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December- Interfaith Skills


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

The Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion was held in San Diego this year on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Together with the Society of Biblical Literature, it brought 10,000 scholars of religion together to share research, resources, and refreshment on a wide range of topics religious.

One session I was able to attend was "Toward a Field of Interreligious Studies: Emerging Questions and Considerations (you just can't have an academic session without a colon in the title!). Moderated by Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago, it featured a panel of people from across the country sharing their experiences in developing and shaping studies for the emerging interfaith world. Diane Eck, director of the Pluralism Project, brought her own reflections from 20 years of studying interfaith issues at Harvard University.

Patel described five "social goods" that come from the interfaith encounter: Reduction of prejudice; Increased social cohesion; Increased social capital; Strengthened personal religious commitment; and an increased sense of how the encounter between religions it itself a holy encounter. We know the benefits, but how do we prepare those who work in the encounter?

What kind of training will be needed in the future for leaders in interfaith contexts? What basic information should they have at their command; what skills should they bring to the task? There is a paradox in the need to define the arena so as to understand what is needed, but also to keep definitions open as new contexts and experience come along. The best that those with experience in interfaith relations might have to offer are the skills that are needed for learning about the unknown.

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Rev. Gerald CaprioICP BOARD CHANGES: There have been some changes on the Board of ICP over the last couple of months. We have added two new members: Rev. Gerald Caprio is an Independent Catholic priest serving with the White Robed Monks of St. Benedict based in San Francisco.  He was ordained in 1970, holds graduate degrees in Theology and Education and is currently the Board president of AHIMSA Berkeley.

Rev. Scott QuinnThe Rev. Scott Quinn, MDiv, MA, CHt, was ordained as a Lutheran minister, is an ordained interfaith minister, spiritual director, and is the Director of Interfaith Community with The Chaplaincy Institute in Berkeley. He also serves on Marin Interfaith Council's Justice Advocacy Team. He has facilitated classes and retreats for over twenty years and lives in San Rafael where he also provides individual and group spiritual guidance and hypnotherapy. He blogs at scottquinn.net.

We also bade farewell to two previous members: Dr. Amer Araim and Rev. Carrie Knowles. Thanks to both for their service. Carrie especially was instrumental in working with our veterans' events.

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WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA. December 13 is National Wreaths Across America Day.  The organization of the same name will be placing wreaths on national cemeteries across the nation. Here in the Presidio, the ceremony will begin at 9:00 am in the San Francisco Cemetery next to the Presidio Chapel. The Interfaith Center at the Presidio will open the Chapel from 9:00 to noon for tours and meditation and prayers. For more information, please check out the website at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

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CHRISTMAS EVE MASS. All are welcome!! Please join with the White Robed Monks of St. Benedict to celebrate a Family Christmas Eve Service at the Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco at 7:00 pm. Christmas Carols and Meditation begin at 7:30 pm, followed by Christmas Eve Mass. Join us afterwards for a dessert potluck for some festive fellowship and good cheer. (We'll have utensils, plates, napkins, coffee, tea, hot apple cider & cocoa. You bring ... <Ah! The surprises in life!>) We'd like an approximate count so we have enough coffee, tea, etc. on-hand. Please let us know the number of your party by sending an e-mail to: XmasEveMass@whiterobedmonks.org Thank you.

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Rita Semel, Heng Sure, Don Frew, Michael PappasVETERANS DAY SERVICE. The Veterans Day Service this year at the Presidio Chapel featured multifaith prayers, diverse music, and a talk by Rev. Heng Sure of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery. The service was adapted from the 1974 Book of Worship for United States Forces, and included leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Wiccan traditions. To see photos of the service and a video of Heng Sure's talk, go to the ICP Website.

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Aachen Cathedral windowMCDONALD WINDOWS IN AACHEN. "Remembered Light," the McDonald Windows collection of art pieces created from the shards of stained glass windows broken during World War II, recently went on display in Aachen, Germany, as part of the observance of the 1200th anniversary of the death of Charlemagne, who is buried in the cathedral there. As it is difficult to ship the windows themselves, ICP provided high-resolution photographs of each piece that were used to create a display explaining the project and where the shards came from. The showing was sponsored by Merck Finck & Co., a German bank. If you're interested, you can download a .pdf file with photos of the exhibition and reception (warning-large file- 9MB).

The image to the right is the window created from shards of windows in the Aachen Cathedral. To see more of the collection, go to the McDonald Windows display on the ICP website.

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GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION EXPANDS. The Board of the GTU has announced eight new initiatives that will expand programs and new religious breadth at the GTU. The new groups include Hindu, Sikh, and Jain traditions, as well as Mormon studies. These new areas will complement existing GTU programs and degree offerings in Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and Buddhist Studies. A newly signed agreement between the GTU and the Dharma Civilization Foundation will bring a full-time faculty member in Hindu Studies to campus beginning this spring.

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Parliament of the World's ReligionsPARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. "Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity" is the theme for the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions, taking place October 15 – 19, 2015 in Salt Lake City. Three Critical Issues for 2015 will be: Climate Change and Care for Creation; War, Violence, and Hate Speech; and The Widening Wealth Gap and Wasteful Consumption. Special focus will be made on Women, Indigenous Communities, and Youth.

It was recently announced that two keynote speakers for the Parliament will be His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Karen Armstrong, religion author and founder of the Charter for Compassion.

The Parliament is now accepting proposals for presentations. Registration is already available. For an overview of the conference, registration, and links for proposing sessions, exhibition space, and sponsorship information (coming soon), go to the Parliament website.

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NOTES & QUOTES: "Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity" Charter for Compassion... "The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others" Albert Schweitzer... "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion" Dalai Lama... "Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty".Albert Einstein

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

 

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November- Honoring Veterans


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

On Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2014, at 11:00 am, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio will hold an interfaith service of unity and peace at the Presidio Chapel, home to the Interfaith Center. The service has been adapted from the 1974 Book of Worship for United States Forces, and will include leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim traditions, as well as a representative from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's office. Special music will include a bagpiper, hymns, chanting, and the ringing of the bell.

Fighting ceased at the end of World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars and became Veterans Day.

Post ChapelThe Presidio Chapel, home to the Interfaith Center, was built in 1931 to serve the diverse religious needs of the soldiers stationed at the Presidio. From its very beginning, it was a sacred place where people of different religious backgrounds could worship and pray. When the army decided to decommission the Presidio in 1995, the Interfaith Center held a Gathering of Blessings ceremony where representatives from numerous faith families commemorated the transition in Chapel stewardship from military to civilian hands. As part of the stewardship of the Chapel, the Interfaith Center marks Veterans Day and Memorial Day each year, and has sponsored several workshops in the Bay Area addressing the spiritual needs of returning Veterans in our communities.

Rev. Edgar Welty, Jr.

Rev. Edgar Welty, Jr. will be one of the leaders of the Veterans Day service

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Peace Forum 2014PEACE FORUM 2014. "Forging Peace and Human Security: From Aspiration to Action" is the theme for this year's Peace Forum, scheduled to take place Saturday, November 15, 2014, from 1:30 - 5:00 pm at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Avenue, Berkeley. This year's Forum will include Keynote Speaker Victor Kazanjian, the Executive Director of the United Religions Initiative, panels on “Public Policy, Civic Advocacy and Actions for Non-Violence and Security” and “How Can Love, Compassion & Empathy Transform Values & Behavior to Achieve Peace" with several well-known local peace and interfaith leaders. Workshops will address topics ranging from housing to immigration to conflict and violence. Special music and dance will be provided by the El Djazira Ensemble from Algiers, Enver Rahmanov, and Carla DeSola. Admission is free; for full details and registration, go to http://bayareapeaceforum.org/

If you'd like to see what happened at last year's Peace Forum, videos of the speakers and presentations can be found here.

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RESPONDING TO HATE AND ISIS. Last month, sadly, another series of inflammatory anti-Muslim ads sponsored by Pamela Geller appeared on MUNI buses in San Francisco. In response, Michael Pappas of the San Francisco Interfaith Council joined with Jewish Community Relations Council Associate Executive director Abby Porth wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Thursday, advertisements appeared on San Francisco Muni buses depicting Islam as evil and claiming that devout followers of the faith are bound to be violent. This proclamation is utterly false and an attempt to manipulate the public with Islamophobic vitriol to address the very serious threat posed by the Islamic State group. (read the full article)

Michael and Abby go on to point out the strong opposition to ISIS that has been expressed by Muslims themselves. If you're not familiar with those statements, some good places to start are with Ameena Jandali's essay at Patheos, "Hajj 2014 – How ISIS is the Antithesis of the Holy Pilgrimage," or the list of "Global Condemnations of ISIS/ISIL" compiled by ING. ING also has a Frequently Asked Questions about ISIS page on their website.

Beyond the Muslim community, Interfaith leaders have also spoken out against ISIS. The San Francisco Interfaith Council addressed especially the impact of ISIS on the ancient Christian communities of the region, while noting the need to remember "that the actions of ISIS and other terror groups do not reflect a true image of Islam."

Religions for Peace USA held a webinar with Dr. Omid Safi of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Jerusha Lamptey of Union Theological Seminary in New York City and Mr. Ron Kraybill, Senior Advisor on Peacebuilding and Development to the United Nations, to reframe the conversation about ISIS away from stoking stereotypes of all Muslims to understanding ISIS and how to respond to it. The webinar is online at www.rfpusa.org/.

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TALKING ABOUT ISRAEL: JEWS AND MUSLIMS. This, the first in a series of three conversations about Israel, will consider how relationships between Jews and Muslims around the world are inevitably colored by the events in the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Can Muslims and Jews achieve a fuller understanding of the histories, narratives and stakes involved for each side? Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman and Imam Abdullah T. Antepli, co-founders of the Shalom Hartman Institute Muslim Leadership Initiative, discuss their efforts to help influencers on both sides transform their thinking. Presented by the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco in partnership with the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and the United Religions Initiative. Tickets are $15; JCCSF Members get 10% off. Details are here. Tuesday, Nov 4, 2014, 7:00 pm at JCCSF, 3200 California Street San Francisco, CA 94118.

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Parliament of the World's ReligionsPARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. "Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity" is the theme for the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions, taking place October 15 – 19, 2015 in Salt Lake City. Three Critical Issues for 2015 will be: Climate Change and Care for Creation; War, Violence, and Hate Speech; and The Widening Wealth Gap and Wasteful Consumption. Special focus will be made on Women, Indigenous Communities, and Youth.

The Parliament is the oldest, the largest, and the most inclusive gathering of people of all faith and traditions. In making the announcement of the 2015 Parliament, Imam Malik Mujahid, Chair of the Parliament Board of Trustees said, “at this juncture in human history when hate, fear and anger is rising in America and across the globe, It is important that faith communities, rise with a loving, caring relationships, even if we do not agree on some issues.” This is the first time the Parliament has met in the U.S. since the 1993 gathering in Chicago. Since then, gatherings have been held in Cape Town, Barcelona, and Melbourne.

The Parliament is now accepting proposals for presentations. Registration is already available, and Super Saver rates are available until November 30, 2014; lower rates are also available for groups of ten or more who register together. For an overview of the conference, registration, and links for proposing sessions, exhibition space, and sponsorship information (coming soon), go to the Parliament website.

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HEALTH CARE. The California Council of Churches, through its new Navigator grant with Covered CA is seeking congregations of all faiths to serve as enrollment sites for the next open and special enrollment periods to sign people up for health insurance from November 2014 to June 2015. Faith communities should recruit volunteers who will be trained, certified, fingerprinted and background checked, have accessible meeting spaces and parking, have password protected computer and internet access and be willing to accommodate education and enrollment store fronts during weeknights and on the weekends. Faith communities can, at their discretion, invite local providers to do health screenings and have a community health fair. For more information, contact: Marijke Fakasiieiki, California Council of Churches Certified Educator and Enroller Covered CA, (510) 529-5011 or marijke@calchurches.org.

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NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to Sari Heidenreich, the new URI Regional Coordinator for North America...and welcome to new ICP Board Members Gerry Caprio and Scott Quinn. More about them in the next issue..."When you take on service, always ask yourself why you are doing it. Work is wonderful, but creation is better. Know that you serve because of your faith and that you have faith because you serve" (Hussein Rashid at State of Formation)..."Kinship is what God presses us on to, always hopeful that its time has come" (Fr. Gregory Boyle, SJ)..."All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of all the others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul" (Mahatma Gandhi)..."Reverence is about awe, and from a spiritual perspective, everything is awesome" (Mary Ann Brussat, at The Interfaith Observer).

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

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October- Pluralism


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

In a report about the NAIN Connect gathering in Detroit last August published at State of Formation, Ellie Anders describes a generational difference concerning how people speak about interreligious relationships. She sees it as a difference between "relativism" and "pluralism." Of the former, she observes, "[o]ver and over again we heard phrases like 'we all have the same God/gods' or 'the same God/gods loves us all.'" Such language has two drawbacks, from her perspective: it excludes those who do not identify themselves in relation to a "god," such as "theist, humanist, and other non-deist friends," and further,"it forces our conversations into the shallow end of the pool, conversations that have vast and deep potential for discovery."

The younger generation, she observes, is more likely to use the language of "pluralism," as used by Diane Eck and others on the Pluralism Project website. It is not just recognizing diversity, but engaging with it. It moves beyond tolerance to actively seeking to understand the other. Pluralism is the language "'of dialogue and encounter, give and take, criticism and self-criticism.'”

What words would you use to describe the interfaith/interreligious/multifaith encounter? Do you agree with Ellie Anders? Join the conversation on the ICP blog.

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INTERFAITH ENGAGEMENT AND THE EMERGING CULTURE OF PEACE will be the title of a talk to be given this evening, October 1, at 7:00 pm at the Soda Activity Center at St. Mary's College of California, 1928 Saint Mary’s Road, Moraga. The speaker will be Rev. Deborah Moldow, Co-Chair of the UN International Day of Peace and UN Representative of the World Peace Prayer Society (the “Peace Pole” people). Her talk is sponsored by the Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism. For more information contact Cherie Grant at cgrant@stmarys-ca.edu or (925) 997-4074.

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OCTOBER IS HINDU AMERICAN MONTH. For the second year in a row, the California State Legislature has proclaimed October as Hindu-American Awareness and Appreciation Month. Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett, Senate Concurrent Resolution 93 notes that "California is home to the largest Hindu American population in the United States," including "over 120 Hindu temples, religious centers, and cultural centers throughout California" (40 of which are in the greater Bay Area). Therefore, the Legislature "designates the month of October 2014 as California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month," and recognizes and acknowledges the significant contributions made by Californians of Hindu heritage to our state. You can read the full proclamation online.

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Post ChapelVETERANS DAY SERVICE. The Interfaith Center at the Presidio will be hosting a "Service of Peace and Unity" for Veteran's Day at the Post Chapel on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, at 11:00 am. The interfaith service will be based on the 1974 "Book of Worship for United States Forces," and will be inclusive of diverse religious traditions. We'll have more details in next month's BAIC, but save the date and plan to come with a veteran!

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PARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. October 15 – 19, 2015: those are the dates for the next Parliament of the World's Religions, which will take place in Salt Lake City. The Parliament is the oldest, the largest, and the most inclusive gathering of people of all faith and traditions. In making the announcement of the 2015 Parliament, Imam Malik Mujahid, Chair of the Parliament Board of Trustees said, “at this juncture in human history when hate, fear and anger is rising in America and across the globe, It is important that faith communities, rise with a loving, caring relationships, even if we do not agree on some issues.” This is the first time the Parliament has met in the U.S. since the 1993 gathering in Chicago. Since then, gatherings have been held in Cape Town, Barcelona, and Melbourne. Registration is already available, and Super Saver rates are available until November 30, 2014; lower rates are also available for groups of ten or more who register together. For an overview of the conference, registration, and links for proposing sessions, exhibition space, and sponsorship information (coming soon), go to the Parliament website.

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HOUSING SABBATH. The Marin Interfaith Council is partnering with the Marin Organizing Committee to sponsor the Housing Sabbath on October 10-12, 2014, a weekend during Succoth where communities of faith open their doors to share the importance of affordable housing froma personal perspective and from a religious perspective. They are encouraging congregations to take part in the Homeless Count being taken in Marin County, to teach, pray, and lead communities to reflect on what it means as people of faith to offer shelter, to write letters, and to join in the Sukkah at Congregation Kol Shofar on Sunday, October 12, 3:00 - 5:00 pm. They have prepared a resource booklet with prayers, readings, and resources related to housing; contact programs@marinifc.org.

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Carry the Vision

CARRY THE VISION. Discover the power of compassion that is within each of us that transforms our lives and our communities into a thriving environment for everyone. At Carry the Vision, you'll discopver inspiration from community leaders; interactive workshops and panels; Youth Leadership Summit (high school age); community dialog process, and a lunch provided by the Jain Center of Northern California and San Jose Sikh Gurdwara. Sunday, October 19, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, Levy Family Campus, 14855 Oka Rd in Los Gatos.

Keynote speaker is Rev. Greg Boyle, SJ, founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program in Los Angeles, and author of Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. $30 adults and $15 students includes lunch. For details and registration, see www.carrythevision.org/

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CORRECTION. Last month's article about the ICP at the Peace in the Park festival was missing the photos, due to a coding error. Thanks to Managing Director Linda Crawford (left) and Board President Fred Fielding (and Susan Strouse, photographer):

       

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NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last week and enjoyed a visit from Abbot Jian Deng of the home center in Taiwan...Congratulations to Girish Shah of the Jain Center of Northern California and SiVIC, Dr. Barbara McGraw of the Center for Engaged Pluralism at St. Mary's College, Iftekhar Hai of United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance and Mervyn Danker of the American Jewish Committee, who all received Mahatma Gandhi Awards for the Advancement of Pluralism from the Hindu American Foundation at their annual dinner in September...We were sorry to hear about the decision of the URI Peninsula Cooperation Circle to disband. This faithful group, led for years by Margaret Jones and Oscar Koechlin, met every month in Millbrae to hear from leaders across the spectrum of religious diversity in our area...

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

Return to top

September- Peace Day


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

SEPTEMBER 21: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

September 21 has been celebrated as the International Day of Peace by the United Nations each year since 1982. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Declaration of the Right of Peoples to Peace by the U.N. in 1984. That declaration called on all member states "to do their utmost to assist in implementing the rights of people to peace through the adoption of appropriate measures at the national and international level."

In the customary 100-day Countdown Message given by the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said, "Over the coming 100 days we need to unite as a human family to deliver the right to peace by encouraging fighters to lay down their arms. Let us stand in solidarity with the civilians killed by terrorism and war, the traumatised families whose homes and futures lie in ruins, the countries whose development has been set back by decades."

Sadly, during these 100 days since June 13th, we have seen the flareup on the Gaza Strip, tensions and combat in Ukraine, riots and unrest in response to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mississippi, the rise of ISIS and subsequent attacks on religious communities, including Christians, Yaizidis, and "unacceptable" Muslims. We clearly have far to go to achieve the vision of the “Right of Peoples to Peace.”

And yet, all around the world, people of good will continue to gather to lift up that vision and to do what is in their power to bring it nearer to fulfillment.

At the Interfaith Center, we will be hosting a screening of the film Waking in Oak Creek. The film profiles a suburban town rocked by hate after six worshippers at a Sikh Temple are killed by a white supremacist. In the year following the attack, the film highlights a community and law enforcement working together to overcome tragedy, stand up to hate, and create a safe town for all. There will be a lunchtime showing on Thursday, September 18, 12:00 - 1:00 pm for the commercial residents of the Presidio. A second showing will be open to the public 2:00 - 3:30 pm on the Day of Peace September 21. Both will be at the Presidio Chapel. [Flyer]

ICP is also co-sponsoring an interfaith gathering and concert in Walnut Creek on the 21st at 7:00 pm. "Open Up Our Eyes" will feature multiple choirs and musical ensembles. Other sponsors include the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, the Mt. Diablo Peace Center, and the Interfaith Peace Project, Antioch. Free admission; contributions welcome. [Flyer]

Many local interfaith organizations will be planning special observances during September to honor Peace Day 2014; see listings below and check our Events Calendar for updates.. Learn more about Peace day at www.internationaldayofpeace.org/, or at the International Day of Peace page on Facebook.

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EAST BAY STAND DOWN VETERANS EVENT. ICP Board Member Rev. Carrie Knowles will be serving with chaplains of many faiths at the East Bay Stand Down, September 11-14, 2014. The East Bay Stand Down is a consortium of community organizations coming together to provide a four-day event every other year that bring together the nine-county homeless and at-risk military Veterans living in the Bay Area of California, connecting them with services ranging from: VA HealthCare, Dental, Mental Health Services, Clothing, Meals, Emergency Shelter, Transitional and Permanent Housing, ID/ Drivers License's, Court Services and Legal Aide, Showers and Haircuts and myriad other services and resources. The East Bay Stand Down will be held at Alameda County Fairground in Pleasanton. For more information and registration, see www.eastbaystanddown.org/

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CONFLICT and COMPASSION. AHIMSA is sponsoring a conference on "Conflict and Compassion" on Sunday Sept 28, 2014 ,1:30-4:30 pm, at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley, Berkeley. Speakers include Dana King, former Chanel 5 News Anchor and currently candidate for Oakland City Council; Jane Falk, Ph.D. , a consultant committed to creating peace and harmony in the context of cross-cultural misunderstanding and conflict; J.G. Larochette, Mindful Life Project; Kokomon Clottey, Attitudinal Healing Connection; Francisco "Poncho" Ramos-Stierle, ServiceSpace. See details at http://www.ahimsaberkeley.org/

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SFIC INTERFAITH STATEMENT ON ANTI-SEMITISM. In response to recent events, the San Francisco Interfaith Council has issued the following statement; for additional information, please contact Rita R. Semel at (415) 673-2190.

Anti-Semitic acts of violence have broken out in Europe and beyond, indeed in our own country as well. To our friends in the Jewish community these senseless acts bring back painful memories of the 1930s. Surely we have learned something from that terrible time. We may differ on international issues of war and peace but we certainly agree that anti-Semitism has no place in our community. As we have spoken out in the past against those who voice anti-Muslim views, so too do we decry anti-Semitism anywhere.

Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco
Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal Bishop of California
Reverend Mark W. Holmerud, Bishop, Sierra Pacific Synod, ELCA
Metropolitan Gerasimos, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco
Bishop Robert McElroy, Archdiocese of San Francisco
Iftekhar Hai, Islamic Society of San Francisco and United Muslims of America
Rev. Maggi Henderson, Chair, San Francisco Interfaith Council
Michael G. Pappas, Executive Director, San Francisco Interfaith Council

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MORE ON GAZA. Last month, we shared statements from the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, Islamic Networks Group, and the Parliament of the World's Religions concerning the crisis in Gaza. The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County has published their own statement on the conflict; you can find it at the ICCC website.

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PEACE IN THE PARK FESTIVAL OF SPIRIT. The ICP table and displays from many Bay Area organizations prompted interest and conversations at the Peace in the Park festival held on August 23 in Golden Gate Park. Read more about Peace in the Park at www.PeaceInTheParkSF.org. Thanks to Managing Director Linda Crawford (left) and Board President Fred Fielding (and Susan Strouse, photographer):

       

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Carry the VisionCARRY THE VISION. For many years now, the Carry the Vision Community Nonviolence Conference has brought together people from religious, governmental, educational, and nonprofit sectors across the South Bay and beyond to discover ways to overcome violence in our communities. This year's conference will feature Rev. Greg Boyle, SJ, founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program in Los Angeles, as keynote speaker.

CTV is partnering with Silicon Valley FACES to provide the Youth Leadership Summit at the conference. Youth will engage in experiential activities for personal reflection, acts of kindness, and modeling a just community of acceptance and understanding.

Workshops, music, and a vegetarian lunch provided by San Jose Sikhs and Jains round out the offerings. The conference will take place on Sunday, October 19, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, Levy Family Campus, 14855 Oka Rd in Los Gatos. For details and registration, see www.carrythevision.org/

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NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to ICP Board Member Don Frew, who, together with seven others including Margot Adler, was given the Covenant of the Goddess Award of Honor for "outstanding service to community" for his interfaith work...Congratulations also to Maha ElGenaidi, who returns to ING as CEO and Chair of the Board after completing her MA in Religious Studies at Stanford..."To be religiously literate is not to be able to answer trivia questions about other religions as much as it’s about being able to discuss them with someone else, and use the knowledge gained to grow into greater mutual respect and understanding." - Esther Boyd at State of Formation..." In a world addicted to violence, we must teach others that dialogue, negotiation and relationship-building are the best options for resolving conflicts." - Victor Kazanjian of URI

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

Return to top

August- Taking Sides?


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

MAKING STATEMENTS, TAKING SIDES. As the bombings and shellings continue in Israel and the Gaza Strip and the human toll rises every day, those of us who devote ourselves to building peace and relationships of respect and appreciation between religious communities find ourselves faced with a profound crisis. In situations where opposing viewpoints threaten to divide people and communities profoundly, leading even to physical violence far from “ground zero,” what is our role? Where do we stand? What can we say?

In the contemporary world of instant “communication,” the ease of posting one’s opinion, stripped of subtlety by limits of time, text, or twitter, coupled with the anonymity that the net often provides, makes it easy to “weaponize” our words, as Rabbi Joshua Stanton warns at the Huffington Post. He writes, "...to weaponize our words only reinforces the conflicts themselves and increases the harm that they do. Our opinions might rightly be deeply held, but our choice of words can be one of our most important deeds."

Perhaps more than at any time we are called upon to exercise the skills and attitudes that (one hopes) we have been able to develop in our encounters with one another in less fraught circumstances. We can encounter one another with the intention to learn, not simply make declarations, and work towards trust, not suspicion of one another’s intentions. We measure another’s actions by a self-critical awareness of our own actions, rather than holding them to ideal standards that we ourselves do not observe. We do not assume we know where conflicts or differences exist before listening carefully to one another. And we always make the effort to understand the others’ perspective, never losing sight of our shared humanity.

Read more and see some statements from Interfaith organizations and leaders...

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POSTPONED: VETERANS EVENT: The veterans' event planned for September, "After the Parades," focusing on the issues of re-entry and family life has been postponed. Watch for updates and information in future issues of BAIC.

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Peace in the ParkPEACE IN THE PARK FESTIVAL OF SPIRIT. Saturday, August 23 is the date, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm is the time for the second annual Peace in the Park celebration in Golden Gate Park. ICP is a partner with the Brahma Kumaris (BK) Meditation Center of San Francisco and several other organizations for this unique event.

Peace in the Park was first hosted in 2013 as one-time event by the Brahma Kumaris and their friends from over 30 years in the Bay Area. After the astounding success, people want to see it become an annual festival. The Brahma Kumaris teach meditation techniques to enter into a natural state of calm on a daily basis enhancing our ability to think more deeply, and feel greater empathy and live out our values in more authentic ways.

The Peace in the Park festival brings together the diverse San Francisco and surrounding communities to unplug and explore activities of peace and happiness in a fun, inspiring and healthy atmosphere. The festival was created in response to the growing concern - we are an overly stimulated, ADD-afflicted and tech-saturated culture.

Featured performers include Zimbabwean music and dance, Yaocuauhtli Cultural Dance, Kathak traditional Indian dance, Lily Cai Chinese Dancers, Ballet Folklorico, Chris Bryden and friends, Freddy Clarke and Wobbly Work. There will be seminars on dance, movement, improvisation, Philippine calligraphy, and more, and speakers throughout the day. At the majestic Bandshell of Golden Gate Park, this event will demonstrate how to nurture peace and happiness even while living in a fast-paced urban environment. You'll be among some of the best artists, scientists, peace makers and policy makers in the Bay Area at this event. 

Look for the ICP table and displays from many Bay Area organizations. More information and registration at www.PeaceInTheParkSF.org.

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NAIN Connect 2014NAIN CONNECT 2014. This year's NAINConnect (North American Interfaith Network) will be in Detroit, MI, Sunday, August 10 through Wednesday, August 13. "Bridging Borders and Boundaries" is the theme of the conference, hosted by the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit. Plenary presentations include “Global Peacemaking: The Interfaith Front," "From Hate to Hope," "City on Edge: Leading the Fight Against Enmity," and “Sacred Storytelling: A Play Created from Diversity Dialogues.” Workshops covering health care, politics and community, and interfaith communications, tours of religious and cultural sites around Detroit, and the chance to meet with interfaith activists from across the country are all highlights. Metro-Detroit has over 25 active interfaith organizations each with their own unique focus. We can be so much more effective in interfaith work if we all work together and learn from one-another! For more information, go to the NAINConnect website.

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Carry the VisionCARRY THE VISION. For many years now, the Carry the Vision Community Nonviolence Conference has brought together people from religious, governmental, educational, and nonprofit sectors across the South Bay and beyond to discover ways to overcome violence in our communities. This year's conference will feature Rev. Greg Boyle, SJ, founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program in Los Angeles, as keynote speaker. Workshops, music, and a Youth Leadership Summit round out the offerings. The conference will take place on Sunday, October 19, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, Levy Family Campus, 14855 Oka Rd in Los Gatos. For details and registration, see www.carrythevision.org/

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NOTES & QUOTES: “Mrs. Stanford has sat at the feet of…Unitarians, Trinitarians, infidels, Brahmins, Buddhists, Mohammedans, materialists, atheists, all have been heard, all were welcomed.”- Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger, who spoke at the dedication of Stanford's Memorial Church in 1903...The Bay Area lost a notable interfaith presence with the death of Swami Prabuddhananda of the Vedanta Society in San Francisco on July 2..."Hospitality matters, to be sure. It is the necessary social space in which friendships most often take root, but in and of itself, hospitality cannot mend the world - that requires a deeper, more reliable quality of relationship." -Susan Kennel Harrison at State of Formation..."In a world that has been blinded by lust for power, material gain, and prestige, people of faith need to stand together to defend and promote what all religious traditions hold as the highest human – and divine – values." Maha ElGenaidi at Patheos.

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

 

Return to top

July-Celebrating Global Connections


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

Global Interfaith Made Visible. Last week, the URI (United Religions Initiative) brought its Global Council and Global Staff to the Bay Area for a week-long meeting. They came from over 25 countries representing over 600 Cooperation Circles and hundreds of initiatives – peacebuilding, saving the environment, stopping religiously motivated violence, addressing poverty and women's issues and so much more. The Interfaith Center was honored to host the welcoming ceremony for the Council in the Presidio Chapel on Sunday, June 22nd. Gathering in this sacred space, the Council members lit candles, prayed, sang, and celebrated the work URI has been doing to bring people around the world together to address local need for peacemaking, environmental action, empowering women and training youth.

ICP and the URI have worked closely together over the years. Many of the early organizational meetings for URI were held at ICP and 9 members of ICP’s Board have served on the URI Global Council, more than from any other organization. Don Frew, ICP Treasurer, currently serves as a URI Council member. The next evening, Welcoming Ceremony for URI at the Presidio ChapelICP Managing Director Linda Crawford and Board Members Rita Semel and Andrew Kille joined Don, the other Council members, Global staff, and local friends for the opening banquet, held in the Mission Gardens at Santa Clara University.

Sitting in the shadow of the adobe buildings and wall that were built in 1822, one could not help wondering what those early missionaries would have made of this gathering of friends and co-workers from around the world, committed to working across boundaries of religion, culture, and geography to make this world a better place for all.

Don Frew has chronicled the events of the week at the COG Interfaith Reports blog; it’s well worth checking out. You can also find photos of the welcoming ceremony on the ICP website.

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ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES AT ICP. When ICP was begun, the founders imagined that membership of the Interfaith Center would consist of scores of Sponsoring Organizations and that these Sponsoring Organizations would send representatives to regular meetings to develop programs of the Center. These Organizations would elect a Board of Directors to handle to "business affairs" of ICP and carry out the directions set by the Sponsoring Organizations. Over time, however, the hoped-for active role of Sponsoring Organizations did not develop, and the Board became the program center. At the Annual Meeting in June, it was voted to change the ICP Bylaws to change the role of Sponsoring Organizations so as to allow ICP to focus on building more dynamic, engaged cooperative relationships with those Organizations without requiring administrative obligations on them. The adopted changes can be found on the ICP website.

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VETERANS EVENT-SAVE THE DATE: ICP is planning for another Veterans’ event in September. "After the Parades" will focus on issues of re·entry, when military men and women return to civilian life. Plans are to include presentations on issues facing married/partnered couples including domestic violence; issues facing children in families where a parent or parents have been deployed multiple times; and rituals that can help in reconnecting with the self, the intimate family and the community. Plans are to hold the event at the headquarters of the East County Veterans Center, 1023 West 2nd Street in Antioch on either Monday or Tuesday, September 15 or 16, from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. Watch for details.

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NAIN Connect 2014NAIN CONNECT 2014. This year's NAINConnect (North American Interfaith Network) will be in Detroit, MI, Sunday, August 10 through Wednesday, August 13. "Bridging Borders and Boundaries" is the theme of the conference, hosted by the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit. Plenary presentations include “Global Peacemaking: The Interfaith Front," "From Hate to Hope," "City on Edge: Leading the Fight Against Enmity," and “Sacred Storytelling: A Play Created from Diversity Dialogues.” Workshops covering health care, politics and community, and interfaith communications, tours of religious and cultural sites around Detroit, and the chance to meet with interfaith activists from across the country are all highlights. Metro-Detroit has over 25 active interfaith organizations each with their own unique focus. We can be so much more effective in interfaith work if we all work together and learn from one-another! For more information, go to the NAINConnect website.

 

Peace in the ParkPEACE IN THE PARK FESTIVAL OF SPIRIT. The Brahma Kumaris (BK) Meditation Center of San Francisco will host its second annual peace festival, Peace in the Park, on Saturday, August 23 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm in Golden Gate Park.

Peace in the Park festival brings together the diverse San Francisco and surrounding communities to unplug and explore activities of peace and happiness in a fun, inspiring and healthy atmosphere. The festival was created in response to the growing concern - we are an overly stimulated, ADD-afflicted and tech-saturated culture. After the success the first time (2013) with over 2,000 people from all over the Bay Area in attendance, and rave reviews from the sponsorsperformers and partners, the community has called for it to become an annual event.

On August 23rd, the 2nd annual festival will feature world music and visual artists; tai chi, hatha yoga; life-changer seminars, arts, crafts, exhibits by local non-profits and meditation experience. At the majestic Bandshell of Golden Gate Park, this event will demonstrate how to nurture peace and happiness even while living in a fast-paced urban environment. You'll be among some of the best artists, scientists, peace makers and policy makers in the Bay Area at this event. The festival is offered free of charge by a coalition including Brahma Kumaris, SF Mayor's Office, Stanford University CCARE, Pachamama Alliance, United Religions Initiative, Dalai Lama Foundation and ServiceSpace. More information and registration at www.PeaceInTheParkSF.org..

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RAMADAN IS HERE! The month of Ramadan began on June 28, and throughout this month Muslims will be fasting from food and water from sunup to sundown. Each day’s fast is broken with a special meal known as an iftar, and friends and neighbors are invited to join in the celebration. This is a time of year when many mosques and groups invite their non-Muslim friends to join with them in breaking the fast. Look for some local events in the listings below, and check back during the month for updates.

To begin the month, Patheos is sponsoring a special blog (#30Days30Writers) featuring contributions from Muslim leaders, activists, scholars, writers, youth and more. The first posting was by Bay Area leader Maha ElGenaidi, founder of ING in San Jose. She suggests five basic religious principles that can bring together our diverse religious traditions. They are: Respect for life; Respect for dignity; Respect for freedom of religion and conscience; Respect for freedom of thought and expression; and Respect for others: the Golden Rule. Head on over to Patheos and read it (and the others).

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FAITHS PROGRAM MARKS 20 YEARS. The FAITHS program of the San Francisco Foundation recently celebrated 20 years of work. The program began when local religious leaders pointed out to the Foundation that religious communities were key partners in community development. Among those who helped create the program was Rita Semel, one of the founders and a longtime board member of ICP. FAITHS stands for Foundation Alliance with Interfaith to Heal Society, and supports efforts dealing with education, immigration, and poverty issues. Each year FAITHS offers mini-grants of up to $5,000 for work in the community through faith-based organizations. Linda Crawford, Managing Director at ICP, served on the review committee last year, helping to sift through nearly 100 mini-grant proposals.

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NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to the Rev. Carol Hovis on celebrating 10 years as Executive Director at the Marin Interfaith Council... "Religion is lived experience, not a list of doctrines, texts, and beliefs. Religious literacy must therefore be about people and how they live out their tradition, which is going to vary by individual."- Esther Boyd, at State of Formation...“We are an interreligious community dedicated to building relationships, maximizing resources and collaborating through service to the betterment of the Morgan Hill community.”- newly-forming Morgan Hill Interfaith Association..."[Bishop Swing's] intention [in founding URI] had been to get the world’s religious leaders around a big table, but instead we had over 600 Cooperation Circles. So he was a big failure, but out of that failure came a shining star!"- Don Frew.

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

Return to top

June- Marking a New Year


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

Happy New Year! Human beings have a nearly inexhaustible variety of ways to mark time. The Gregorian calendar in use throughout much of the world marks January 1st as the beginning of the new year, but many neo-pagan groups observe Samhain (October 31) as the beginning of the yearly cycle. Communities that follow a lunar year celebrate still different days—the next Muslim new year will begin around October 24. And the Jewish calendar actually marks four new year beginnings each year. Beyond religious calendars, we know about the school year that begins in September and the fiscal new year, which may start any month, depending on the organization.

For the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, New Year’s Day usually comes in June, with the Annual Meeting. This year, the Annual Meeting will take place on June 17, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, at the Main Post Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, Presidio, San Francisco. Representatives of current ICP Sponsoring Organizations are encouraged to attend in order to share news of their work, reconnect with others from around the Bay Area engaged in similar efforts, and to vote for the new board and changes to the by-laws. Sponsoring Organizations are further encouraged to submit nominations for the ICP Board. Other interfaith organizations and individuals are also more than welcome to attend this gathering of people working around the San Francisco Bay Area to develop and strengthen relationships among diverse religious communities. Please RSVP and send the names of nominees and guests to linda@interfaith-presidio.org by June 10, 2014. Lunch will be provided.  Please let us know about any dietary needs in your RSVP.

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GTU AFFIRMS ITS INTERRELIGIOUS NATURE. In February, the Board of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley unanimously passed a resolution affirming their commitment to interreligious study and dialogue. In the Spring 2014 issue of Currents, the GTU newsletter, Dean Arthur Holder remarks, "Interreligious learning has always been part of our DNA at the GTU. For many reasons, we need to be even more interreligious now. After graduation, our students will be serving in pluralistic societies where people of many faiths interact in commerce, education, politics, and the arts. The globalization of life today means people who practice “other religions” are likely to be our next-door neighbors, business partners, friends, and relatives." The resolution comfirms their commitment to seeking additional partners like the Center for Judaic Studies (1968), the Institute of Buddhist Studies (1985), and the Center for Islamic Studies (2007).

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Peace in the ParkPEACE IN THE PARK FESTIVAL OF SPIRIT. The Brahma Kumaris (BK) Meditation Center of San Francisco will host its second annual peace festival, Peace in the Park, on Saturday, August 23 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm in Golden Gate Park. What is Peace in the Park? It is performances of dance and music from Native American, African, Indian, and Latin American performers. It is Taiko drumming, Chinese acrobatics, and the comedy of "Swami Beyondananda." The peace festival will also feature tai chi; hatha yoga; life-changer seminars; arts; crafts; improv; conscious dance; an art-music peace wall; exhibits by local non-profits specializing in peace initiatives, along with local, organic vegetarian food and beverage concessions (alcohol-free).  The day will wrap up with a reflective group mediation that will be broadcast live through Intention Radio. Entry to the celebration is free of charge. To find out more about the Peace in the Park festival, please visit www.peaceintheparksf.org.

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URI NORTH AMERICA COORDINATOR SOUGHT. The United Religions Initiative (URI) is looking for a new Coordinator for the North America Region. The Coordinator serves as a member of the URI Global Staff and is responsible to guide URI development in the region, help nurture and sustain current Cooperation Circles (CCs) and assist in developing new CCs. Importantly, the Regional Coordinator upholds and models the Preamble, Purpose and Principles stated in the URI Charter. The Regional Coordinator works in consultation with the Leadership Council from the region to develop, implement and evaluate the annual work plan and carry out regional projects and other responsibilities in service to the CCs.  The Regional Coordinator reports to the Director of Regional Development at the URI office in San Francisco. An annual regional allocation is provided by URI Global each year. In addition to this allocation each region is responsible for raising additional funds to support its budget.
The position begins August 1, 2014; See the full job announcement.

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SEEKING THE RETURN OF THE NIGERIAN GIRLS. A group of women affiliated with URI is asking everyone, regardless of religious tradition or spiritual path to join every Thursday each week at 12:00 noon to pray for the safe return of the Nigerian schoolgirls to their homes and familites. They declare: "We are fully aware that each faith treasures peace and love as their inner most value and that these true spiritual values can be invoked in this situation."

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NOTES & QUOTES: We were saddened to hear of the passing of Rabbi Emeritus Michael Barenbaum of Congregation Rodef Sholom, one of the founders of the Marin Interfaith Council in 1982..."Conversation with the world and ecumenical conversation are quite inseparable. Theologically, nothing is required for the address to the “unbeliever” that is not necessary for the Christian community’s own understanding of its faith."- Claude Welch (who became Dean of the GTU six years after writing these words)... “Divinity is an Underground river that no one can stop and no one can dam up.” - Meister Eckhart, Christian mystic

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

 

Return to top

May- From Diversity to Pluralism


Interfaith Center at the Presidio Last month, Eboo Patel, founder and director of Interfaith Youth Core based in Chicago made a visit to Santa Clara University as part of the President’s Speakers Series. "Diversity is stunningly challenging," Patel declared, suggesting that often we take it too much for granted. He pointed out that the United States was the first experiment in democracy that did not involve a homogeneous population, and that we struggle with diversity every day. In a land of many cultures, each individual’s culture becomes not a matter of fate, but a matter of choice.

Great for individuals; but not so great for communities. Diversity can be hard on social cohesion and "social capital," the "glue" that holds a society together. Religious diversity in particular has the potential to spark conflict, as it implies deep differences around fundamental values. Any day in the world news, we hear about religious conflicts that have exploded into hostility and violence.

In this context of diversity, Patel called for a new generation of leaders who recognize that pluralism--  mutual respect and positive relationships among people who differ, and a commitment to the common good—is an achievement, not a given. Bridges between diverse groups “don’t drop from the sky,” he said. They are built by people trained, skilled, and committed to moving diversity towards pluralism.

"Always look for the resonances," Patel challenged the audience. The greatest challenge is to identify that person or group with which you most profoundly disagree, and then look for something you can admire about them. “Diversity is holy,” he said, “and it is amazing what we can do together.”

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Memorial DayMEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCES. The Interfaith Chapel will be open on Memorial Day, May 26, 12:30 –2:30 pm for meditation and prayer. The Presidio Memorial Day parade begins at 10:00 am, followed by the ceremony at the San Francisco National Cemetery next to the Chapel. This safe, sacred space will be open to those who wish to continue their honoring or our military dead.

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MAY 4 IS WORLD LABYRINTH DAY. The Labyrinth Society has declared May 4, the first Saturday in May, as World Labyrinth Day. It is a day designated to bring people from all over the world together to walk labyrinths. As part of the “Walk as One at 1” project, people are encouraged to have the main labyrinth walk of the day at 1 pm in every time zone to create a wave of labyrinth walking around our planet as it turns in space. To learn more about World Labyrinth Day, learn "11 Ways to Celebrate World Labyrinth Day," and maybe find an observance near you, see the Labyrinth Society website.

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SFIC WINTERFAITH SHELTER WALK. Come and walk to support the San Francisco Interfaith Winter Shelter and its efforts to end homelessness, an issue that grips the city. The WinterFaith Shelter Walk is an annual, family friendly walk-a-thon that involves faith traditions and backgrounds of all types. Homelessness affects all of us and this is a way in which we can make a difference.  Sunday, May 4, 2014 at 1:30 p.m., Lake Merced, San Francisco. More information here.

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InterFaith TourCOEXISTER INTERFAITH TOUR. Last month we introduced you to the InterFaith Tour, a project of the French interfaith group, Coexister. After leaving the Bay Area, they went on to L.A., Chicago, N.Y., D.C., Toronto and Montreal. Some of the highlights from their North American tour included meeting with Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth Corps and with the Council of the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago; a visit to the United Nations; a visit to the U.S. State Department. They are now back home in France and have made press headlines including an interview with the Huffington Post! (website here). They were interviewed on French TV. From here they will travel around France presenting their unbelievable experiences. These young men (a woman who was on the original team dropped out at the last minute concerned about her reception in some parts of the world), visited 50 countries in 10 months. What an amazing journey! You can find a video of their visit to the Bay Area, including interviews with local leaders, at YouTube.

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URI NORTH AMERICA COORDINATOR SOUGHT. The United Religions Initiative (URI) is looking for a new Coordinator for the North America Region. The Coordinator serves as a member of the URI Global Staff and is responsible to guide URI development in the region, help nurture and sustain current Cooperation Circles (CCs) and assist in developing new CCs. Importantly, the Regional Coordinator upholds and models the Preamble, Purpose and Principles stated in the URI Charter. The Regional Coordinator works in consultation with the Leadership Council from the region to develop, implement and evaluate the annual work plan and carry out regional projects and other responsibilities in service to the CCs.  The Regional Coordinator reports to the Director of Regional Development at the URI office in San Francisco. An annual regional allocation is provided by URI Global each year. In addition to this allocation each region is responsible for raising additional funds to support its budget.
The position begins August 1, 2014; See the full job announcement.

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ART, MUSIC, & SPIRIT. The International Association of Sufism presents its third “Songs of the Soul Festival,” titled “Cosmology & Spirituality; Universe & Human Being.” It will take place Friday and Saturday, May 30 and 31, at Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto in Mill Valley. Cosmology and Spirituality: Universe and Human Being is an offering to celebrate the harmonious spirit that connects us, where the inward journey of the heart finds a forum to express itself and interact beyond space and time. Featured musicians and presenters will be Taneen Sufi Music Ensemble and Qadim Ensemble (Friday) and Brian Swimme, Richard Tarnas, Seyyed Ali Kianfar, Nahid Angha, Rev. Heng Sure, Daniel Abdal Hayy Moore and Avay-i-Janaan, the Echoes of the Unseen (Saturday). For more information on the program and presenters and online registration, see the IAS website here

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SF FAITHS groupSAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION FAITHS PROGRAM. Linda Crawford, Managing Director at ICP, participated on a committee of faith leaders for the San Francisco Foundation FAITHS program who reviewed nearly 100 mini-grant proposals. Grant seekers could apply for up to $5,000 for a project. Nearly $500,000 in requests were received against a budget of $174,000. The work that the faith community is doing is phenomenal – everything from food pantries, to after school programs, to job creation and much, much more. It was exhilarating and inspiring and so difficult to make decisions. Grantees will be notified on May 29.

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SAVE THE DATE: PEACE IN THE PARK. In an effort to bring together the diverse San Francisco and surrounding communities to unplug and explore activities of peace and happiness in an inspiring and healthy atmosphere, the Brahma Kumaris (BK) Meditation Center of San Francisco is hosting its second annual peace festival, Peace in the Park.  It will take place on Saturday, August 23 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm in Golden Gate Park. There will be an eclectic mix of entertainment showcasing talented world music and dance performances. The peace festival will also feature tai chi; hatha yoga; life-changer seminars; arts; crafts; improv; conscious dance; an art-music peace wall; exhibits by local non-profits specializing in peace initiatives, along with local, organic vegetarian food and beverage concessions (alcohol-free).  The day will wrap up with a reflective group mediation that will be broadcast live through Intention Radio. To find out more about the Peace in the Park festival, please visit www.peaceintheparksf.org.

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NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to Maha ElGenaidi, founder of ING, who is recognized for her work in a state department publication on American Muslims (p. 81)..."[Dialogue] is not an abstract concern, but a daily existential experience; never merely an intellectual exercise, it is a moral commitment." - Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana..."Religious freedom does not cause conflict. It instead encourages tolerance and respect for different beliefs." - Von G. Keetch

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

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At the Presidio Chapel
Map and directions to the Presidio’s Main Post Chapel

Presidio Chapel Website: www.presidiochapel.org

Contact the ICP office for information on when the chapel is open for tours.

Memorial Day Meditation
Monday, May 26, 2014, 12:30 –2:30 pm
The Interfaith Chapel will be open for meditation and prayer following the Presidio Memorial Day parade and ceremony starting at 10:00 am, followed by the ceremony at the San Francisco National Cemetery next to the Chapel.

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INTERFAITH RESOURCES

On the Interfaith Center website at www.interfaith-presidio.org, find resources and information about the ongoing work of ICP. Take a look at our major projects, including the Interfaith Design Competition, the Lost and Endangered Religions Project, the McDonald Windows, and Spiritual Resources interviews.

You can also find a wealth of interfaith links, including books, calendars, Podcasts and more on the Interfaith Resources Page.

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April- InterFaithTour pays a visit

IN THIS ISSUE: InterFaith Tour | Girl Scout Sunday | URI North America | Near Death Experiences | NAIN Youth Scholarship | Be Blue | CROP Walk | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News | At the Presidio Chapel | Bay Area Interreligious Calendar | Special Opportunities | Unsubscribe


"Is interfaith cooperation a means or an end?" "Is there a difference between tolerance, Interfaith Center at the Presidiocoexistence, cooperation, and appreciation?" and "What message would you give to young people about getting involved in interfaith work?" Those were just a few of the questions local interfaith leaders were asked recently by three French students who have been traveling around the world to explore and document interfaith cooperation.

Victor Grezes, Josselin Rieth, and Ismaël Medjdoub are part of a five-person world tour sponsored by Coexister, the Youth Interfaith Movement in France and SparkNews, an organization encouraging the sharing of inspiring stories. All students in their 20's, an Atheist, an Agnostic, and a Muslim, they have been traveling with two others, a Christian and a Jew, on the InterFaith Tour. Since July of 2013 they have met more than 470 activists in more than 45 countries. They had a private audience with Pope Francis, met the Great Imam of Al-Azhar in Egypt, the Maronite Patriarch in Lebanon, and many local activists.

InterFaith Tour teamThe Interfaith Center at the Presidio was instrumental in setting up interviews and connecting them with events in our area, and many of the people they met were closely connected with ICP. The three (the other two were elsewhere for this stretch) spent a week in the Bay Area, their first stop on the U.S. leg of their visit, and then will be on their way to Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Washington.

Their goal is not merely to meet and talk, but to share what they have learned as they travel and to end their journey with a “Tour de France” that will take them throughout their own country to communicate the importance of interfaith cooperation and how it’s being done around the world. You can find out about them and their travels at their website (www.interfaithtour.com/en/), on Facebook , YouTube, Twitter (@InterFaithTour), and Instagram.

Read more about their visit to ICP and the Bay Area...

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Girl Scouts gather in Presidio ChapelGIRL SCOUT SUNDAY INTERFAITH SERVICE. On Sunday, March 9, the Presidio Chapel was host to the San Francisco Service Unit of the Girl Scouts for an interfaith ceremony honoring those girls who had earned awards in religion. Awards were won by Buddhists, Jews, Presbyterians, and Baptists. Former ICP Board member Ron Kobata attended, as the girls who won the Buddhist rewards were from the troop that meets at his church. There were about 40 people there, and the organizers thought it went very well. They were most grateful to ICP for welcoming them, and appreciated the chance to hold the ceremony in a place that had been dedicated to respect for different religious traditions from its beginning. The service included readings from various religious traditions, a Dharma Talk/ Sermon/ Homily by Elaine Donlin, and music and poems celebrating peacemaking. A reception followed in the Mural Room at the Chapel.

Read more and see some pictures...

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URI NORTH AMERICA. Members of the Leadership Council of the North American Region of URI, the United Religions Initiative, held an unusual gathering with local interfaith leaders at Mercy Center in Burlingame Sunday, March 23. The Council members were in town for the URI Annual Gala celebration and their usual Council meetings. As part of an effort to develop closer ties between the leadership and local member organizations, known as Cooperating Circles (CC), they invited a number of leaders from around the Bay Area to meet with them. The Council members come from all across North America, not only from the Bay Area, where URI has its international headquarters, but from Los Angeles, Vancouver and Surrey in British Columbia, Charlotte NC and Syracuse NY. Local Cooperating Circles included representatives from the ICP, the SF Interfaith Council, URI San Francisco Peninsula, the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council and the Women's Interfaith Circle of Service. Also in attendance were leaders from the Multi-Region division of URI, including the Circle of Healers CC, the Golden Rule CC, the Interfaith Observer, and the URI Initiative at the United Nations. One brainstorming session was led by Fred Fielding, ICP Board Chair and a member of the Leadership Council. He invited the participants to imagine an "app" that would reflect the URI and its work. Networking and connections were high on the list of suggested features.

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AHIMSA BERKELEY invites you to join them for an investigation into "Near Death Experience and Awakening Compassion." The special afternoon will include stories by three persons who have experienced Near Death Experiences (NDEs) in which they became aware of their mortality, and unsure if they were still alive or already dead. How has it affected their lives and how would it affect yours? Do NDEs awaken mindfulness, serenity and faith or atheism? Speakers will include Tom Mahon – Although raised with the Christian view of afterlife, Tom’s near-death experience was like that recounted in The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A journey through the Bardo, and encountering a ‘demon fierce and mild.’ Roger Steinbronn – Drowned, came back different (and new skills to show for it). Rev. Richard Mapplebeckpalmer – appointed to the chaplaincy of the Grace Institute for Religious Learning. Co-Pastor of Grace North Church. For over 10 years unofficially ‘chaplained’ the Young Atheists at UC Berkeley. Sunday, April 27, 2014, 1:30-4:00 pm at the Institute for World Religions / Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley Ave, (at corner of Bancroft, one block west of Berkeley High School) Berkeley.

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DEADLINE SOON FOR NAIN YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP. The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) offers a unique opportunity to include younger representatives (ages 16-35) in a valuable interfaith encounter during the 2014 NAINConnect in Detroit, Michigan.  This scholarship recognizes young adults across the continent who are actively engaged in important work at the high school, college, graduate, and professional level. If you are passionate about interfaith work, we welcome your energy and enthusiasm and encourage you to apply!  You do not need to be part of a NAIN member organization to apply.  Recipients are selected by the NAIN Young Adult Committee, according to the directives of the NAIN Board of Directors, and receive a $500 stipend to assist with costs of attending; reduced registration fee; option to room with another youth scholarship recipient. See full details and application. Application Deadline: April 15, 2014.

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BE BLUE ON 4/10/14. The Interfaith Youth Core is inviting young people to #BeBlue on April 10th. The BeBlue project involves taking the pledge to stand up to religious intolerance, to wear blue on April 10th to show support and raise awareness for interreligious cooperation, and to share the effort through social media. When you pledge to #BeBlue on April 10th, you’re standing up for your friends, family, and neighbors of other beliefs by helping to change the narrative that different religious and non-religious traditions are doomed to fight. Being blue is a small action that makes a big statement: we’re all better when people from different traditions and backgrounds work together. Find out more at the IFYC website..

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CROP Hunger WalkIT'S CROP WALK TIME! CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by religious groups, businesses, schools and others to raise funds to end hunger in the U.S. and around the world. There are nine CROP Walks planned for March, April, and May in communities around the Bay Area: Marin, Oakland, Berkeley, Pittsburgh, Sonoma, South Bay, Vallejo, Alameda, Pleasanton. For full details about dates, locations, walking routes, and registration, go to www.bayareahungerwalk.org/. Not in the Bay Area? Go to hunger.cwsglobal.org/site/PageServer?pagename=crop_main and find a walk near you!

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NOTES & QUOTES: ICP Board member Don Frew and long-time friend Rachel Watcher were featured on a recent broadcast of Indigenous Voices, a project of the URI. Listen to Don and Rachel in conversation with host Audri Scott Williams on blogtalkradio...Congratulations to the Rev. Sally Bingham, Founder & President of Interfaith Power and Light, who was named one of the “50 Powerful Women Religious Leaders” by The Huffington Post in celebration of International Women’s Day..."Religious people compromise their own freedom when they pin their hopes for the vibrancy and strength of their faith communities on support from the government. Opponents of religion threaten that freedom when they misread the founding documents of our democracy and insist on freedom from religion, rather than freedom for it" -Frederick Schmidt... "The First Amendment does not guarantee freedom OF religion. It is a guarantee FROM religion" - Lydia MN Crabtree (the last two from the discussion "Is Religious Freedom Threatened?" on Patheos).

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

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March- Does Dialogue Work?

IN THIS ISSUE: Does Dialogue Work? | NAINConnect 2014 | NAIN Youth Scholarship | CROP Walks | Caring for Veterans | Interfaith Harmony Week | Book Club | Women in Military History | Jesus as Rabbi Seminar | Notes & Quotes |


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

DOES DIALOGUE WORK? was the question for the Public Square conversation at Patheos.com last month. Writers were invited to respond to the following questions "What does interfaith dialogue accomplish? Does it have any measurable impact? Does it help reduce violence or solve any real-world problems?" Responses come from across the spectrum, often challenging what the writers perceive as a kind of "tea party conversation" ("old-fashioned kind, not political"), yet often pointing out the vital role that dialogue has in our pluralistic world.

A few thoughts from the contributors: "We're in the middle of the process, so unless forecasters share their direct-line to All That Is, Goddess, God, gods, what have you, we'll never be able say with certainty that the impact of what we're doing will have any beneficial resolve. We can only make a guess, based upon our hope that the community building we're focused on will indeed help to create a world where all people's faiths and traditions are accepted -- not just tolerated, but acknowledged as an authentic way of being." (Drea Parker).

"Engaging with others who think differently and holding a genuine conversation with them is much harder than constructing a straw man and then promptly burning it. It is also much more rewarding and interesting than the way the secular mafia wants us to interact..." (Adrian Warnock)

"My conclusion is that, while interfaith dialogue does not really hurt, it doesn’t really do all that much either to the people who really need to have their minds opened. The ones who go to events are probably already tolerant and willing to learn. Or,  they into these things with their own preconceived notions and set worldviews, and most aren’t looking for their minds to be changed. So I say, keep on talking. Hopefully, the end result will at least be mutual respect." (Lynn Swayze Wilson)

What do you think? What impact has interfaith dialogue made on your own life or your community? We invite you to share your thoughts on the ICP Facebook page, or drop a note to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org and we'll publish them in our next issue.

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NAIN Connect 2014NAINCONNECT 2014 REGISTRATION OPENS. This year’s NAIN (North American Interfaith Network) Connect (the 26th) will be hosted by the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan at Wayne State University, Sunday, August 10- Wednesday, August 13, 2014. This year’s theme is Bridging Borders and Boundaries. Join with interfaith activists from across North America to enjoy interactive workshops on models of interfaith dialogue, sharing best practices in interfaith work and organizing and interfaith work in healthcare. There will be opportunities for visits to local religious communities and more. Early Bird registration of $275 is available until March 15th, so register now! More information and registration can be found at www.detroitinterfaithcouncil.com/nainconnect-detroit/. The planning group is open to proposals for workshops and panel presentations; details and proposal forms are available at the same location.

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NAIN YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP. The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) offers a unique opportunity to include younger representatives (ages 16-35) in a valuable interfaith encounter during the 2014 NAINConnect in Detroit, Michigan.  This scholarship recognizes young adults across the continent who are actively engaged in important work at the high school, college, graduate, and professional level. If you are passionate about interfaith work, we welcome your energy and enthusiasm and encourage you to apply!  You do not need to be part of a NAIN member organization to apply.  Recipients are selected by the NAIN Young Adult Committee, according to the directives of the NAIN Board of Directors, and receive a $500 stipend to assist with costs of attending; reduced registration fee; option to room with another youth scholarship recipient. See full details and application. Application Deadline: April 15, 2014.

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CROP Hunger WalkIT'S CROP WALK TIME! CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by religious groups, businesses, schools and others to raise funds to end hunger in the U.S. and around the world. There are nine CROP Walks planned for March, April, and May in communities around the Bay Area: Marin, Oakland, Berkeley, Pittsburgh, Sonoma, South Bay, Vallejo, Alameda, Pleasanton. For full details about dates, locations, walking routes, and registration, go to www.bayareahungerwalk.org/. Not in the Bay Area? Go to hunger.cwsglobal.org/site/PageServer?pagename=crop_main and find a walk near you!

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VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: CARING FOR VETERANS. Rev. Lyn Juckniess, a chaplain at the Veteran’s Administration and a key resource person at the ICP workshop “Ministering to Women Who Went to War” in July, 2013, sends along this announcement: “Rural Chaplains and Clergy Caring for Veterans: Paving the Way Home after the Wounds of War,” a Virtual Conference @MyVeHU Campus will take place March 18th and 20th.  War has a significant impact on Veterans and their families and often chaplains and clergy members are the first to notice changes when veterans return home. The Department of Veterans Affairs is presenting a two-day event aimed at providing an understanding of day-to-day issues faced, the differences in military and civilian culture, what services and resources are available, and how to obtain help. Sessions include “Military Culture & Wounds of War” and “Pastoral Care” on March 18th and “Mental Health Services & Referrals” and “Building Community Partnerships” on March 20. For full information and registration, see  www.vehu.va.gov/.

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QUESTIONS FROM INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK. During World Interfaith Harmony Week (February 1-7) we posted a question each day to the Iinterfaith Center at the Presidio Facebook Page. Even though that week is over, we still invite you to respond with a word, a picture, a quote and the like. If you have not already done so, be sure to "like" the ICP page, so you can get updates and information, and then share what you value about interfaith relationships.

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INTERFAITH BOOK CLUB. SiVIC, the Silicon Valley Interreligous Council has created the Silicon Valley Interfaith Book Club to provide a venue for the common reading and discussions of books focused on faith journeys taken by individuals of different religions/spiritual communities. They welcome all interested people from Silicon Valley and beyond to participate with us. Our first book will be In Search of Grace: A Religious Outsider's Journey Across America's Landscape of Faith by Kristin Hahn. Find out more at the SiVIC website.

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6th WOMEN IN MILITARY HISTORY. The Twin Towers United Methodist Church in Alameda extends an invitation to all to join them for "Honoring Women in the Military" on Saturday, March 15th, 2014, from 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm. All are invited to the ceremony at noon, celebrating the Governor's proclamation of "Women's Military History Week." A complimentary luncheon following is for women who are currently serving or have served in the military. There will be resource sharing and professional networking. Guest of Honor will be Major Esther C. Sablan, Commander, 129th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett Federal Airfield, CA, with Keynote Speaker: Delphine Metcalf-Foster, 3rd National Jr. Vice Commander, DAV. Twin Towers UMC is located at 1411 Oak Street in Alameda, on the NorthWest corner of Central Ave. & Oak St. Parking available in the garage opposite church on the NorthEast corner, entrance on Oak St. RSVP by March 7th, 2014 to : 510-748-6881, or womeninmilitary@yahoo.com. This year's 6th Women in Military History has additional support this year due to connections made at the ICP sponsored event last Summer.

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JEWISH/CHRISTIAN ONLINE SEMINAR. Holy Rascals is hosting a webinar series about a bold, fresh look at the historical Jesus and the Jewish roots of Christianity that challenges both Jews and Christians to re-examine their understanding of Jesus’ commitment to his Jewish faith. Rabbi David Zaslow, the author of the book, will be guiding readers in this 5-part webinar using cutting edge scholarly research to dispel the myths of disparity between Christianity and Judaism without diluting the unique features of each faith. Instead of emphasizing the differences between the two religions, this groundbreaking text explains how the concepts of vicarious atonement, mediation, incarnation, and Trinity are actually rooted in classical Judaism. Jesus: First-Century Rabbi is a breath of fresh air for Christians and Jews who want to strengthen and deepen their own faith traditions. The first session, March 2nd, is free. Sign up at mad.ly/signups/98116/join. Find out more about Holy Rascals at www.holyrascals.com/.

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NOTES & QUOTES: SiVIC, the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council was welcomed by the United Religions Initiative in February as a new Cooperating Circle... “But I think one of the saving things of the world would be getting people to be willing to talk to each other, even though they think [the others] are representing the devil incarnate.”- Pete Seeger... “It is clear to me that it is only dialogue that will bring us back together into a place of trust.” - Miki Kashtan... "Religious differences are inconsequential. Interfaith dialogue will not make the world a safer, happier or more peaceful place because it is not religious disagreement that motivates violence, prejudice or imperialism." - Harriet Baber..."I see interfaith dialogue as more of a stance than a solution, a practice more than a product." - Rev. Heather Rion Starr... "If we drive ourselves into the ground, if we pretend that we are perfect, if we hide our pain and imperfection, then we are embodying the very dysfunction and neglect we seek to heal out in the world. The way we make change is just as important as the change we make." - Dean Tommy Lee Woon

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

Return to top

February- World Interfaith Harmony Week

IN THIS ISSUE:World Interfaith Harmony Week | Local WIHW Events | Women in Military History Event | Jesus as Rabbi Seminar | Notes & Quotes |


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

HAPPY WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK!

The first week of February each year (February 1-7) has been designated by the United Nations as World Interfaith Harmony Week. Open to all people around the world who "love the good and love the neighbor," WIHW is intended to focus attention on the common values shared by people of good will and understand how those commonalities outweigh our differences. Groups and individuals are encouraged to sponsor events during this week and to share the information on the World Interfaith Harmony Week website. One goal of the Week is to make the ongoing work of interfaith groups to be made more visible to the world around. The thousands of events organized by these groups often go unnoticed not only by the general public, but also by other interfaith groups themselves. This week allows for these groups to become aware of each other and strengthen the movement by building ties and avoiding duplicating each others' efforts.

HELP ICP CELEBRATE INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK-

Each day from Monday to Friday, February 3-7, we will post a question to the Iinterfaith Center at the Presidio Facebook Page and invite you to respond with a word, a picture, a quote and the like. If you have not already done so, be sure to "like" the ICP page, so you can get updates and information. Then visit us every day during the week and join the conversation!

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OTHER AREA WIHW EVENTS:

Saturday, February 1, 2014, 1:00- 4:00 pm in Fremont:
Tri-City Interfaith Council
celebration at Fremont Veterans' Memorial Building, 37154 2nd Street, Fremont. This event, sponsored by the Tri-City Interfaith Coundil, will feature booths with information about the beliefs, traditions, and sacred objects of different religions and a panel of religious leaders. Participants from the local atheist, Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikah, Unitarian Universalist, and other communities will take part.

Interfaith Harmony WeekTuesday, February 4, 2014, 6:00 - 8:00 pm in Orinda:
”A Glimpse of Peace in the Middle East” at First Church of Christ Scientist 24 Orinda Way, Orinda. Speaker is Trinka Wasik, a Christian Science practitioner, who recently returned from three years in Dubai where she worked to establish and nurture interfaith relations. Sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County as part of World Interfaith Harmony Week. (Trinka is an Interfaith Council member.)

Saturday, February 8, 2014, 6:00 - 8:00 pm in Newark:
Islamic Network Group Annual Dinner: Is Freedom of Religion Becoming Fear of Religion? Hilton Newark/Fremont 39900 Balentine Dr, Newark. Our keynote speakers are Dalia Mogahed, speaking in the Bay Area for the first time, and Imam Suhaib Webb, former resident imam in the Bay Area. They will be joined onstage for an interview-style panel with interfaith and young religious leaders as they discuss the role of religion in an age of secularism. Info: mail@ing.org; 408-296-7312; web: www.ing.org.

Sunday, February 9, 2014, 4:30 - 6:00 pm in Danville:
Interfaith Council Winter Concert – Love Grows! at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 655 Old Orchard Drive, Danville. Choirs and musical groups from around our 107 congregations will be offering their talents for the community. There will be a short reception afterwards. If you would like to offer your group for this or future concerts, please contact Rev. Will McGarvey or Loel Bartlett Miller. A free will offering will be received for the work of the Interfaith Council. Info: eye4cee@gmail.com; 925- 933-6030; web: interfaithccc.org.

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6th WOMEN IN MILITARY HISTORY. The Twin Towers United Methodist Church in Alameda extends an invitation to all to join them for "Honoring Women in the Military" on Saturday, March 15th, 2014, from 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm. All are invited to the ceremony at noon, celebrating the Governor's proclamation of "Women's Military History Week.". A complimentary luncheon following is for women who are currently serving or have served in the military. There will be resource sharing and professional networking. Guest of Honor will be Major Esther C. Sablan, Commander, 129th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett Federal Airfield, CA, with Keynote Speaker: Delphine Metcalf-Foster, 3rd National Jr. Vice Commander, DAV. Twin Towers UMC is located at 1411 Oak Street in Alameda, on the NorthWest corner of Central Ave. & Oak St. Parking available in the garage opposite church on the NorthEast corner, entrance on Oak St. RSVP by March 7th, 2014 to : 510-748-6881, or womeninmilitary@yahoo.com. This year's 6th Women in Military History has additional support this year due to connections made at the ICP sponsored event last Summer.

logo

JEWISH/CHRISTIAN ONLINE SEMINAR. Holy Rascals is hosting a webinar series about a bold, fresh look at the historical Jesus and the Jewish roots of Christianity that challenges both Jews and Christians to re-examine their understanding of Jesus’ commitment to his Jewish faith. Rabbi David Zaslow, the author of the book, will be guiding readers in this 5-part webinar using cutting edge scholarly research to dispel the myths of disparity between Christianity and Judaism without diluting the unique features of each faith. Instead of emphasizing the differences between the two religions, this groundbreaking text explains how the concepts of vicarious atonement, mediation, incarnation, and Trinity are actually rooted in classical Judaism. Jesus: First-Century Rabbi is a breath of fresh air for Christians and Jews who want to strengthen and deepen their own faith traditions. The first session, March 2nd, is free. Sign up at mad.ly/signups/98116/join. Find out more about Holy Rascals at www.holyrascals.com/.

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NOTES & QUOTES: ... San Francisco Zen Center’s first central abbot, Myogen Steve Stücky, died shortly December 31 at his home in Rohnert Park, California. He was 67... "It is a myth that religious devotion divides us. Instead, I saw how individuals who sincerely practice their faith are united at a level so much deeper than doctrine or creed. And I am convinced it is the ultimate source of peace for all mankind." Trinka Wasik, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County...“Millennials who understand that our struggles are tied up with one another are changing the face of movement building. The old way of fighting for separate communities and causes no longer makes sense, especially in a world where multiple identities often intersect in our own bodies.” Valerie Kaur, founder of Groundswell.

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

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BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

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January- On the Threshold

IN THIS ISSUE: Happy New Year! | Reflections on 2013 | World Interfaith Harmony Week | Celebrating Vivekananda | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News | Unsubscribe


Interfaith Center at the Presidio

We got the name of the month of January from the Romans, who named it in honor of the God Janus, who oversees beginnings and endings, the transitions that mark life as it unfolds. Janus watches over doorways, thresholds, and gates, and especially over the beginning of the new year. Janus is depicted as having two faces: one turned toward the past and the other looking out into the future. It’s appropriate to do the same ourselves as we reflect on the year just past and what may lie ahead.

2013 saw some significant changes around the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, most notably a new relationship between ICP and the Presidio Trust concerning the use of the Post Chapel building. No longer is ICP responsible for hosting weddings, and significant improvements were made to fix long-standing issues with the roof, heating system, and accessibility of the building. Along with more flexible seating, the renovated Chapel includes stunning banners based on drawings of local birds, insects, and flowers made by Ryan Jones, a beloved former worker at the Presidio. ICP co-sponsored two workshops with the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, "Embracing Our Veterans" and "Ministering to Women Who Went to War,”both aimed at preparing religious communities to aid veterans, both men and women, with the spiritual dimensions of re-entry into civilian life. In collaboration with interfaith councils around the Bay and the Presidio Trust, ICP developed “Sounds of Peace,” a concert for the International Day of Peace that showcased several groups from around the area, and also co-sponsored “Paths to Peace” at the Pacific School of Religion. In October, some of the McDonald Peace Windows went on display at the University of Rochester, NY.

Looking forward, we will continue to explore how we can best carry out our role as a regional hub for interfaith collaboration (multifaith? Interreligious? See the discussion on naming the movement). Over the past year, we had several meetings with leaders from San Francisco Interfaith Council, Marin Interfaith Council, ICCCC (Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County), SiVIC (Silicon Valley Interreligious Council), and the Peninsula Clergy Network, together with staff from the United Religions Initiative (URI), the global network also based at the Presidio.

With gratitude for what has been, and hope for what will yet be, we wish you and yours a happy and blessed New Year!

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REFLECTIONS ON 2013. What kind of year was 2013 from the perspective of interreligious relations? One big story of the year was, of course, the election of Francis I as Pope. Not only have his actions and words since then earned him recogniztion as Time's Person of the Year, but his call for “friendship and respect between men and women of different religious traditions” indicates new openness to relations with non-Catholic traditions. Bud Heckman, executive director of Religions for Peace USA, identifies "Five Things Changing the Way Religions Interract" in The Interfaith Observer for December. Briefly put, they are geographic shifts among traditions, social media, more exposure to diversity, fluid identity for younger folks, and government interest in preventing interreligious violence. In the US, the relationship of religion and government continues to be worked out, according to the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. This year the Supreme Court heard a case involving prayers before civic meetings, Muslim women won the right to wear hijab at work, and the Affordable Care Act raised questions about the intersection of health care and religious convictions. See details at the BJC website. Globally, the future of religion, social and governmental restrictions on religion, and 10 things you should know about Muslims are featured over at the Weekly Number, a source for statistics and research on relgious communities worldwide.

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WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK takes place the first week of February each year (February 1-7). From its origin in the Common Word initiative in 2007, when Muslim scholars, religious leaders and thinkers reached out to Christians in an effort to recognize the common ground on which Islam and Christianity are built, WIHW has expanded its horizons. The original connections were made around the fundamental principles of love for God and love for the neighbor, but, recognizing that not everyone speaks of God, the WIHW invites participation from all who "love the good and love the neighbor." It is open to people of any religious faith, and none. "It is hoped," says the official website, "that this initiative will provide a focal point from which all people of goodwill can recognize that the common values they hold far outweigh the differences they have, and thus provide a strong dosage of peace and harmony to their communities."

Interfaith Harmony WeekGroups and individuals are encouraged to sponsor events during this week and to share the information on the World Interfaith Harmony Week website. Resources and information from past observances can also be found there. One goal of the Week is to make the ongoing work of interfaith groups to be made more visible to the world around. The thousands of events organized by these groups often go unnoticed not only by the general public, but also by other interfaith groups themselves. This week allows for these groups to become aware of each other and strengthen the movement by building ties and avoiding duplicating each others' efforts.

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CELEBRATING VIVEKANANDA. The unexpected star of the first Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893 was a young Hindu, Swami Vivekananda. The local press called him the "cyclonic monk from India," and the Parliament organizers wound up offering many additional chances for attendees to hear him. After the Parliament, he spoke across the US, and is credited with being the first to bring Hinduism to the country, eventually establishing Vedanta Societies in New York and San Francisco. During this past year, people around the world have been celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth on January 12, 1863. Local observances will culminate with a program on January 11, 2014 at the First Unitarian Church, 685 14th Street, Oakland, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. The program will feature rituals, talks, and a panel on Vivekananda's impact on the world. More information at www.celebratevivekananda.org.

[Read ICP Board Member Loel Bartlett Miller's description of her journey to Chicago for the Vivekananda celebration sponsored by the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions.]

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National Preach-In on Climate ChangeNATIONAL PREACH-IN ON CLIMATE CHANGE. Again this year Interfaith Power & Light is inviting religious leaders to make a point to preach or teach about climate change the weekend of February 14-16. At the National Preach-in on Climate Change website, you can sign up to receive a preaching kit, find suggestions for prayers and preaching for several different religious traditions, or add your activity to the listings (Bay Area events are already listed for San Francisco, Belvedere, and Niles).

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NOTES & QUOTES: ... "A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of"– Nelson Mandela... "Religious knowledge is a practical kind of knowledge like driving or swimming. You can't learn to swim or dance from reading a book. You've got to get into the water and learn to float." – Karen Armstrong... "Show me a religion that doesn't care about compassion. Show me a religion that doesn't care about stewardship of the environment. Show me a religion that doesn't care about hospitality."– Eboo Patel... "[I]t is not possible to establish true links with God while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam." Pope Francis I.

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SEND US YOUR NEWS! We at Bay Area Interfaith Connect make every effort to include upcoming interfaith events in our monthly calendar (which is always available on our website). Please be sure to send information about your upcoming events to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We'd also like to share what happened at your events or celebrations with the wider interfaith community. Got a story you'd like to share? Pictures from that latest gathering? Send them along and let everyone know what's happening!


 

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.

To Subscribe: 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.

To Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe you can do so by writing info@interfaith-presidio.org and letting us know. Thank you.

About the Editor: D. Andrew Kille is director of Interfaith Space in San Jose, working to develop and strengthen interfaith relations throughout the Bay Area. Send your calendar items, comments and suggestions to calendar@interfaith-presidio.org. We try to keep the ICP Update and Calendar as current as we can, but if you want your item included in the monthly newsletter, it needs to be in our hands a week before the end of the month.

 

interfaith symbols

BAIC ARCHIVES

In the Bay Area Interfaith Connect Archives you will find editorials from BAIC beginning with January of 2007, as well as longer articles on issues of interest for interfaith work..

return to top

 

 

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