book seems so hell-bent on
providing a brash, no-holds-barred account of a Westerner’s encounter
with the Middle East that it sacrifices most of its opportunity to
delve into the details of a region in the tense process of
transformation. Instead, in one of the
world’s greatest centers of spirituality and also of bitter violence,
Seng chooses to give us well-written, though sometimes dubious, light
reading about how
Coptic clergy feel about internet pornography and Sufi understandings
of
Atlantis. She sometimes engages with more
serious subjects, but then is evidently compelled to withdraw from them
in case they might make the reader begin thinking.
Though I was not impressed by Men in Black
Dresses, I am sure there are those who would find that its merits
surpass its shortcomings. In any case,
this is an attempt at a widely accessible, easily readable book about
Middle Eastern spirituality. A reader who
is knowledgeable, or who would like to become knowledgeable, about
religion in the region will find very little offered in this book. A reader in search of a good, quick read on an
airplane may find it refreshing.
Wesley Joyner
Wesley Joyner is a Ph.D. candidate
in history at the University of South Carolina. He
has a Master of Arts in cultural anthropology. He
has done ethnographic fieldwork in Turkey and the United States.
#Return to top
Interfaith Briefs, Compiled by Dr.
Tarunjit Singh Butalia
Portland, Oregon, US:
Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders of Portland joined hands in the
second week of May to focus the community on the plight of the
uninsured. The Interfaith Council of Greater Portland and the
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon collaborated in sending interfaith
action kits to about 500 congregations in the Portland area. A local
Lutheran pastor remarked, “This issue is one of social justice…It's at
the core of the major faith traditions. We can't keep silent any
longer." (The Oregonian, 5/6/04)
Omaha, Nebraska, US:
About 70
grass-roots and social organizations came together on 5/1/04 to hold an
interfaith
prayer service for the first-ever Omaha Peace and Justice Expo.
Organizations
such as the Catholic Church and Amnesty International set up individual
boots
so visitors could get information and ask questions. (Omaha World
Herald,
5/3/04)
Toronto, Canada: The
Dalai Lama
visited Toronto on 5/1/04 and in an interfaith address to more than
3,000
persons urged the followers of different religions to go on pilgrimage
together
to the world’s sacred places as a step towards religious empathy and
understanding.
He was joined on the stage by representatives of the Catholic,
Anglican,
Jewish, Sikh, Jain, Islamic, Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Baha’i faiths.
(Toronto
Star, 5/2/04)
Baltimore, Maryland, US:
The Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing in Howard County has
teamed with Baltimore based Faith Fund to aid affordable housing in the
form of “silent second” mortgages for people who live or work in the
county but can’t
afford a home. (Baltimore Sun, 4/23/04)
Houston, Texas, US: The
third annual Herzstein Interfaith Day of Service was held on April 24
and April 25 with volunteers from many religions being matched with
projects in their neighborhoods. The Interfaith Ministries of Greater
Houston organized the event. The service projects included decorating
flower pots and plant forget-me-knots to be delivered to Meals on
Wheels senior, painting a mural of hope in the playroom of the women's
and children center at AIDS Foundation Houston, stocking shelves and
organize pantry at Houston Food Bank, helping to prepare 250 lunches to
be distributed to hungry children, helping to beautify Houston's parks
by participating in the planting of 1,000 trees, and assembling welcome
baskets for newly-arrived refugees. (Houston Chronicle, 4/22/04)
Houston, Texas, US: The
fourth annual Interfaith Quilting Bee was held on 3/28/04 “without a
hitch – and with everyone ready to stitch.” The many fabrics and colors
in the quilt represented the people of many faiths and denominations
that came together to help create one-of-a-kind works of art with a
dual purpose. The purpose was “to provide warmth and comfort of a
helping hand to those in need.” The event was co-sponsored by Humble
Interfaith Hospitality Network. (Houston Chronicle, 4/1/04)
Columbus, Ohio, US: An
Interfaith Peace Prayer Service was held on 3/20/04 at a local African
American Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, in which members of seven
faiths shared their prayers and visions for a more just and peaceful
world. The event, attended by about 100 persons, was organized by Faith
Communities Uniting for Peace to commemorate the first year anniversary
of the US attack on Iraq. The highlight of the service was the joint
lighting of a candle of hope and peace by the mother of a US soldier
injured in Iraq and a Palestinian American mother. (Columbus Dispatch,
3/21/04)
Madison, Milwaukee, US:
Two local interfaith groups have urged the state legislature to move
“swiftly towards adopting a drug policy based on treatment instead of
incarceration for non-violent offenders. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
2/25/04)
San Antonio, Texas, US:
The Valley Interfaith, an organization of 500 volunteers and a
membership of 60,000 families, celebrated its 20-year anniversary on
2/15/04. The Co-Chairman of the organization called the celebration “a
way of recommitting ourselves for the next 20 years to work for social
justice.” Among the milestones celebrated by the Valley Interfaith was
more than $200 million for water and sewer
construction for about 160,000 people. (San Antonio Express – News,
2/16/04)
San Francisco,
California, US:
The Interfaith Center at the Presidio co-sponsored the first-ever
Interfaith Sacred Space Competition, which drew 157 entries from 17
countries. All the entries were displayed at the Herbst International
Exhibition Hall from the middle of February to the middle of March. The
winning entries are to be presented at the Parliament of World’s
Religions in July in Barcelona. (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/15/04)
Atlanta, Georgia, US: A
three-day national conference on Interfaith Health Program was held
February 10-12. The aim of the conference was to offer “an opportunity
to hear from public officials, physicians, academics and clergy on
collaborative health and faith efforts around the United States, and
the world.” Mr. Gary Gunderson, Director of the Interfaith Health
Program at Emory University, said, “All faiths are called to ease the
suffering of the sick as an urgent moral imperative. Public health does
the next step by pushing us toward prevention in which justice, mercy,
service, and wholeness are shared values. It's not about the government
offloading onto faith groups what the government should be doing. But
there is a deep ground of shared commitment that compels
collaboration.”
(Atlanta Journal – Constitution, 2/7/04)
Buffalo, New York, US:
The Network
of Religious Communities in the greater Buffalo area have chosen Fajri
Ansari,
as its first Muslim President. He is also the admission director at
Buffalo
State College, Imam at a local mosque, and an assistant basketball
coach
for a local youth team. Network members include representatives from
most
Protestant denominations, the Catholic Church, Muslim and Jewish
traditions, the Sikh faith and other religious traditions. The network
was formed in 1998 out of a merger of the Buffalo Area Council of
Churches and Buffalo Area Metropolitan Ministries. (Buffalo News,
1/22/04)
Denver, Colorado, US: The
Interfaith Alliance of Colorado urged the Colorado state legislature on
1/14/04 not to use faith to advance partisan political issues. About
100 persons rallied at the steps of the Colorado Capitol. Speakers
criticized lawmakers for focusing on issues that included forcing the
Ten Commandments and the Pledge of Allegiance on public schools;
refusing to extend hate crime protection to gays and lesbians;
condemning diversity training on college campuses, and other similar
issues. (Rocky Mountain News, 1/15/04)
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