February-
Near and Far

IN THIS ISSUE: Spiritual Resources from the Parliament | Muslim-Jewish Dialogue | Interspiritual Wisdom Conference | One Voice of Faith Conference | Religion Communication Congress | Interfaith Understanding Conference | Project in Malawi

As 2010 gets going, many opportunities for interfaith learning, dialogue, and shared work are coming our way both near and far. A few events and resources that are on the horizon:

Near . . .

PARLIAMENT VIDEOS. About 30 people gathered at the Presidio Interfaith Center yesterday, January 31st, to share experiences, photos, and stories from the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Dr. Bill Lesher, who just completed six years as Chair of the Council for the Parliament, was present, as were many ICP supporters and friends. Paul Chaffee reminded the group of the collection of videos produced by the team from ICP, which include interviews with interfaith leaders including Sr. Joan Chittister and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi. The videos are available on the “Spiritual Resources” page of the ICP website; new videos are being added as they are edited.

MUSLIM-JEWISH DIALOGUE AND EDUCATION. The Center for Islamic Studies & the Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union invite you to: Madrasa-Midrasha: Islamic and Jewish Texts Study. Tuesdays, 7-9 PM, Feb. 2 - April 6, 2010, at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Room 116, 2451 Ridge Road, Berkeley. The course offered in association with Progressive Jewish Alliance, Islamic Networks Group, Lehrhaus Judaica ands the Zaytuna Institute. Join the group for a course on reading texts from Jewish and Islamic sources (Torah, Qur'an, and Commentaries on both) on key issues of shared interest in both traditions. The course will be taught by a team of scholars from Jewish and Muslim Bay Area academic and religious communities. Topics include: Methods of text study, Religious Law and Authority, Women and Gender Roles, Sacred Space/Place (esp. Jerusalem), Social Justice and Business Ethics. Please visit the Lehrhaus website for more information about dates and times and to sign up, or email cjs@gtu.edu. Scholarships are available for Jewish educators. Community members are welcome to audit only one of a few sessions if unable to commit to the full course. Contact Rbiale@pjalliance.org to reserve a spot at least 1 week before the session. Space is limited.

INTERSPIRITUAL WISDOM: SHARING THE MYSTIC HEART. ICP is a co-sponsor of this exciting weekend experience presented by the First United Lutheran Church of San Francisco and the Spiritual Paths Institute. Recognizing the increasing spiritual creativity emerging from meeting and dialogue among the world's major religious traditions, InterSpirituality acknowledges differences between religions and affirms the greater unity they all share. Featured leaders include Rabbi Rami Schapiro, Swami Atmarupananda, Mary O'Hara Wyman, Kabin & Camille Helminski, Ed Bastian, and Orion Pitts. Saturday and Sunday, February 27-28, meeting at the First Unitarian Universalist Chapel, 1187 Franklin Street (at Geary), San Francisco. For more information, see the First United Lutheran website.

ONE VOICE OF FAITH. The Interfaith Millennium Development Goals Coalition, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been working for several years to encourage religious communities to join in advocacy in support of public policy that benefits the poor. This year, together with the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, the San Francisco Interfaith Council, and many others, they are sponsoring One Voice of Faith: A National Interfaith Conference on Global Poverty, to be held April 20-21, 2010 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco. The Conference is a catalytic convening of religious and interfaith leaders and activists for networking, education and advocacy towards the fulfillment of the UN Millennium Development Goals. There will be a special program track for Youth, and a public Interfaith Prayer Service on April 20th. More information can be found on their website: www.imdgc.org/

Far . . .

RELIGION COMMUNICATION CONGRESS. The Religion Communication Congress is: A once-a-decade interfaith forum; a hands-on opportunity to learn new technologies and retread old technologies; a round-table for exchanging views on important communications issues; a professional pick-me-up with hundreds of practical workshops; an opportunity to experience a wide range of faith expressions; a convergence of communications professionals from all media disciplines; a global event planned by a North American committee. RCCongress 2010 will be held April 7-10, 2010, in Chicago, bringing together an estimated 1,200 communication professionals from many settings around the world. Details at www.RCCongress2010.org.

INTERFAITH UNDERSTANDING CONFERENCE. Nazareth College in Rochester, NY, will present Interfaith Understanding Conference 2010, April 11-13, 2010. Discover the intellectual energy, the spiritual passion, and the relational power of cutting edge interfaith dialogue and collaboration. Keynote speakers include Dr. Leonard Swidler, (Dialogue Institute); Sr. Joan Chittister, (Benetvision); Rabbi Hirschfield, (National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership); Dr. P. Jayaraman, (Bhavan's Centre); Dr. Eboo Patel, (Interfaith Youth Core); Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche. In conversation with other attendees, you will share insights, explore best practices, and create action plans that reflect the rich texture of interfaith engagement. More information and registration at interfaith2010.naz.edu/

And help from Near to enable the Far . . .

SPIRITUALITY, TECHNOLOGY, AND COMMUNITY IN MALAWI. The Board of the ICP voted recently to serve as the fiscal agent for a new program being developed in Malawi. Njira Ya Tsogolo is a program to provide computers to young people, give an intensive introductory course, and train youth leaders to pass along what they have learned. Zachary Levine, along with local partners in Malawi, will be working hard to expand the scope of the work to include interfaith education, agricultural assistance, health education and leadership training. Read more about the program . . .

BECOME A STAKEHOLDER IN THE INTERFAITH CENTER
Consider becoming an Interfaith Center Associate! Being an Associate or Affiliate comes with the understanding that you have a voice in this work, that your suggestions are welcomed and your engagement encouraged.

For more information about becoming an Associate or Affiliate, please contact Paul Chaffee, Executive Director, at 415-775-4635 or at paul@interfaith-presidio.org. A flyer with more information is available on the ICP website (pdf).

Bay Area Interfaith Connect is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities.

Andrew Kille

January-
Bringing it all back home

IN THIS ISSUE: Parliament of the World's Religions | Bringing It Back | PeaceNext | Abrahamic Showcase | Not In Our Town

The Parliament of the World's Religions is much like the proverbial elephant encountered by the blind men- what you find depends on the angle at which you approach it. In one of my own reports from Melbourne, I likened it to an "interfaith aquarium" - a dazzling array of diverse people, each expressing their deep connections to life and the divine in their own unique way.

The Interfaith Center at the Presidio was a presence at the gathering, not only because of the members and associates who were making presentations, or the programs that were being featured, but because of the efforts of a team producing live webcasts from Melbourne.

Executive Director Paul Chaffee writes,

Being with 5,000 people who share your passion is hugely confirming. On the other hand, deciding which 30 workshops to attend (if you can handle that many in six days), from the 660 offered at the Parliament of the World’s Religions last month in Melbourne, is worse than a high-school pop quiz. Plus six plenaries, 40 off-site events… So – follow your personal compass and let the feast at hand serve you!

More than a hundred Bay Area registrants in Australia faced that assignment. Their stories tumble out afterwards. Islam and the West, climate change, the divine feminine, the indigenous role in interfaith culture, conflict resolution, and interreligious education were among the hot-button issues raised up in dozens of contexts by 1500 presenters from 80 countries.  And bumping into new friends and old in the halls between sessions can trump the workshops.

In 2004, the Interfaith Center’s Interfaith Design Competition was featured in Barcelona. Last month the Lost and Endangered Religions Project was given a featured workshop. And the Center’s new webcasting capacity was highlighted in one workshop with a live feed from the web on a screen behind the panel – an interview with young adult leaders in the hotel next door to the convention center. That took doing. . .

The Interfaith Center at the Presidio produced two dozen hours of live webcasting last month, bringing home interviews with three dozen leaders attending the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia, December 3-9. Read more . . .

BRINGING IT BACK. The webcast that I myself hosted was on "Bringing it back home," but even as I was interviewing my guests, I realized that many people all across the Parliament weren't waiting until they got back to share experiences and learning. The ICP webcasts took their place alongside Blogs, websites, Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube- a rich cross-section of reporting. See a brief list of links on our website (if you want to add your own, send link info to calendar@interfaithspace.org).

Now that we are back, there are many stories yet to be shared, and we invite both those who attended the Parliament and those who just want to know more to get together at the Interfaith Center Post Chapel on Sunday, January 31st, from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Bring your photos and your stories, and we'll have a chance to see clips of some of the ICP webcasts.

PEACENEXT.ORG. So, do we need to wait another five years to connect with people from around the world, to share our wisdom and understanding, and to have our souls touched? In Melbourne, the Parliament of the World's Religions announced the creation of PeaceNext.org, an online social network that can bring together the global interreligious community. Take a look and join the conversation!

ABRAHAMIC SHOWCASE POSTPONED. A number of circumstances led the Interfaith Center to postpone the previously announced set of webcasts titled An Abrahamic Showcase. Details and a new schedule will follow in February.

NOT IN OUR TOWN. Informational events have been scheduled in San Francisco (January 11th) and another in Contra Costa County (TBA) to introduce the new Not In Our Town website. NIOT, a national movement that encourages and connects people who are responding to hate and working to build more inclusive communities, has completely revamped the site. Supporters, organizations with a shared mission, community groups, educators, and people with a passion for standing up for inclusion, are invited to to help make NIOT.org not just a website, but a thriving online community. (see the article by Rev. Brian Stein-Webber, director of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, on the recent gang rape in Richmond.)

BECOME A STAKEHOLDER IN THE INTERFAITH CENTER
Consider becoming an Interfaith Center Associate! Being an Associate or Affiliate comes with the understanding that you have a voice in this work, that your suggestions are welcomed and your engagement encouraged.

For more information about becoming an Associate or Affiliate, please contact Paul Chaffee, Executive Director, at 415-775-4635 or at paul@interfaith-presidio.org. A flyer with more information is available on the ICP website (pdf).

Bay Area Interfaith Connect is sent each month to nearly 2,000 subscribers, and is available online at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio website. If you do not receive the monthly updates and would like to do so, simply write to info@interfaith-presidio.org. Please include your name, and, if you are willing, your street address and phone will help us to keep you up to date on interfaith activities.

Andrew Kille

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