Winter 2008
	The Newsletter of the North American Interfaith Network, Inc. Building Bridges of Inter-religious Understanding, Cooperation and Service. www.nain.org
Contents: Notes from the Chair 1 Interfaith and Hunger 2 A Call for Articles on Local Interfaith Work 3 NAINConnect 2008: Embracing an Interfaith Future 3 Memorials 5 Conferences 6 InterFaith Children’s Theatre Company 9 Media Briefs 9 News of Board Members 11 Job Openings 12 Interfaith Briefs 14 NAINews Committee ° Judy Trautman, Editor ° Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia ° Lynn Castle ° Rev. Paul Chaffee ° Sharon Clayton ° Midge Falconer ° Mr. Michael Goggin, M.A. ° Bettina Gray ° Rev. Robert Hankinson ° Rev. Charles White, D.Min. ° Dr. Jim Wiggins		Notes from the Chair By Mike Goggin, Chairperson of the NAIN Board of Directors In this issue of NAINews, we are focusing on interfaith work on the issue of hunger. Here in Washington, D.C., the founders of the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC) created a dual mission for the organization when it was founded in 1978. Building community through interfaith dialogue and effective collaboration on issues of social justice have been the two pillars on which the IFC has stood for nearly 30 years. Allow me to focus on the latter issue here for a few minutes. In the early days of the organization’s history, IFC was directly involved in the social justice issue of hunger in the nation’s capital. A task force of the InterFaith Conference created the Capital Area Food Bank, which today continues to provide millions of pounds of edible food to social service organizations around the Washington metropolitan area at low or no cost in a secular setting. We brought the WIC program to Washington, providing financial assistance and nutritional advice to women, infants and children. Twenty-five years ago we began publishing a booklet that is now called The Emergency Food, Shelter and Health Care Directory. In the next month or so, IFC will publish the 25^th anniversary edition of this valuable resource guide for social workers and people in need of a hot meal or groceries for their family. Experience has shown that the need for such a resource is unfortunately growing. The first edition of the directory contained 50 entries on six pages stapled together. The 25^th edition will contain lists of over 350 providers of food, shelter and health care spread out over more than 150 pages. In addition to providers in all four quadrants of Washington, D.C., the directory also lists providers of direct services in the suburbs and even some rural areas around Washington, where there are pockets of hidden poverty. You can view a fully searchable version of the book on our website www.ifcmw.org, clicking on “emergency directory” in the toolbar on the home page. We receive daily calls from people asking when the latest book will be available. We have even set up a hotline number, 202-234-0333, to answer people’s questions about the book. IFC continues to provide this resource for free thanks to the support of several foundations and a local media partner that hosts our directory release events at their television station. We only ask that people send us a self-addressed stamped envelope to cover the cost of postage. People who come into our office to pick up the book receive it for free. It is our contribution to the struggle to eradicate hunger in Washington, D.C. IFC decided long ago that there were other agencies in the city that were better positioned to provide direct social services to people in need. Putting our directory in the hands of social workers affiliated with these direct service providers means that we are able to assist an estimated 300,000 people annually to get the help they need.

Please read on for more information about interfaith work on the issue of hunger across the North American continent. You will also see enclosed information on the upcoming NAINConnect at the University of San Francisco July 24-28. I hope to see you there!

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Interfaith and Hunger

How does your interfaith organization address the issue of hunger?

This was the subject of a call for submission made in the last newsletter.

Don Mayne suggested the work of the Long Island Council of Churches with their Micah project.

MICAH

On Long Island, in the midst of great prosperity and abundance, some 260,000 people turn to soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters each year because they and their children are hungry. These people include the working poor, who hold down two or more jobs in order to feed and house their families; the homeless; veterans who fought for our freedom; the mentally ill who have no access to mental health care; and young families who have fallen through the cracks of our social structure.

What can good people of faith do about this situation? To answer this question, the Long Island Council of Churches (LICC), Catholic Charities, Bread for the World, the Islamic Center of LI, Mazon: the Jewish Response to Hunger, and other ecumenical and charitable organizations joined forces and are encouraging Long Islanders to participate in a year-long effort called MICAH (Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger), Their goal is to alleviate hunger and poverty on Long Island.

People of faith in the Garden City area gathered together in January to discuss what they could do about hunger and the MICAH project. The curriculum they used was called "Hunger No More". These Bible study sessions included discussion of what our faith traditions call on us to do about helping those who are hungry and poor. They concluded the study series by collecting non-perishable food for the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) in Hempstead.

One of the MICAH congregations, First United Methodist Church in Amityville, celebrated a Children's Sabbath, followed by a unique Fellowship Hour. Using statistics related to children and poverty a Hunger Banquet was held for worshippers, a banquet without much food. Each person, including children, was randomly assigned an income status: poor, middle income, or rich. The number of persons for each category was based on income distribution in the United States.

The high-income participants sat in the parlor at an elegantly set table and were served fancy cookies and a choice of beverage. Middle-income participants were seated at crowded bare card tables, with animal crackers and serve-yourself beverages. Low-income people were excluded from the parlor and provided only saltine crackers with water.

It was a learning experience for all and heartwarming to see the high-income children sharing with their family and friends in the lower income groups. This experience helped illustrate the importance of participating in the MICAH project, and working towards the goal of reducing and or eliminating poverty.

http://www.ncccusa.org/ecmin/licc/prelude_jan08.html#micah

"The Faces of Hunger Will Surprise You”

For six years the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank has observed Hunger Awareness Day in June. It is a grassroots movement to raise awareness of the solvable problem of hunger in America. The day serves as a platform for domestic hunger-relief organizations to raise awareness about hunger in America and the work we do.

To celebrate Hunger Awareness Day, the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank has hosted two Annual Interfaith Services with the theme "The Faces of Hunger Will Surprise You”. 

The interactive services brought together youth groups, dancers, choirs, mimes and leaders from a range of religions. The events will demonstrated how various faiths are committed to fighting hunger and poverty in the community and explained how important the faith community is to anti-hunger efforts. All faith entities worked together to be involved in our community hunger relief efforts and raise food and funds for the Food Bank. Admission was free to the public. Monetary and non-perishable food items were accepted.

The 2nd Annual Interfaith Service was sponsored by Family Radio, the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo at Perrysburg, MAS Muslim American Society, MAS Muslim American Society Youth Group, STEP UP TOLEDO Community Talk Show, Cable Channel 69, River Rat Productions, SommerfieldPhoto, St. Martin de Porres, The Blade, URBan Radio Broadcasting, Mix 95.7/ Hot 97.3, Yehia & Emney Shousher, YesFM Christian Hits Radio 89.3, Bethlehem Baptist Church Food Pantry, The MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio, Calvary Bible Chapel, Feed Your Neighbor & CROP WALK 2007, Toledo Area Ministries, Emmanuel United Methodist Church, and St. Rose Catholic Church. http://www.toledofoodbank.org/

The first Hunger Action Month will take place in September of 2008, replacing Hunger Awareness Day, which previously occurred during the month of June. http://www.hungerday.org/content/index.php

A Call for Articles on Local Interfaith Work The purpose of this section will be to share some of the work that is going on in our member organizations. Each quarter, the editor will suggest a topic related to interfaith work. All of you are invited to submit articles of how your organization addresses that topic / issue. A selection of articles will be published in the subsequent NAINews. Hopefully, this will publicize some of the good work that is being done in our member organizations, while it inspires the rest of us in our own programming. The topic selected for the Spring 2008 issue of NAINews is How does your interfaith organization address the issue of the Environment? Please submit your articles of 300 words or less to ‘news_editorATnain.org’. [The email address substitutes AT for the usual @ sign, in order to avoid spam. Please compose the email address in the usual way.] You may include up to two small jpegs related to the article. The editor reserves the right to shorten the article for publication, but will make every effort to communicate with you regarding any content edits.
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NAINConnect 2008: Embracing an Interfaith Future July 24-28, 2008 at the University of San Francisco Register now! http://www.nain.org/regform08.doc

BACKGROUND - The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) was ‘born’ in 1988 in Wichita, Kansas. Two-hundred fifty religious leaders from 12 religions gathered in the largest public interfaith event since the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions. This July 24-28, 2008, in San Francisco, the 20^th anniversary NAINConnect honors that historic beginning and 20 years of North American activities.

THEME - In that rich context, this summer’s theme is Embracing an Interfaith Future. The issue is no longer ‘if’ or ‘when’ but how we build vital, healthy multireligious cultures, starting in our neighborhoods and embracing the world.

PROGRAM - The program, detailed below, examines this future from three lenses – Multifaith Challenges We Face, Gifts We Bring, and Making a Difference. The conference includes three plenary sessions (where we’re all together) and three dozen workshops. Six workshop sessions will each have six workshop options from which to choose. You will receive a conference schedule after you register. You will be able to indicate your workshop preference for each session by mail or online.

WEBSITE - An interactive NAINConnect 2008 website will launch in February, giving visitors a chance to comment on each of the proposed workshops. The site will include brief bios of the presenters and facilitators.

Multifaith Challenges We Face - First Plenary Session (All Attending)

Interfaith Responsibility – North America and the Rest of the World

William Lesher, Helen Spector, William Swing, and Yoland Trevino, moderated by Yasmine Khan

Leaders from the world’s two largest grassroots interfaith organizations – the Parliament of the World’s Religions and United Religions Initiative – share stories about how North American interfaith activity at the local level can be a positive, vital interfaith force outside North America. They will consider what it means to be internationally responsible and how we can live into that responsibility.

WORKSHOPS

• Who Are We as an Interfaith Community?

· Who Is Not Here & Why? Building Inclusivity into Interfaith Communities

· Public Invocations, Prayers and Blessings – Who Is Allowed to Participate? Grove Harris

· How Can We Talk Theologically about the Big Issues? Susan Cook & Peter Laurence

· Can Muslims & Jews Shift from Focusing on the Middle East Conflict to Talking About Shared Values and Concerns? Myrna David, Diane Fisher, Yasmine Khan

· Crafting a Just-Peace Theory for Iraq ,Hal French

· Grassroots Responses to Racism and Religiously Motivated Violence - Doug Kahn, Phil Lawson, Anahut Sandhu, James Wiggens; Facilitator - P.K. McCary

Gifts We Bring - Second Plenary Session

Profiling Eight Exemplary Interfaith Projects

NAIN’s 1988 conference in Wichita was a foretaste of the flood of grassroots interfaith activity in North America, including the renewal of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the founding of United Religions Initiative, and thousands of new bridge-building organizations. Plenary Two briefly surveys eight organizations, partnerships, or projects that are successfully taking grassroots interfaith dialogue in new directions.

Listed with their websites, the profiled organizations/projects/partnerships are:

o InterFaith Youth Core – http://www.ifyc.org/about_core collaborating with Interfaith Works (Washington, DC, New Orleans) in a federally funded young adult interfaith project

o Islamic Network Group – http://ing.org/

o Peninsula Clergy Network – http://www.peninsulaclergynetwork.org/

o The Golden Rule Poster Project, Scarboro Missions, http://www.scarboromissions.ca/Golden_rule/

o The San Francisco Foundation FAITHS Program – http://www.sff.org/programs/social-justice/faiths-program

o Women Transcending Boundaries – http://www.wtb.org/about/history.html

o The Children of Abraham Project – http://thechildrenofabrahamproject.org/index.asp

o California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL) – http://www.interfaithpower.org/

WORKSHOPS

• Successful New Approaches to Interfaith Dialogue
• NAIN – Where We’ve Been & What We Hope For Charles White, Elizabeth Esperson [not yet confirmed], Mike Goggin, Peter Laurence, Kay Lindahl, and Don Mayne,
• United Religions Initiative & NAIN – the Opportunity URI Representatives
• Parliament of the Worlds Religions & NAIN – the Opportunity Parliament Representatives
• Interreligious Higher Education – Surveying the Options James Conlon, James Donahue, Gina Rose Halpern, Joseph Subbiondo; Facilitator - Kimberly Connor
• Appreciative Inquiry in Inter- and Intra-faith Contexts Kay Lindahl & Paul Chaffee

· The Golden and Green Rule Posters Paul McKenna

• Christian-Wiccan Dialogue: A 20-Year interfaith Friendship Don Frew and Brooks Alexander

· Sharing the Spiritual Resources We Bring to Environmental Concerns Rachael Watcher

· Exploring the Indigenous Role in Interfaith Dialogue Don Frew & Yoland Trevino

• Interfaith Communication in the Digital Age
• Using the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice Lauren Artress

Sharing Our Best Interfaith Projects Barbara Trites

• Interreligion at the United Nations – A New Day[still confirming] Joan Kirby

Making a Difference - Plenary Three

What Does It Take to Make a Difference? Maha ElGenaidi, Heng Sure, Michael Pappas, Ellen Grace O’Brian, and Tarunjit Singh Butalia

We will hear answers from five tried and tested leaders from different traditions and then open to conversation up to everyone.

WORKSHOPS

• Being Able to Influence the World Sally Mahe
• Interfaith Activism which Doesn’t Divide the Community Maha ElGenaidi, Carol Hovis, and Jay Miller
• Chaplaincy in Public Places – the Frontline of Interfaith Dialogue Joseph Bobrow, Peter Yuichi Clark, and Patrick McCullum
• Using Appreciative Inquiry & Digital Stortytelling as Tools for Building Interfaith Collaboration Friends in Faith – Marla Kolman Antebi, Corbin Davis, Fred Fielding, and Steve Naylor
• MDGs - Interreligious Community Sought in Helping End Poverty Herb Behrstock
• Greening Our Lives & Healing the Earth Bettina Gray and Members of Jewish World Watch

· Engaging Peace: A Case Study of Toledo’s Erase-the-Hate Youth Contests Woody & Judy Trautman

• Interfaith Personal Relationships: Gifts, Challenges and Blessings Karen Erlichman

For more information or to register, see www.nain.org.

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Memorials

President Gordon B. Hinckley

From Sharon C. Clayton, Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond and NAIN Board

President Gordon B. Hinckley,15th President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter –day Saints, passed away quietly last night [January 27, 2008] at his home in Salt Lake City. At age 97, he worked a full schedule through this past week. He will be remembered as a leader who reached out to people of all faiths.

From the LDS newsroom:

“SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - He was in his late 90s. He arrived at the office early and often left late. He traveled the world at a breathtaking pace and kept up a speaking schedule that would drain the energy of men decades younger. "I would enjoy sitting in a rocker listening to soft music and contemplating the things of the universe," President Hinckley once told the Associated Press. "But such activity offers no challenge and makes no contribution.”

He will be missed by the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as by those of many diverse faith traditions. The Church membership will mourn his passing in the next few days and move on to continue the work of the God who created us all.

In Tribute to Baba Virsa Singh Compiled by The Rev. Dr. Charles R. White, D.Min. Photo: http://www.gobindsadan.net/gallery2/v/press/Babaji_PathtoPeaceCover.jpg.html The world has lost a widely loved and greatly respected spiritual leader, with the death of His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh, on December 24, 2007.

He was the founder and preceptor of Gobind Sadan. He came from a mud-brick village in Punjab, did not read or write in any language, and yet rose to be a great spokesperson for inter-communal harmony, a timeless worker to alleviate poverty, and a healer and spiritual teacher to countless individuals throughout the world. Among his many accomplishments, he saw that Guru Gobind Singh ji’s Jaap Sahib, an empowering cosmic hymn in praise of God, was translated into many languages, including English and Russian, and it is recited by many people throughout the world. To read about Gobind Sadan, farm-based interfaith spiritual communities in India and the United States, uplifting all kinds of people through hard work, worship, and meditation, go to http://www.gobindsadan.org/index.shtml.

Readers of NAINews may be interested to know that Baba Virsa Singh taught that “all prophets have come from the same place. There is one God, and they have all brought his message.” He expressed this teaching was in many ways, often quoting from a variety of Scriptures, it was a wonderful experience to be in his presence and hear him speak. Gobind Sadan honors all prophets and religions. Baba Virsa Singh encouraged people of faith to celebrate the birthdays of each prophet.

Gobind Sadan India is located in New Delhi, while Gobind Sadan U.S.A. is located in Hastings, New York. Many of us may recall that following 9/11 there was a tragic incident that occurred at Gobind Sadan U.S.A.; four teenagers destroyed the sacred place of neighbors who wear beards and turbans, neighbors who practice an unfamiliar religion rooted in an unfamiliar culture. However, instead of hatred, the act released a force of love and forgiveness. Immediately after the teens were arrested, the Sikhs forgave them - while acknowledging they had to be punished for their crime. Baba Virsa Singh said in response to the incident: "By forgiving our enemies we have the opportunity to create peace." This story has been told in a documentary film, North of 49: A story about arson, forgiveness and healing in a post September 11^th world. For more information regarding Gobind Sadan U.S.A. go to http://www.gobindsadan.org/gsusa/ where you will also find information regarding how to obtain the documentary film.

Gobind Sadan is a long-time member of NAIN; Ralph Singh, who is the Director, Publications and Public Relations, Gobind Sadan Society for Interfaith Understanding for many years served as Secretary for the NAIN Board of Directors on which he is now an honorary member.

Dr. Paul F. Knitter, the Paul Tillich Professor of Theology, World Religions and Culture at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, had written sometime prior to Babji’s death“Whatever theological interpretation one may give to the role and message of Baba Virsa Singh and to what is happening under his inspiration at Gobind Sadan, one cannot deny the power of this man’s example and message: he and his community show us how persons of all religions can transcend their differences and come together to work for the poor and the transformation of this world.”

Baba Virsa Singh saw to it that Gobind Sadin will continue following his death by providing in his will for a committee of eleven devotees who are responsible for its management.

My life has been blessed by being in the presence of Baba Virsa Singh in both Gobind Sadan India, and Gobind Sadan U.S.A., I have learned much through his example and message. And I am confident that death is not the end, but only the beginning of even a greater life for Babaji.

Conferences

The Golden Rule in the Religions of the World

Submitted by Paul McKenna, Scarboro Missions Interfaith Desk, Toronto, Ontario

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - Thursday, April 17, 2008

A conference of the Golden Rule in the Religions of the World will be presented by the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, with a grant from the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love. It will be held at Weis Cinema, Bertelsmann Campus Center.

The conference is sponsored by the Institute of Advanced Theology and organized by Bruce Chilton and Jacob Neusner, Bard College, with many additional participants.

The schedule for the conference is Tuesday, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are requested.

Contact 845-758-7279, iat@bard.edu, http://www.bard.edu/iat/events.php

"Feminist Theologies: Heritage and Future"

From the Harvard Pluralism Project: You are Invited to Join Feminist Scholars For A Summer Forum

15-20 June 2008, Washington, DC

The Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) and Feminist Studies in Religion, Inc. (FSR) are pleased to invite graduate students and junior faculty to our first Summer Forum on Feminist Theologies in Washington, DC, June 15-20, 2008. This inaugural year of what we envision as an annual gathering will focus on "Making the Connections: Claiming Our Past-Envisioning Our Future Together." You are cordially invited to apply.

This residential program provides the space and opportunity to work with colleagues across generations, religions, racial/ethnic, and disciplinary lines creating new knowledge and deepening feminist scholarly collaboration. We are pleased that distinguished scholars in the field, including Katie Geneva Cannon, Mary E. Hunt, Judith Plaskow, Kwok Pui-lan, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, and Deborah Whitehead have agreed to provide leadership for the entire week of lively discussions and creative debate in a communal atmosphere.

This Summer Forum provides a chance to network with colleagues, to learn from and with leading scholars in the field, and to explore together religious and theological questions, methodological approaches, and theoretical frameworks. The many different theoretical voices of womanist, liberationist, Latina, postcolonial, Asian, transcultural, critical rhetorical, critical gender, and black feminist studies in religion and theology will be explored in order to articulate feminist theologies for the future.

The Forum will add a wonderful new dimension to our collaborative work. Making connections with senior scholars in the field is crucial not only for navigating traditional malestream institutions but also for making the connections between feminist studies in religion of the past, present, and future. Making connections with younger scholars is an exciting way to see pioneering work deepened and extended.

The Summer Forum will be held at a conference site in Washington, DC, where all of the participants will live for the week. The program will include plenary sessions, seminars, and working groups as well as meals and informal time together. It aims to deepen our understanding of our rich intellectual history and set the trajectories for new vistas and collaboration for the future. It will be an experience of feminist pedagogy as well as a chance to sharpen one's own research and teaching focus.

The fee for the Summer Forum is $800 including room, board, and program. Scholarships are available (thanks to the generosity of the Henry Luce Foundation and Feminist Studies in Religion, Inc.) but graduate students and junior faculty are urged to seek funding from their departments and institutions, from their denominations and other sources so that we can include a wide range of participants.

Application deadline is April 1, 2008. Participants will be notified after April 15, 2008.

Please direct inquiries and send completed applications to: water@hers.com; WATER * 8121 Georgia Avenue * Suite 310 * Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA * Phone 301.589-2509 * Fax 301.589.2509.

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Society, Religion and Politics in the Middle East: A Cross-Cultural Study of Jordan

Announcing a course open to all ages from the United Nations University –

International Leadership Institute July 18 – 27, 2007

The Middle East has always enjoyed a significant share of the world’s attention. Being the place where the three monotheist religions emerged, the world’s largest oil reserve, and hosting almost conflicts, the region is today, as has always been, a major preoccupation of scholars, policy makers and the public. Recently, the happenings of September 11 radically altered the way even “ordinary” people think of the Middle East. With the wave of political Islam affecting the globe and (at least some trends within it) creating controversies, the thesis of civilizations clashing has vaulted into the mainstream. Americans trying to comprehend the shocking attacks on the twin towers started implicitly and explicitly asking the question: WHY DO THEY HATE US? Several answers were given to assist the understanding of terror attacks, yet many fall in the trap of “clash of civilizations”, accusing all Muslims and those who look like Muslims of being terrorists, without a real understanding of the dynamics of terrorism and differences between Islam and Muslims, or Political Islam and Islamists. Policy makers went even further and suggested, as a way out a comprehensive regional reform, focusing mainly on the skeletal structure of politics, women’s status and young people’s social and political integration. Western style democracy was set as a model to follow often without paying attention to the different social and cultural contexts of the region and, more importantly, without considering the implications of such difference on the desired transformation.

Those who dig deep into the issue, argue that Clash of Civilization thesis is misleading and very dangerous. Leading scholars and figures in this field refer to what has been called a “Clash of Ignorance” challenging the “Clash of Civilizations” argument, and suggest the development of better understanding methods of the world. The “Dialog between Civilizations” is s