IN THIS ISSUE: Dead of Winter | Book Study | Veterans Day Service | Religion & Climate Conference | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes

"A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter."

These words taken from T.S. Eliot's poem "The Journey of the Magi" ring true for many these days. Militants claiming religious justification attack in Paris and Beiruit, in Nigeria and continually in Syria. Presidential Candidates for elected office seem to be trying to outdo each other in fomenting suspicion and hatred - not only against Syrian refugees fleeing from death and destruction in their own lands, but against our neighbors, friends, and co-citizens here in the US. There is gunfire and death in Biloxi, in Colorado Springs. When "open carry" advocates stand fully armed and masked outside mosques, when proposals to monitor and perhaps even intern citizens as once was done with the Japanese, when policies aimed at diplomacy rather than war are scorned as feeble or misguided— in such a time it seems that, indeed, we find ourselves in "the very dead of winter."

AND YET... this time in the dead of winter is the occasion for religious celebrations of light and the hope for the future. In the Jewish community, candles are lit through the eight days of Hanukkah; in many Christian churches the lighting of Advent candles marks the time leading up to Christmas; among neopagan groups, a burning Yule log promises the rebirth of the sun. As I was writing these words, I learned that Pope Francis chose to open the "Holy Door" for the Jubilee year not at St. Peter's in Rome, as the custom has been, but at the cathedral of Bangui in the Central African Republic. In the midst of one of the poorest and most war-torn countries in the world, the message of peace and reconciliation is boldly enacted. This "very dead of winter" is also the time for hope, for compassion, hospitality, and living out the ways of peace.

THE INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO is a networking organization helping the interfaith councils and related groups of the greater SF Bay Area to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with each other. As a regional interfaith body, we link these local groups connect with larger interfaith networks at the national and global level – groups like the North American Interfaith Network, the United Religions Initiative, and the Parliament of the World's Religions. Locally, we assist interfaith councils and other groups in the production of programs of value to the community - programs relating to peace, veterans, the environment, interfaith education, etc. - and identify programs originating in one part of the Bay Area that could be replicated in other parts.

Housed in the Main Base Chapel in San Francisco's Presidio, we host interfaith weddings and memorials, interfaith musical concerts, and more. Members and representatives of over 50 religious and spiritual traditions participate in the ICP programs. We generate original interfaith projects and programming, such as an Interfaith Songbook, an Interfaith Sacred Space Design Competition,and the McDonald Windows, stained glass windows incorporating glass from sites destroyed during WWII. The ICP supports the Lost & Endangered Religions Project, a Gift of Service created at the 1999 Parliament of the World's Religions in Cape Town. LERP works with marginalized religious communities around the world to help preserve religious traditions that are either in danger of being lost or that have been lost, but exist in the archives of universities and other academic institutions.

And, of course, we produce and distribute the Bay Area Interfaith Connect each month with a calendar of dozens of interfaith events around the greater Bay Area and additional resources and opportunities from across the country and around the world.

If you find BAIC interesting and useful; if you appreciate the kind of regional interfaith presence and connections that ICP provides regularly, we invite you to support our work with a donation of $5, $18, $50, $501, or whatever you feel is appropriate for your situation. You can donate online via PayPal or send us a check. Full information is available on the ICP website.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY Our book study continues Wednesday, December 2, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel. We are reading through Islam’s Jesus, which takes a bold yet candid look at the highly charged topic of Jesus’s place in Islam, exploring some of the religion’s least understood aspects. Actively engaged in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, the author argues that the shared belief in Jesus presents an excellent opportunity for understanding between Muslims and Christians. Together, they constitute more than half of the world’s population, and such understanding may be a foundation for peace.Sponsored by: First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. Although it's focused on Christians and Muslims, people of any faith (or none) are welcome.

VETERANS DAY: INTERFAITH SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE. One young mother with her 2 elementary school-age children who identified herself as Catholic was moved to tears during the Muslim Call to Prayer that was part of the Veterans Day service at the Presidio Chapel. Over 30 people, including veterans from the Korean War, residents from the Presidio, and some long-time friends of ICP attended the interfaith service based on elements in The Book of Worship for United States Forces 1974. Faith traditions represented were Brama Kumaris, Buddhist, Christian (Catholic, Orthodox & Protestant), Jewish and Muslim.

RELIGION AND THE CLIMATE CONFERENCE. As the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meets in Paris from November 30 to December 11, the Religions for Peace USA will be bringing a cohort of Jewish, Muslim, Mennonite, and Zoroastrian lay leaders, and a Baptist preacher. The interfaith delegation will learn collaboratively and across faith lines at the convention, and then will bring climate mitigation and education best practices back to their respective faith communities. While there, they will attend prayer vigils, the conclusion of the People’s Pilgrimage to Paris, and climate protests demanding a strong final agreement.

Response to Climate Change was one of the major issues addressed at the Parliament of the World's Religions in October. You are invited to sign the Interfaith Call for Action on Climate Change, "intended to be a brief consensus statement and call to action that can be endorsed by adherents of diverse religious and spiritual traditions and convictions...It is rooted in the values expressed in the documents created and adopted by the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Declaration Toward a Global Ethic (1993) and A Call to Our Guiding Institutions (1999)."

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include …

• Growing Up Interfaith in Ahmedabad  by Vicki Garlock
• Five Reasons that ‘Interfaith’ Is Not a Movement (Yet) by Bud Heckman
• Interfaith Skill-sets: Communicate, Connect, and Work Together by Paul Chaffee
• What We Need to Know about Religious Freedom: An Overview A TIO Report
• What Losing Your Religious Freedom Actually Looks Like by World Watch Monitor

TIO is looking for “Supporting Partners.” These are interfaith projects which make two agreements. First, to submit one or more stories each year that tell the interfaith community-at-large the most important news about their work, what they most want us to know about them. Second, to distributing TIO to their constituencies.If your group is interested in being a Supporting Partner, please contact them at info@theinterfaithobserver.org.

NOTES & QUOTES: “ If only interfaith leaders would dialogue less using assumptions of interfaith tolerance and more about “disagreeing well” over our differences, then a real impact could be made on interreligious conflict and violence" John W. Morehead... "Once, I told myself that I would try to pray for others to see how I would feel. Will I feel that it is a prayer that is not accepted? ...I didn't get hit by lightning, I really felt an opening of the heart. So we really feel that it is God Who pushes us to enlarge it, to includ the other in our prayer." Nayla Tabbara..."We should stop being afraid to be who we are! We like to have guns designed to kill people that pose a threat in a very efficient manner.” David Wright III...[On the Parliament of the World's Religions]: "No single conference, however well attended or open-hearted, can change the world. But when thousands of people carry a message of love and collaboration back to their home communities, it makes a difference." Vicki Garlock...

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: Parliament of World's Religions | Veterans Day Service | Book Study | Celebrating Nostra Aetate | Sand Mandala | Religious Freedom Pledge | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News | Unsubscribe

Nearly 10,000 people gathered from around the world in Salt Lake City for five days of amazing encounters, deepening relationships, and calls to action on the environment, women's rights, income inequality--- and a free lunch, offered each day by the Sikhs. There were over 1,800 presenters offering workshops, ritual practices, music and dance and more. And there were conversations, connections, compassionate conspiracies, and collaborations in every corner.

ICP was proud to exhibit the McDonald Windows, the collection of artwork created from the shattered fragments of stained glass windows gathered from the ruins of European places of worship by Chaplain Frederick McDonald after World War II. The windows were exhibited in a central location, and hundreds of people found time to walk through and ponder, sometimes even to weep.

Some of the comments written in the exhibit journal:

• Beautiful exhibit.
• Thank you, thank you.
• Emotions well up within me as I enter this exhibit.
• I feel inwardly shattered by every lovingly-gathered piece of broken glass.
• The tragedy of what this represents is heartbreaking.
• This was the most moving time for me in the whole Parliament so far.
• Beauty out of the broken, shattered remnants - thank you.
• After Katrina, a glass artist asked for fragments - there were none. We searched around the empty windows, the beach. We were there responding to Mississippi (from Indiana). All I could find to bring to her were the glass circles out of microwaves found on the beach.

The last piece in the exhibit (at right) contains shards from St. Andrew in Biarritz, France. The piece is made in such a way that one is asked to write the name(s) of someone who is lost on a slip of paper and drop it into the artwork itself. Over 450 names were written, including Anne Frank, All the Unnamed, and Robin Williams.

We've posted some photos of the McDonald Windows display and some other sights on our blog at http://interfaithpresidio.ipage.com/blog/2015/11/photos-from-the-parliament/. You'll find some other reports there, as well.

More than 100 sessions from the Parliament, including the plenary sessions with speakers like Karen Armstrong, Jane Goodall, Tariq Ramadan, Jim Wallis, are now available on the Parliament website. They're well worth a look as we remember what we have learned and what we still must do together.

VETERANS DAY: INTERFAITH SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE. 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. Please join us on Wednesday, November 11, 2015, 11:00 am at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, for an interfaith service of unity and peace. Download a flyer.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY Few people realize that Jesus was a prominent messenger of God in Islam and that Muslims believe in the return of Jesus. Even among Muslims, it is not well known that there are diverse interpretations of references to Jesus in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Aiming to remedy this, Islam’s Jesus takes a bold yet candid look at the highly charged topic of Jesus’s place in Islam, exploring some of the religion’s least understood aspects. Examining multiple intellectual traditions, Zeki Saritoprak makes clear the reality of pluralism in the history of Islamic religious scholarship. Actively engaged in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, Saritoprak thoughtfully argues that the shared belief in Jesus presents an excellent opportunity for understanding between Muslims and Christians. Together, they constitute more than half of the world’s population, and such understanding may be a foundation for peace. Wednesday, November 4, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel Sponsored by: First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. All Are Welcome.

CELEBRATING NOSTRA AETATE. 50 years ago, on October 28, 1965, Pope Paul VI issued a proclamation Nostra Aetate (In Our Time) at the Second Vatican Council, opening up the relationship of Catholics to non-Christian religions. The document called for mutual understanding, respect, and fraternal dialogue across religious traditions. This simple but profound proclamation marked a new chapter in interfaith cooperation, and has underwritten many movements of interfaith action to address issues of systematic discrimination and injustice. To honor the anniversary, the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council joined with the Diocese of San Jose, Santa Clara University, the Rabbinic Council of San Jose and the Jewish Federation "in celebrating this milestone for interfaith relationships, and commit to continued partnership and dialogue as friends and colleagues." See the full statement.

SAND MANDALA AT USC. Five days of careful labor were swept away on Friday, September 18th, when the Drepung Loseling Monks held their sand mandala dissolution ceremony at USC's University Religious Center, concluding their week-long exhibition of Buddhist spiritual art. Dean of Religious Life, Varun Soni, opened the ceremony as guests gathered around the intricate sand mandala, snapping pictures on their phones. The mandala, which was dedicated to Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion, was created by six Buddhist monk s over a five day period. It was on display in the religious center's Fishbowl Room, allowing the USC community to witness the ritual in action. See a slideshow here.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PLEDGE. On October 23, religious leaders and community members gathered at the Washington National Cathedral for a multi-religious service called, “Beyond Tolerance: A Call to Religious Freedom and Hopeful Action,” followed immediately by a press conference introducing the Religious Freedom Pledge.   Washington National Cathedral and Shoulder to Shoulder co-hosted the religious service. The Religious Freedom Pledge states: I pledge and commit to the American people that I will uphold and defend the freedom of conscience and religion of all individuals by rejecting and speaking out, without reservation, against bigotry, discrimination, harassment, and violence based on religion or belief.

You are invited to add your name to the pledge at ShoulderToShoulderCampaign.org.

The Interfaith Observer (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include …

• A Kairos Moment: Faith Calls to Action by Katherine Marshall
• Nostra Aetate: Text and Context – A TIO Report
• Spontaneous Interfaith Relationships by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• A Conversation in Bangladesh about Religion and Women’s Roles - A Berkley Center Report
• Exploring Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University by Erin Taylor
• Apocalyptic Prophecy: A Brief Cross-Cultural History – 1 by Isabelle Price
• “Am I my brother’s keeper?” by Marcus Braybrooke – TIO Correspondent

NOTES & QUOTES: “Religious freedom is our first freedom, and none of us is free to follow any faith or philosophy unless all of us enjoy the same protections of the Constitution and its First Amendment”- Rabbi Jack Moline...“One hallmark of evangelicalism is freedom of religious conscience for all. When we deprive it from others, can we not expect that it will someday be denied to us?” - Rev. Dr. Richard Cizik..." Individual citizens and religious bodies should exercise their faith responsibly and fully respect religious beliefs of their neighbors" - Brent Walker..." In the United Church of Christ we take seriously God’s clear commandment to love our neighbors—all our neighbors—as ourselves, and are committed to standing against any and all actions that are contrary to this call” ...Sandy Sorenson..."Religious freedom is an inherent right that ensures humanity, dignity, peace, respect, and harmony" - Dr. Isma Chaudry.

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: Parliament of World's Religions | Peace in the Park | Veterans Day Service | Book Study | Wrestling Jerusalem | Civic & Religious Literacy | URI Around the Globe | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes

It's been a long time coming, anticipation has been building, and now it's just a couple of weeks away! The Parliament of the World's Religions takes place in Salt Lake City October 15-19. ICP will be displaying the McDonald Windows in Hall C; lead artist on the project Armelle Leroux will be onsite some of the time. These beautiful messages of peace reborn from the destruction of World War II remind us of the ongoing challenge to promote understanding and cooperation among religious communities and institutions.

Many of our colleagues from the Bay Area will be attending and making presentations. At our pre-Parliament gathering in June, we heard about a few: former ICP Interim Director Susan Strouse on "The Intrafaith Conversation;" ICP Board member Andrew Kille on "From Partner City to Interreligious Council;" Sally Mahe of URI on "Democracy and Religious Diversity;" Theodore Timpson on "Approaches to Interfaith Education;" Macha Nightmare and friends offering "Goddesses Alive! A Ritual with Masks." Longtime friend Iftekhar Hai speaks on how the Qur'an and the Bible deal with pluralism; Paul Chaffee on Interfaith Digital Communication. ING will describe its interfaith speakers bureau, and the list goes on and on.

If you are active on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media, look for the hashtag #PWRBayArea to share what you are learning and find out who else is there from our region. We'll be posting to our blog and Facebook pages as well during the Parliament, so take a look at what's happening.

PEACE IN THE PARK. At the September Peace in the Park, the third sponsored by the Brahma Kumaris and community friends in Golden Gate Park, ICP again shared a double booth with United Religions Initiative (URI) again. As ever, it was a great collaboration. Visitors were asked to send a message to the Parliament: How Can the Religious Leaders of the World Foster Peace? Over 30 respondents. They wrote their suggestions on paper petals that were then pasted around a yellow “Peace” center. ICP was next to the Baha’i booth. We had the opportunity for many great conversations.

See photos of the day and read the responses.

   

 

VETERANS DAY SERVICE. There will be an interfaith service at the Presidio Chapel honoring our veterans on Veterans Day, November 11. Watch for details in next month's BAIC.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY Few people realize that Jesus was a prominent messenger of God in Islam and that Muslims believe in the return of Jesus. Even among Muslims, it is not well known that there are diverse interpretations of references to Jesus in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Aiming to remedy this, Islam’s Jesus takes a bold yet candid look at the highly charged topic of Jesus’s place in Islam, exploring some of the religion’s least understood aspects. Examining multiple intellectual traditions, Zeki Saritoprak makes clear the reality of pluralism in the history of Islamic religious scholarship. Actively engaged in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, Saritoprak thoughtfully argues that the shared belief in Jesus presents an excellent opportunity for understanding between Muslims and Christians. Together, they constitute more than half of the world’s population, and such understanding may be a foundation for peace. Wednesday, October 7, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel Sponsored by: First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. All Are Welcome

WRESTLING JERUSALEM is a riveting 90-minute solo performance, following one man’s journey to understand the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. It is a personal story that grapples with the complexities of identity, history and social justice. Aaron Davidman, former director of the Traveling Jewish Theatre, gives voice to over a dozen engaging characters, including Israelis, Palestinians and American Jews. Mr. Davidman’s brilliant rendition of these perspectives convey the conflicting narratives of what seems to be an endless conflict in the Holy Land. The play is being turned into a movie and will be filmed with a subsequent interfaith panel, including Maha Elgenaidi (Islamic Networks Group), Rev. Will McGarvey (Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County), and Rabbi Noa Kusher of The Kitchen. October 3, 2015, 7:00 pm, Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter Street, San Francisco. For more info:  wrestlingjerusalem.com. Tickets are on sale ($50 - $125) through cityboxoffice.com, 415-392-4400.

Aaron Davidman will also perform the play (without the filming and panel) on Sunday, September 20, 2015, at 8:00 pm at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto. Tickets are $30 for the general public. Details are here.

STATEMENT ON CIVIC AND RELIGIOUS LITERACY. In response to several troubling statements by presidential candidates recently, a group of interreligious groups issued a joint "Call for civic and religious literacy and interreligious engagement." In part, they declared, "Such ignorance from a person who is a serious contender for the Presidency of the United States reveals the urgent need for public education and interreligious engagement to dispel such lack of understanding about world religions and cultures and about Islam and Muslims in particular." Signers include ING and Affiliates, Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, Hindu American Foundation, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County Governing Board, and Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley.

URI AROUND THE GLOBE. This past month, United Religions Initiative announced that 14 new Cooperation Circles and 1 new Multiple Cooperation Circle have been added to the URI Family. The Cooperation Circles are located in Africa, Asia, Middle East and North Africa and South East Asia and the Pacific, and add four new countries: Cote D’ Ivoire, Mauritania, Libya, and Fiji. The new MCC brings together 13 CCs to strengthen the work of Indigenous Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. URI now encompasses 735 CCs in 91 countries, including the Interfaith Center at the Presidio.

THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 16,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S. More than 300 writers have contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include …

A Letter from Desmond Tutu and William Vendley on the Faiths for Earth Campaign
The Parliament of the World’s Religions: 1893 and 1993 by Katherine Marshall
The Soul of Men in the Hearts of Women by Margaret Wolff
The Top Five Reasons to Study Religion by Gary Laderman
The First Public School in the Country to Require a World Religions Course by Joseph Laycock
An Education Centered on Wisdom by Theodore Timpson
Finding Reliable Interfaith Educational Resources  A TIO Interview

NOTES & QUOTES: "Humanity is faced with a choice: to pursue a selfless path of humility and service, or to live selfishly, wasting time on trifles." - Fethulla Gulen..."Anti-racism seeks to dismantle the system that sets up one dominant culture to be host for the buffet of cultures whose dishes provide 'flavor and spice,' the 'exotic other' to the dominant “normal.” How can our interfaith relationships be anti-racist rather than multicultural?"- Liz Durant..." A religion major, if it’s done right, will turn your world upside down, turn childish thoughts into mature ponderings, turn darkness into light (maybe too hyperbolic?)." - Gary Laderman...

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!

IN THIS ISSUE: Peace Day | Welcome Mary | Peace in the Park | Integral Ecology | Book Study | Wrestling Jerusalem | New Logo at ICCCC | Answers about ISIS | Notes & Quotes

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21. It was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. This year’s commemoration is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All” which aims to highlight the importance of all segments of society to work together to strive for peace.

Why, in a year of 365+ days, is there only one day devoted to peace? Shouldn't peacemaking be woven into the warp and woof of our everyday living? Certainly. People are funny that way, though. We need to be reminded from time to time about the things that are important-- birthdays, anniversaries, new year's celebrations, a Day of Peace. If you're wondering about how you might observe peace day, there are loads of suggestions at http://internationaldayofpeace.org/actions/. One possibility is to join with thousands of people around the world who will pause for a minute of silence at noon wherever they are around the world (www.facebook.com/MinuteOfSilenceMomentOfPeace). #PeaceDay.

WELCOME MARY! For the past several months, Mary Zamboukos has been working as a contracted assistant to ICP Director Linda Crawford. Mary has proved to be a great asset to our work, and we are delighted to welcome her officially as our new part-time Administrative Assistant. If the name sounds familiar, you might know her sister, Cynthia Zamboukos, who has been the Program/Administrative Assistant for the San Francisco Interfaith Council.

PEACE IN THE PARK. One way to celebrate peace is to join ICP at "Peace in the Park," a free day of wisdom, wellbeing, global culture and creative activities for all ages. Learn how to access calm, creativity and joy everyday! 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 third annual Peace in the Park will take place on Saturday, September 19th, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm in Golden Gate Park. This year's celebration will once again feature music and dancing from a variety of cultures, speakers and inspirational workshops, vegetarian food, and opportunities for sharing in meditation, yoga, Tai Chi and other spiritual practices. ICP and URI are among the sponsoring organizations. It promises to be "a rejuvenating day of peaceful activities for all ages and backgrounds." Details at www.peaceintheparksf.org/.

ICP will again have a booth with information about the Interfaith Councils around the Bay Area. We will be giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions about any faith tradition, and if we can't answer right there, we will get back to them. There will be large paper flower petals available for people to write down a message or wish for peace they would like us to take to the Parliament of the World's Religions in October. These will be displayed on a large board, and then taken to Salt Lake City. As we did last year, we will be working side-by-side with URI.

       

Director Linda Crawford (left) and Board President Fred Fielding at last year's Peace in the Park (Photos: Susan Strouse)

INTEGRAL ECOLOGY: CONCERN FOR CREATION AND THE POOR. The University of San Francisco will present a lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker, PhD, Senior Lecturer and Research Scholar at Yale University, where she directs the Forum on Religion and Ecology. On Thursday, September 3, 2015, at 7:00 pm, Dr. Tucker will unpack the invitations and challenges of Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for creation, responsible development and the effects of environmental injustice on the world’s poor. The response will be given by John Coleman, SJ and will be followed by opportunity for questions and small group discussion. The event will be held at Xavier Hall on the USF campus. RSVP to USF University Ministry: um@usfca.edu (preferred) or 415-422-4463.

MUSLIM/ CHRISTIAN BOOK STUDY Few people realize that Jesus was a prominent messenger of God in Islam and that Muslims believe in the return of Jesus. Even among Muslims, it is not well known that there are diverse interpretations of references to Jesus in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Aiming to remedy this, Islam’s Jesus takes a bold yet candid look at the highly charged topic of Jesus’s place in Islam, exploring some of the religion’s least understood aspects. Examining multiple intellectual traditions, Zeki Saritoprak makes clear the reality of pluralism in the history of Islamic religious scholarship. Actively engaged in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, Saritoprak thoughtfully argues that the shared belief in Jesus presents an excellent opportunity for understanding between Muslims and Christians. Together, they constitute more than half of the world’s population, and such understanding may be a foundation for peace. Wednesday, October 7, 2015, 7:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel Sponsored by: First United Lutheran Church, Pacifica Institute and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. All Are Welcome

PARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. ICP and many folks from Bay Area interfaith groups will join the thousands of people from around the world who will convene in Salt Lake City for the upcoming Parliament of the Worlds Religions from October 15-19. Our display about the McDonald Windows will be just one of the rich array of workshops, celebrations, displays, and person-to-person encounters that are a part of the Parliament.

The lineup of announced speakers includes Nobel Peace Prize winners, authors, educators, advocates, and religious leaders from diverse traditions. Among those who will be present are His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mairead Maguire, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Dr. Karen Armstrong, Dr. Tariq Ramadan, Dr. Eboo Patel, Chief Arvol Lookinghorse, Valarie Kaur, Dr. Arun Gandhi, Rev. Jim Wallis, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Rabbi David Saperstein, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Tavis Smiley, and Terry Tempest Williams. To find out more about these speakers and other offerings at the Parliament, go to the website.

A special Woman's Assembly will take place on October 15th, prior to the Parliament proper. Throughout the Parliament, the Women's Initiative will provide for women from diverse religious and spiritual traditions to address the critical intersection of women’s dignity, human rights and religion; celebrate women’s religious and spiritual engagement, inspiration and leadership; share best practices that address women’s challenges; build interfaith networks of mutual support and cooperative action; and expand the transformative impact women have on religion and the modern world. See details at the website.

WRESTLING JERUSALEM is a riveting 90-minute solo performance, following one man’s journey to understand the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. It is a personal story that grapples with the complexities of identity, history and social justice. Aaron Davidman, former director of the Traveling Jewish Theatre, gives voice to over a dozen engaging characters, including Israelis, Palestinians and American Jews. Mr. Davidman’s brilliant rendition of these perspectives convey the conflicting narratives of what seems to be an endless conflict in the Holy Land. The play is being turned into a movie and will be filmed with a subsequent interfaith panel, including Maha Elgenaidi (Islamic Networks Group), Rev. Will McGarvey (Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County), and Rabbi Noa Kusher of The Kitchen. October 3, 2015, 7:00 pm, Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter Street, San Francisco. For more info:  wrestlingjerusalem.com. Tickets are on sale ($50 - $125) through cityboxoffice.com, 415-392-4400.

Aaron Davidman will also perform the play (without the filming and panel) on Sunday, September 20, 2015, at 8:00 pm at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto. Tickets are $30 for the general public. Details are here.

NEW LOGO. The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County has a new logo and motto, "Envisioning PEACE." You can support the Interfaith Council by purchasing a t-shirt. Sliding scale $20-$30 in men’s and women’s tailored t’s! Pick yours up at the International Day of Peace Concert (Sun. Sept. 20th at 4:00 pm at Peace Lutheran in Danville) or email them at InterfaithCCCC@gmail.com with the sizes you want and a phone number they can call you on to take your credit card over the phone or help you send in a check. Please add $5.00 for shipping and handling. Details are on their website.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT ISIS. ING, the Islamic Networks Group, has put together a helpful web page with questions and answers about ISIS and its relationship to Islamic teaching and tradition. If you or someone in your community is wondering, head to the ING website at www.ing.org/answers-to-questions-about-isis/.

NOTES & QUOTES: "Muslims must publicly promote human rights—dignity, life and liberty. These are the most basic of Islamic values and no individual, nor any political or religious leader, has the authority to snatch them away. Living the essence of our faith means respecting diversity—cultural, social, religious and political." - Fethulla Gulen..."I do not believe that religions, in and of themselves, are obstacles to achieving our vision for a better world." - Ruth Messinger..."In studying the sacred writings of the great religions, I have found, to my delight, that they are rich with paradox and irony." - George Wolfe

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!

IN THIS ISSUE: NAINConnect 2015 | Parliament of the World's Religions | BAIC Nostalgia | Rethinking Technology | Immigration Issues | Peace in the Park | Integral Ecology | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes

Executive Director Linda Crawford of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio was one of the interfaith leaders from across North America attending NAINConnect 2015, the annual gathering of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) July 19-22 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, on the beautiful grounds of Luther College at the University of Regina. The theme this year was “Restoring Spirit Through Sacred Listening.” Linda writes, "There’s a reason NAIN chose the word 'Network' instead of 'Council' or some other name. It really is about networking and building relationships. In each session, mealtime & tour, we got a chance to meet each other and connect. It’s been quite wonderful." Read more from Linda at the ICP blog.

In late May, Linda was interviewed by David Perry on "Ten Percent," a LGBT TV program on Comcast Local Edition. You can find a video of the far-ranging conversation touching on peacemaking, interfaith dialogue, the United Religions Initiative, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, and Remembered Light, the story of the McDonald Windows, on YouTube.

PARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. The McDonald Peace Windows will be part of the upcoming Parliament of the Worlds Religions meeting in Salt Lake City from October 15-19. The ICP proposal declared, "The McDonald Windows symbolize the power of love and light over war and destruction. Once meant to inspire people of one particular religious tradition, now the windows are re-imagined to inspire people of all faith traditions and beliefs." The windows will be just one of the rich array of workshops, celebrations, displays, and person-to-person encounters that are a part of the Parliament.

The lineup of announced speakers is growing; it includes Nobel Peace Prize winners, authors, educators, advocates, and religious leaders from diverse traditions. Among those who will be present are His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mairead Maguire, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Dr. Karen Armstrong, Dr. Tariq Ramadan, Dr. Eboo Patel, Chief Arvol Lookinghorse, Valarie Kaur, Dr. Arun Gandhi, Rev. Jim Wallis, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Rabbi David Saperstein, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Tavis Smiley, and Terry Tempest Williams. To find out more about these speakers and other offerings at the Parliament, go to the website.

A special Woman's Assembly will take place on October 15th, prior to the Parliament proper. Throughout the Parliament, the Women's Initiative will provide for women from diverse religious and spiritual traditions to address the critical intersection of women’s dignity, human rights and religion; celebrate women’s religious and spiritual engagement, inspiration and leadership; share best practices that address women’s challenges; build interfaith networks of mutual support and cooperative action; and expand the transformative impact women have on religion and the modern world. See details at the website.

A LITTLE BAIC NOSTALGIA. We're sorry for the technical glitch that kept us from sending out the full issue of Bay Area Interfaith Connect last month. From the beginning, BAIC has been sponsored by the Interfaith Center at the Presidio and hosted at Interspirit.net, which is created and maintained by our friend Bruce Schuman. Recently, Bruce moved the site to a new server, and, as is ever true in the digital world, there were some unexpected glitches, which we now trust have been fixed.

In the course of testing, we had occasion to revisit some of the early issues of BAIC, and noted that we began publication in May of 2004. This was the inaugural article:

Connecting the Bay Area’s religious communities at last ! Rita Semel, San Francisco’s pioneering interfaith staffer and trustee, for years has promoted the notion of a Bay Area religious calendar, a monthly keeping people from all traditions informed and networked about what is happening religiously in our region. A new partnership between Interspirit and Interfaith Center at the Presidio at long last makes the dream feasible. As you’ll see below, interfaith activities are sprouting up all over the region. This issue goes to more than a thousand Bay Area people interested in faith and interfaith issues. It’s free, and we’d like to keep it that way, so the challenge ahead will be making it sustainable. Thank you for your responses and suggestions to date. Volunteers are working on a text-only/Microsoft Word download version that you can copy, cut, and paste into your own newsletters.

I don't know whether the Word version came into being, but more than a hundred and thirty issues later BAIC continues to celebrate, inform, and serve interfaith efforts around the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. As in 2004, we are challenged to keep it free to subscribers. If you appreciate BAIC and its role in keeping us all connected, consider making a contribution to ICP. Thanks for being a part of our work!

RETHINKING TECHNOLOGY. On Sunday, April 26, AHIMSA, in association with the Interfaith Center at the Presidio of San Francisco, ServiceSpace.org, and the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, presented a symposium at the Presidio Chapel exploring the effects of the Digital Revolution on people at work, at home, at school and on the road. "Rethinking Technology...Or Become the Tools of Our Tools" included Rahul Brown - Entrepreneur, Business Development Karl Dobrinich - Small business owner, non-profit consultant Tom Foremski - Journalist, ‘Silicon Valley Watcher’ Nina Horne - Policy, Strategy, Public Good Tapan Parikh - Professor, UC-Berkeley School of Information Richard Whittaker - Writer, Artist, Publisher Tom Mahon - Convener, Author, and veteran Silicon Valley observer. A shortened video of the session is now available on YouTube.

IMMIGRATION ISSUES. The San Francisco Foundation is sponsoring a gathering to help faith leaders deepen understanding and empathy around current immigration issues. ONWARD is a one-stop, web-based collection of curated films, video clips, and audio stories that make it easy to bring people together for conversation and actions in support of more welcoming communities. Together we will: learn more about ONWARD and ways to use it to increase support for a more humane immigration system that works for all of us and discuss a coordinated response to increasing anti-immigrant media coverage and legislative action. August 4, 2015, 3:00 - 5:00 pm (refreshments provided) at The San Francisco Foundation One Embarcadero Center #1400, San Francisco Please RSVP to Jazmin Segura at jsegura@sff.org.

PEACE IN THE PARK. A free day of wisdom, wellbeing, global culture and creative activities for all ages. Enjoy Yoga, meditation and kid's activities. Learn from the experts on how to access calm, creativity and joy everyday! The third annual Peace in the Park will take place on Saturday, September 19th, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm in Golden Gate Park. This year's celebration will once again feature music and dancing from a variety of cultures, speakers and inspirational workshops, vegetarian food, and opportunities for sharing in meditation, yoga, Tai Chi and other spiritual practices. ICP and URI are among the sponsoring organizations. It promises to be "a rejuvenating day of peaceful activities for all ages and backgrounds." Save the date, and find out more at www.peaceintheparksf.org/.

       

Director Linda Crawford (left) and Board President Fred Fielding at last year's Peace in the Park (Photos: Susan Strouse)

INTEGRAL ECOLOGY: CONCERN FOR CREATION AND THE POOR. The University of San Francisco will present a lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker, PhD, Senior Lecturer and Research Scholar at Yale University, where she directs the Forum on Religion and Ecology. On Thursday, September 3, 2015, at 7:00 pm, Dr. Tucker will unpack the invitations and challenges of Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for creation, responsible development and the effects of environmental injustice on the world’s poor. The response will be given by John Coleman, SJ and will be followed by opportunity for questions and small group discussion. The event will be held at Xavier Hall on the USF campus. RSVP to USF University Ministry: um@usfca.edu (preferred) or 415-422-4463.

THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 12,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S., and more than 300 who’ve contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include…

• Track Two Religious Diplomacy: Vignettes from Iran  by Richard Cizik
• Learning to Be Still – Meditation for Kids  by Vicki Garlock
• Anekantavada - Moving Beyond Exclusive Religious Claims  by Nadya Pohran
• Report: Toward an Ecological Civilization  by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• Why is the Parliament of the World's Religions Important?  Compiled by TIO Staff
•  Poem: “I Began Singing the Moment” by George Wolfe

NOTES & QUOTES: "If we are willing to acknowledge that our own viewpoint is limited, we begin to see differing viewpoints not as “deluded” or “deceitful” but as accurate representations formed from different vantage points." - Nadya Pohran..."I have wondered why I don’t encourage other Christians in their spiritual journeys in the same way my Muslim friends have encouraged one another during Ramadan." - "J" at Interfaith Ramadan..."it is in the shelter of each other that the people live." -Pádraig Ó Tuama..."It seems, no matter who we are, in crisis moments, we simply need someone with us, to hear our story, to see our tears, to share our pain, and not run away." - David Barickman..."Our utter lack of nature literacy and our disgraceful self-centeredness is leading us to destroy the entire planet, ourselves included." - Lupa Greenwolf.

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!

IN THIS ISSUE: Pope Francis on Dialogue | Pre-Parliament Party | UN & URI Anniversaries | Ramadan | Peace in the Park | Pluralism Summer | NAINConnect 2015 | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes | Unsubscribe

Pope Francis has been busy recently! His recently-published encyclical Laudato si ("Praise Be to You") has the subtitle "On the care of our common home," and has fired up reactions around the world , both pro and con, with his critiques of consumerism, income disparity, environmental damage and global warming. Less well-known is his message to interreligious representatives that gathered in early June in Sarajevo.

Interreligious dialogue, Francis said, is a "conversation about human existence," touching on all dimensions of daily life, and developing a spirit "which unites and favors the promotion of moral values, justice, freedom and peace." Thus, "interreligious dialogue cannot be limited merely to the few, to leaders of religious communities, but must also extend as far as possible to all believers, engaging the different sectors of civil society. Particular attention must be paid to young men and women who are called to build the future of this country. It is always worth remembering, however, that for dialogue to be authentic and effective, it presupposes a solid identity: without an established identity, dialogue is of no use or even harmful. I say this with the young in mind, but it applies to everyone."

You can find the full text of his comments on the Vatican Radio website.

Rabbi Elisheva Salamo, Mark Denni and Theodore Timpson

PRE-PARLIAMENT PARTY. About 35 people gathered on a Sunday afternoon to learn more about the Parliament of the World's Religions, the host city Salt Lake, Utah, and environs, and some of the people and programs to be presented October 15-19. There were greetings from ICP President Fred Fielding and URI Executive Director Victor Kazanjian, tales of past Parliaments from ICP Board member Don Frew (who has attended all the Parliaments since 1993), and Q&A with Parliament Ambassador Karen Hernandez. Presentations on the intra-faith conversation, the experience of a Parliament Partner City, Interfaith Education, and "Democracy and Religious Diversity" were described by Linda Crawford (on behalf of Susan Strouse), Andrew Kille (ICP Board member and Chair of SiVIC), Theodore Timpson, head of the Children's School of Art and Science in Palo Alto, and Sally Mahé of the URI. Following the formal meeting, there was opportunity for food and conversation. Many of those who attended were new to ICP, and it was a great opportunity to make connections with people who will heading to Salt Lake City in October.

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS
October 15- 19, 2015
Salt Lake City, UT
Information & Registration

UN/ URI ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS. The United Nations celebrated its 70th Anniversary and the United Religions Initiative its 15th the last weekend of June. General Secretary Ban Ki-moon joined dignitaries at the San Francisco City Hall, including Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman and Democratic Leader of the United States House of Representatives; Jerry Brown, Governor of California; Edwin Lee, Mayor of San Francisco; and Malala Yousafzai, the young Nobel Peace Prize laureate. “For two months," Ban observed of the UN founders, "they turned San Francisco’s War Memorial into a peace palace.”

At a URI breakfast the next morning, many of the founding members were present, including Paul Andrews and Rita Semel of ICP. Elder Don Frew and URI Executive Director Victor Kazanjian led in a ritual of the Waters of the World. Don has gathered sacred waters from 154 sources in 47 countries on all 7 continents and from the Seven Seas. Participants were invited to pour brightly-colored marbles representing all 8 URI Regions into the bowl of sacred waters in a moving affirmation of how we are all connected.

Then followed a celebration at Grace Cathedral, with a welcome from Bishop William Swing and addresses by Nancy Pelosi; filmmaker and international human rights scholar Grazyna Petra Kolondra; and Marco Tavanti, Ph. D., of the University of San Francisco Non Profit Administration Program. Victor Kazanjian shared former UN General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld's reflection: "You wake from dreams of doom and--for a moment--you know: beyond all the noise and the gestures, the only real thing, love's calm unwavering flame in the half-light of an early dawn." Sally Mahé led those assembled in an Appreciative Inquiry, followed by the premier performance of "The Way Chose You," a musical adaptation of Hammarskjöld's writings, by Kloster Vocalis, Coelis Ensemble, Sycamore Chamber Orchestra, and Pacific Choir. An interfaith circle and blessing closed the day.

You can find video of several of the presentations online: Bishop Swing's speeches; Victor Kazanjian's presentation; Sally Mahe's introduction to Appreciative Inquiry; there's also a collection of celebratory messages for the URI.

RAMADAN. Ramadan, the month of the Muslim year devoted to fasting, prayer, and acts of compassion, has been a particular opportunity for Muslim communities to welcome their friends and neighbors to the traditional iftar meal that breaks each days fasting at sundown. This year, Ramadan began on June 18 and will last until July 17. A number of local mosques and groups are hosting iftar meals during this season; ICP is co-sponsoring an interfaith Ramadan service at Grace Cathedral on Thursday, July 9 at 7:15 pm. Be sure to check the additional listings on our interfaith calendar. Online, Sara Ager, who blogs as "A Hotchpotch Hijabi in Italy" has created the "Interfaith Ramadan" site. When Interfaith Ramadan started in 2013, Ager wrote most of the posts, but 2015 includes contributions from Wiccan, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and ex-Muslim communities.

PEACE IN THE PARK. For the third year Peace in the Park will take place in Golden Gate Park. This year's celebration will be on September 19th, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, and will once again feature music and dancing from a variety of cultures, speakers and inspirational workshops, vegetarian food, and opportunities for sharing in meditation, yoga, Tai Chi and other spiritual practices. ICP and URI are among the sponsoring organizations. It promises to be "a rejuvenating day of peaceful activites for all ages and backgrounds." Save the date, and go to www.peaceintheparksf.org/ for more information and pictures from past events. Please contact Linda Crawford at linda@interfaith-presidio.org if you might be interested in staffing the ICP tent for part of the time.

PLURALISM SUMMER. First United Lutheran Church of San Francisco will be having their 3rd Pluralism Summer every Sunday at 5:00 pm from June 14 through August 30. They have again invited a member of a different religious tradition to join the our worship service each week. Last year they asked guests to share how their traditions informed how they thought about caring for the earth. This year’s theme is gender. Some of the questions asked of each speaker are:

• Is there a feminine aspect of the Divine in your tradition?
• How does your tradition reflect that aspect?
• Do women appear in sacred texts?
• Does your tradition inform how women should act and be?
• Are there any ways in which women been left out?
• What’s missing, lost or undervalued?

First UMC believes that wisdom can be enhanced only by continued conversation with all of our neighbors. They welcome people of all faith traditions or no faith tradition–no matter your beliefs, non-beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity. Together we work for peace, justice, and the good of all people and all creation. First United is a Christian congregation in the Lutheran tradition that meets at St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church 2097 Turk St. (at Lyon) San Francisco. Susan Strouse, former Interim Director of ICP is the pastor.

NAINConnect 2015 will bring interfaith leaders from across North America to Luther College at the University of Regina in Saskatchawan, Canada from July 19-21. Choosing the theme “Restoring Spirit Through Sacred Listening,” the conference brings together people of faith and non-faith, members of religious communities, academics, teachers, students, people who work in social development, health care professionals, people from the volunteer sector, and other members of the local community and from across Canada, the United States, and Mexico who are interested in social justice issues and cultural awareness. For information on the program, how to sign up for tours, where to stay, and what to do while you are in Regina, visit us online at www.luthercollege.edu/nain2015 or email nainconnect2015@luthercollege.edu

THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 12,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S., and more than 300 who’ve contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include…

• Celebrating Ramadan - the Kid's Perspective by Vicki Garlock
• Sleeping with the Jaguar by Doris Davis
• The Sacred Power of Indigenous Women Threatened by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• "Why Human Trafficking Matters to Me” by Gail Hambleton
• “For God's Sake, What are We Going to Do About That?” by William E. Swing
• The Most Difficult “Religious Other” by Paul Chaffee

NOTES & QUOTES: "The majority of people living on our planet profess to be believers. This should spur religions to dialogue among themselves for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity." - Pope Francis I in the Encyclical Laudato Si..."Violence spreads like a virus. Contagious by nature, it follows a spiritual law that says that violence plus violence only equals more violence." - David Cook..."You see, in these 10 years I have learned that pluralism is a verb. It doesn’t stop with one National Day of Prayer event, with one person, one group." Padma Kuppa

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: Pre-Parliament Party | UN & URI Anniversaries | May @ ICP | Yezidis & Assyrians | The Interfaith Observer | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News | At the Presidio Chapel | Bay Area Interreligious Calendar | Special Opportunities | Unsubscribe

PRE-PARLIAMENT PARTY AT ICP. Are you planning to attend the Parliament of the World's Religions October 15-19 in Salt Lake City? Will you be making a presentation there? Or would you just like to find out more about the Parliament and why you might really want to be there?

Join us at the Presidio Chapel on Sunday, June 14, 2:00 - 5:00 pm. People from the Bay Area who have attended previous Parliaments will be here; we'll share about the workshops, presentations, and panels from those whose proposals have been accepted. And we'll have a chance to meet others from the area who plan to be in Salt Lake City. We'll even have an insider's view of Salt Lake City- how to get around and what to see.

Download a flyer.

Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity

For Parliament information and registration,go to the Parliament website.

CELEBRATING THE UN AND THE URI. From April to June in 1945, delegates from 50 nations met in San Francisco to create a means of international cooperation in a world that had so recently been torn apart by World War II. In his welcome to the delegates, President Harry Truman said, "You members of this Conference are to be the architects of the better world. In your hands rests our future. By your labors at this Conference, we shall know if suffering humanity is to achieve a just and lasting peace." On June 26, the United Nations Charter was presented for signature and ratification. The Charter affirmed the desire of the nations " to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples."

55 years later, on June 26, 2000, another Charter was presented in San Francisco. The Charter of the United Religions Initiative declared, "We, people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions throughout the world, hereby establish the United Religions Initiative to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings."

The San Francisco Chapter of The United Nations Association U.S.A. invites you to join them for a celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 15th Anniversary of the founding of the United Religions Initiative. On Saturday, June 27, 2015, from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, there will be speakers, educational workshops, and a special concert, "The Way Chose You" inspired by Dag Hammarskjöld’s spiritual journal "Markings," performed by The Swedish Choir Kloster Vocalis and other performers. All this will take place at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco. Co- sponsors include United Religions Initiative, Grace Cathedral, Pro Suecia Foundation.

The event is free, but attendance is limited, so please register online as soon as possible. For full program details and registration, go to un70charter.org/. A flyer is also available.

MAY AT THE PRESIDIO CHAPEL. The Interfaith Memorial Day Service at the Presidio Chapel featured readings, prayers and hymns from several traditions, including Brahma Kumari, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Wiccan. Mr. Thomas Galvin, a Vietnam War veteran and President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Association of the US Army spoke about his wartime near-death experience. Alex Lazar, an aide to Congressional Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, brought greetings from the Congresswoman. Piper Lynne Miller played the bagpipes and Robert Gurney was at the organ. For more about the service and some photos see the ICP Blog.

Memorial Day Service leaders

Hosh Geldiniz (welcome in Turkish) to Pacifica Institute's S.F. branch. An old-fashioned ribbon-cutting, lots of great Mediterranean food including the best baklava in the Bay Area (or so it was claimed), and a demonstration of the Turkish art of Ebru (paint marbling) drew more than 75 people to ICP on Saturday, May 30. During the celebration, greetings were offered from Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and the Mayor of San Francisco. Pacifica will have their office at the Presidio Chapel, along with ICP and the San Francisco Interfaith Council. ICP looks forward to working closely with Pacifica; plans are in the works for at least one Ramadan iftar dinner. Pacifica is a branch of the worldwide Hizmet, a religious and social movement inspired by the teachings of Fethullah Gülen deeply committed to interfaith dialogue. Other Bay Area branches are located in San Mateo, Albany, and Sunnyvale. The Sunnyvale Branch was a founding member of SiVIC, the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council. See more at the ICP Blog.

Children at the Pacifica reception

 

YEZIDIS AND ASSYRIANS. Efforts on behalf of the Yezidis, Assyrians, and other religious minorities who are currently being forced from their homes, their women and girls kidnapped and raped. Thousands have been murdered and more thousands now live in refugee camps. The Yezidis are a Kurdish people who share an ancient religious tradition, while the Assyrian Church is one of the oldest Christian traditions.

Linda Crawford of ICP joined with the leaders of interfaith councils in Contra Costa County, Marin County, San Francisco and Silicon Valley in signing a letter calling for an end to the genocide. (Find a copy of the letter here.) If you have not already done so, please sign the statement of support at www.yezidis-assyrians.org/. Copies of that statement will be taken to the Secretary General of the United Nations on June 16th. A meeting will also take place that day with Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Vatican Observer at the UN.

You can learn more about the Yezidis at www.yezidis.org and www.childrenofezidi.org. Read additional reports at URI and Examiner.com.

THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 12,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S., and more than 300 who’ve contributed articles. Download back issues. TIO is free. Recent articles include…

• William Swing’s A Bishop’s Quest: Founding a United Religions  A TIO Review
• Pope Francis & Rabbi Skorka: Forging a Deeper Relationship  by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• Visiting India, the Motherland  by Philip Goldberg
• Finding Light in the Midst of “Devil-worshippers”  by Don Frew
• Technology: A Re-introduction  by Tom Mahon

NOTES & QUOTES: "We have an outrageous confidence that fit colleagues of all religions, indigenous traditions, and spiritual expressions can be found and together we can alter the arc of this world’s agony" - Bishop William Swing..."Perhaps the most relevant poles to reference when discussing the value of interfaith dialogue are progress and presence: do we find value in conversation and togetherness?" - Jenn Lindsay...“In the struggle for authority with modern individualism, American religion is slowly losing” - Arthur E. Farnsley...“...we do believe, together, that no one should be coerced when it comes to their particular religious beliefs.Whether they are religious or not religious, they should have the freedom to express what they believe and they should be able to do so without hatred, without discrimination," Danny Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, opposing discrimination against non-believers..."Taboos exist because we believe - falsely - that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, no hope of coming to an agreement" - Saadia Faruqi

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: Remembering the Dead | Yezidis & Assyrians | Welcome Pacifica | Pre-Parliament Gathering | Rethinking Technology | The Interfaith Observer | Better Together | Notes & Quotes |

Remembering the Dead. Memorial Day began originally as Decoration Day, an observance that began after the American Civil War as people would commemorate those who had died in that war on both the Union and Confederate sides. May 9 this year will mark the 100th anniversary of the declaration ending that war, but sadly, not the end of wars. After 1882, Decoration Day became increasingly known as Memorial Day, as the dead of other wars were included in the remembrance. In 1967 the Federal government officially declared "Memorial Day" and in 1968 moved the observance from May 30 to the last Monday of May.

As an historical building in a former military installation, the Presidio Chapel played a major role in serving the spiritual needs of soldiers and their families from 1931 until the post closed in 1994. Again this year, the Interfaith Center will hold an interfaith memorial service on Monday, May 25 at 1:00 pm to remember all those who died in war.

YEZIDIS AND ASSYRIANS. Even as we remember the dead in previous wars, we are reminded that people, innocent civilians as well as combatants, are still suffering and dying in war zones. Last month, a coalition of local interfaith organizations held two events to call attention to the situation of the Yezidis and Assyrians in the war zones of Iraq. The Yezidis are a Kurdish people who share an ancient religious tradition, while the Assyrian Church is one of the oldest Christian traditions. A press conference in Berkeley on April 15th, was hosted by the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, Marin Interfaith Council, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, and the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council. Speakers from the varied religious communities of the Bay Area, along with representatives of the Yezidis and Assyrians described how people have been forced from their homes, women and girls have been kidnapped and raped, and thousands now live in refugee camps. Thousands have been killed.

A further update session was held at the ICP Chapel on April 27 to share progress on legislation and support for the Yezidis and Assyrians. To show your support, please read and sign the statement "Raising our voices for the Yezidis and Assyrians," and a petition to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader McConnell, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to Save the Yezidis from Genocide. You can learn more about the Yezidis at www.yezidis.org and www.childrenofezidi.org. You can also read reports of the press conference at URI and Examiner.com.

WELCOME PACIFICA INSTITUTE! Pacifica Institute has opened its first branch in San. Francisco, located in the Presidio Interfaith Chapel along with the Interfaith Center and San Francisco Interfaith Council. Pacifica is a branch of the worldwide Hizmet movement, a religious and social movement inspired by the teachings of Fethullah Gülen. Other Bay Area branches are located in Sunnyvale, San Mateo and Albany. On May 21 at 6:30 pm, ICP will help welcome Pacifica Institute as we all celebrate the expansion of their work in the Bay Area.

PRE-PARLIAMENT EVENT AT ICP. The Interfaith Center invites all those who are planning to attend the Parliament of the World's Religions in October, or even those who just want to learn more about the Parliament to join us for a Pre-Parliament gathering at the Interfaith Chapel on Sunday, June 14, 2:00 - 5:00 pm. This will be a great opportunity to meet each other before we head to Utah. We will share experiences of previous Parliament events, get an insider's guide to Salt Lake City, and share the workshops, presentations, and panels, from those of us who have had proposals approved. Download a flyer.

Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity

Parliament of the World's Religions
October 15-19, 2015
Salt Lake City, Utah

For information and registration,go to the Parliament website.

RETHINKING TECHNOLOGY. What has the Digital Revolution done to us and our fields of study and work? A distinguished panel at the Interfaith Chapel on Sunday afternoon, April 26, offered their observations on the past ten years. Panelists included Tom Foremski, Editor, Silicon Valley Watcher; Nina Horne, Public Policy; Tapan Parikh, Professor, UC-Berkeley School of Information; Richard Whittaker, Editor, Conversations.org; Rahul Brown, ServiceSpace.org, and Karl Dobrinich, General Manager at AB-Services. The organizers hope that this event will be just the first in a series of reflections on value, meaning, and virtue in conjunction with digital culture. For a taste of the conversation, see Tom Mahon's Four Steps to a Healthier Relationship with Technology, that invites us to Pause, Perceive, Pray, and Practice.

THE INTERFAITH OBSERVER (TIO) is an independent internet journal about all things interfaith. Each month it goes to more than 12,000 faith and interfaith leaders, including about 2,300 outside the U.S., and more than 300 who’ve contributed articles. TIO is free. Recent issues have focused on The Evolution of Interfaith Collaboration, Indigenous Traditions in the Modern World, Interfaith and the Arts, and Interfaith in South Asia. Take a look at some recent articles:

• An Indigenous Call for Restoring the Sacred by Phil Lane
• God Is Good, No Matter What You Call Her! by Daniel Epstein
• Living the Gandhi Dream in Ahmedabad by Ruth Broyde Sharone
• When Nature Talks Back by Don Frew (ICP Boardmember)
• Seeking Peace through Art for Children by Vicki Garlock
• Interfaith Festival Deluged by the Spirit, Rain, and Hail by E. Gómez

BETTER TOGETHER! April 14th was "Better Together Day," when people were invited to take time to meet someone of a different religion or background, talk about something that inspired them and then share what happened. Take a look at the stories at Interfaith Youth Core, including student conversations at Hood College in Maryland, in Uganda and more!

NOTES & QUOTES: Congratulations to Dr. Rita Sherma, who was recently appointed Associate Professor of Dharma Studies and Director of the new Hindu Studies Initiative at the Graduate Theological Union..."If you don’t know much about, or are slightly afraid of, Muslims or Baha’is or Mormons or non-theists or Deists or Sufis, the best way to figure them out is to talk to them. This is not rocket science, people."- Tim Brauhn..."Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, while different in origins and sometimes sources, are both forms of intolerance that can benefit from shared strategies in combating them."- Maha ElGenaidi..."Thus the community of the tolerant-minded is reinforced by the very existence of the intolerant. They need each other in order to be who they are, in order to articulate their defining characteristics. Form is emptiness; emptiness is form. Intolerant and tolerant define each other; they need each other in order to be distinct." - Jenn Lindsay..."We must be careful not to assume such sweeping statements as, “Well every religion has some form of the Golden Rule.” In fact, mine does not. And I hope that we will let go forever the notion that we are trying to have one world religion. I participate precisely because of the diversity that I discover." - Rachel Watcher.

 

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: Events at ICP | Concern for Yezidi | Ring of Solidarity | Better Together | Young Adult Scholarships to NAIN | Parliament of the World's Religions | Notes & Quotes

April is a busy month at the Interfaith Chapel. Here are some of the opportunities coming your way:

Thursday, April 9, 12:15 – 12:19 pm: Ringing the Bell 150 years ago, the Civil War ended with the signing of the surrender documents at Appomattox Court House. Bells around the country, including the Interfaith Chapel’s bell, will be rung for 4 minutes, the number of years of the war.

Saturday, April 18, 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Impact of war, a symposium centered on how faith traditions deal with the impact of war, with all its deprivation, want, suffering, and death. The symposium is being held in conjunction with San Francisco Girls' Chorus performances of Kinderkreuzzug, an anti-war cantata for children's voices by German-Kurdish composer Ralf Yusuf Gawlick with text by Bertoldt Brecht.

The program will begin with an introduction by the artistic director, Lisa Bielawa, followed by a panel including the composer, author, and conductor discussing the artistic response to war and its effect on children. Then after a 5 minute break, a faith leaders panel, representing Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions will discuss historical and contemporary responses to the effects of war on children. This would be followed by a question and answer period.Concerts are Friday, April 17, 8:00 pm in Berkeley and Sunday April 19, 4:00 pm in San Francisco (details and tickets).

Sunday, April 26, 1:30 – 4:00 pm:Rethinking Technology as if People Matter, a symposium exploring the effects of the Digital Revolution. A distinguished panel of technologists, writers and Silicon Valley luminaries will explore the effects of the Digital Revolution and offer their insights on the ways and means of coping with the challenges. Sponsored by Interfaith Center at the Presidio in association with AHIMSA, ServiceSpace and the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery.

Wednesday, April 29, 6:00 – 9:00 pm: Granada: A Pomegranate in the Hand of God. Author Steven Nightingale has written on the legendary convivencia—the “living together” of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities in Medieval Spain. It is a brilliant historical example of the power and intelligence of interfaith alliance. An interfaith panel including Ameena Jandali, Content Director, Islamic Networks Group; Rabbi Allen Bennett, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Israel in Alameda; and The Rev. Canon Sally Bingham of Interfaith Power & Light will discuss the ways in which just such work is carried out today, and how it might be deepened and extended. Co-sponsored by Interfaith Center at the Presidio, San Francisco Interfaith Council, Interfaith Power & Light, and United Religions Initiative.

PLIGHT OF THE YEZIDIS. The Yezidis are a Kurdish people who share an ancient religious tradition who find themselves under attack by ISIS in Northern Iraq, resulting in the deaths of at least 5,000 Yezidis, the displacement of thousands more and the kidnapping of thousands of Yezidi girls. Interfaith groups around the Bay are planning two events to inform the community about the situation and offer support. Wednesday, April 15 is Charshma Sor Nisani, Red Wednesday of Nisan, which is the Yezidi New-Year. On that day, from 10:30 am to noon, there will be a Press Conference at Congregation Netivot Shalom, 1316 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA to express support for and solidarity with the Yezidis.

This will be followed by a briefing on Monday, April 27, 1:00 - 2:00 pm at the Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, Presidio, San Francisco. The briefing will include updates on the situation in Iraq and Syria and suggestions for how individuals and communities can help. Co-sponsored by Interfaith Center at the Presidio, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, Marin Interfaith Council, San Francisco Interfaith Council, and Silicon Valley Interreligious Council. For more information, contact Rabbi Pam Frydman at rebpam@gmail.com.

RING OF SOLIDARITY IN SAN RAMON. Inspired by a group of Norwegians who formed a ring of protection around a synagogue in Oslo in January, more than 200 people gathered in San Ramon to form a "ring of solidarity" around the Islamic Center of San Ramon. As Muslims gathered for Friday prayers, people of many other faiths stood together outside, and then welcomed the Muslims to join the circle after prayers. Readings, prayers and songs were shared by Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders, and then the group broke down into smaller gatherings to allow people to meet one another and carry on the conversation. The event was sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, the Interfaith Council of San Ramon Valley, and Neighbor to Neighbor. You can find news coverage of the Ring of Solidarity at the San Jose Mercury and SF Gate.

BETTER TOGETHER DAY. The Interfaith Youth Core is inviting young people (and everyone else, for that matter) to celebrate April 14th as "Better Together Day." Research shows that people who have even one friend of another religious or non-religious background can increase their understanding and knowledge. You're invited to sign a pledge to promise that you will: 1. Meet someone of a different religious or non-religious background. 2. Talk about something that inspires them. 3. Share your story. Find out more at the IFYC website.

YOUNG ADULT SCHOLARSHIPS TO NAIN. The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) offers a unique opportunity to include younger representatives (ages 18-35) in a valuable interfaith encounter during the 2015 NAINConnect in Regina, Saskatchewan Canada. This scholarship recognizes young adults across the continent who are actively engaged in important work at the high school, college, graduate, and professional level. Recipients will receive $750 to help with expenses of registration, travel, and meals at the conference; housing in the university residence; and a reduced registration fee. Applications must be received by April 17, 2015. For details and application, see the NAIN website.

PARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. Energy continues to build in anticipation of the Parliament of the World's Religions to be held October 15-19, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The lineup of announced speakers is growing; it includes Nobel Peace Prize winners, authors, educators, advocates, and religious leaders from diverse traditions. Those named so far include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mairead Maguire, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Dr. Karen Armstrong, Dr. Tariq Ramadan, Dr. Eboo Patel, Chief Arvol Lookinghorse, Valarie Kaur, Dr. Arun Gandhi, Rev. Jim Wallis, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Rabbi David Saperstein, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Tavis Smiley, and Terry Tempest Williams. To find out more about these speakers and other offerings at the Parliament, go to the website.

Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity is the overall theme of the Parliament, highlighting three critical issues: 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. For an overview of the conference, registration, and links for proposing sessions, exhibition space, and sponsorship information (coming soon), go to the Parliament website.

NOTES & QUOTES: "So what does celebrating women from an interfaith perspective look like? Perhaps it implies giving them credit for their contributions. Perhaps it means encouraging more women to participate in interfaith work. Perhaps it even asks for a greater struggle than ever before - more women doing more work in more cities across the country and across the world" - Saadia Faruqi..."In interfaith work, and for myself as a Christian, a core calling is to stand with those whose value is being challenged and in words, but even more so in actions, affirm their value as human beings" - David Barickman...

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: Why Attend Interfaith? | Responding to Hate | World Interfaith Harmony Week | New Website for SFIC | Chaplaincy Institute Hiring | Tibetan Art Exhibit at GTU | Sacred Clothing Exhibit | Parliament of the World's Religions | Notes & Quotes |

Given that this newsletter is devoted to promoting interfaith events in the Bay Area and beyond, it was great to read an article by Joran Slane Oppelt, co-founder of the Integral Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, in which he lays out the "Top 5 Reasons You Should Attend Interfaith Events." What are those reasons? Resolving conflict; expanding awareness within your community; caring for grassroots work in your community; a chance to meet interesting people and have good conversations; and, it's becoming popular.

Every month in the Bay Area Interfaith Connect, we share a wealth of opportunities to join with others in discussions and events that will do all those things. We can develop meaningful relationships with our neighbors, increase our knowledge of one another, and thus build appreciation. According to the Interfaith Youth Core, "knowledge and relationships are the primary drivers of positive attitudes. And people with positive attitudes toward religious diversity will seek more appreciative knowledge and meaningful relationships."

Unlike the vicious circle of hatred, violence, and revenge, the circle of relationship, knowledge, and appreciation leads us deeper into understanding, respect, and the capacity to care for our whole world. Check out the listings below, take some time to engage and feed your spirit!,

The interfaith delegation meeting with the French Consul General included Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, Christian and Muslim representatives

RESPONDING TO HATE. Interfaith partners around the Bay Area spoke out against bigotry and hatred and affirmed their commitment to standing with those who are being victimized or scapegoated. A delegation of religious leaders from the San Francisco Interfaith Council, Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco and the Islamic Networks Group, met with the Honorable Pauline Carmona, Consul General of France in San Francisco. They expressed the sorrow of San Francisco's interfaith community over the loss of life and lives shattered as a result of the horrifying terrorist attacks directed against the journalists at the Charlie Hebdo French satirical weekly magazine and Jews shopping at the Kosher supermarket in Paris. Special sensitivity was raised for the growing fear of the backlash targeting the Muslim community, the overwhelming majority of whom oppose acts of terrorism.

Following the shootings of three young Muslims in Chapel Hill, NC, many spoke out against anti-Muslim violence and committed themselves again to building peace. You can find statements from Congressman Mike Honda, the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, JCRC of San Francisco, and the Hindu American Foundation on the ING website. ING's own statement can be found here, and a statement from URI is here.

WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK. Many took part in observing the global Interfaith Harmony Week during the first week of February. The Interfaith Center at the Presidio showcased a Bay Area interfaith group each day of the week; those posts can still be seen on the ICP Facebook page and the ICP blog.

The Tri-Cities Interfaith Council welcomed over 100 people to their WIHW celebration in Fremont, which featured information tables, presentations from Buddhist, Mormon, and Baha'i leaders, and time for informal dialogue with each other around the table. You can see photos of the event at their website.

URI (United Religions Initiative) has stories and photos from Cooperating Circles around the world that celebrated WIHW with dialogue, meditation, and compassionate action..

NEW WEBSITE FOR SFIC. The San Francisco Interfaith Council recently unveiled their new website, with marked improvements in content and layout. The new site includes the option for community organizations to submit items for the calendar http://www.sfinterfaithcouncil.org/

CHAPLAINCY INSTITUTE IS HIRING. The Chaplaincy Institute is announcing new staff positions within our seminary and spiritual community: Program Manager (part time, 3 days a week equivalent position); Marketing and Communications Manager (part time, 2 days a week equivalent position); and Admissions Advisor (part time, 2 days a week equivalent position). See their website for details.

TIBETAN ART AT GTU. In celebration of Tibetan Year 2142, Year of the Wood Sheep, the Graduate Theological Union Library will host an exhibition of Tibetan art and artifacts from the Sacred World Art Collection, the Northern California Tibetan Community, and the Graduate Theological Union Special Collections. The exhibition also includes a full Tibetan Shrine, unique Tibetan objects, and Thankas on loan from Jamyang Lama of the Tibetan Culture House. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Road , Berkeley, CA 94709, February 26 through April 3, 2015. Venerable Thepo Rinpoche, the 8th Thepo Tulku, will speak on “Life as Sacred Text: The Life and Times of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk” at the annual Sacred Text Lecture in the GTU Dinner Board Room, 2400 Ridge Road, Berkeley on Wednesday, March 11, at 7:00 pm.

EXHIBITION OF SACRED DRESS. Under Cover: Liturgical Garb as Investment in Mystery, a "multi-disciplinary exhibition featuring vesture and related objects from Tibetan and Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism on loan from Bay Area individuals and religious organizations" will be on display at the Manresa Gallery in San Francisco from March 8- June 28, 2015. Co-curated by Gallery Director, James Blaettler, S.J. and guest curator Maureen Bourbin, the exhibit demonstrates the similarities of concepts and practices that are expressed in ritual clothing. Manresa Gallery is located inside St. Ignatius Church, at 650 Parker Avenue (at Fulton) in San Francisco. Gallery Hours are Thursday & Friday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm and Sundays between Masses and 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm. There will be an opening reception for the exhibition on Sunday, March 8, 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm. For more information, see www.manresagallery.org.

PARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. The Parliament will draw more than 50 faiths from around the world together to build bonds, exchange ideas, and restore our humanity. Countless participants say the Parliament is a spiritual experience of a lifetime which brings out the best of your faith. Everyone has something to share: artistic expressions, research, drama, workshops, panels, lecture, or religious/spiritual observations. As they build the 2015 Parliament program, the organizers want to hear what you have to say to the global interfaith movement as we commit together to address the most critical issues of our time. A wide-range of options are offered to program presenters at the Parliament. The Interfaith Center at the Presidio is hoping to sponsor a display of the McDonald Windows at the Parliament.

Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity is the overall theme of the Parliament, highlighting three critical issues: 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.

Keynote speakers for the Parliament will include His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Karen Armstrong, religion author and founder of the Charter for Compassion. Advance Registration is available through March 31. For an overview of the conference, registration, and links for proposing sessions, exhibition space, and sponsorship information (coming soon), go to the Parliament website.

NOTES & QUOTES: "...there is another kind of act of compassion that is much harder. It is harder because it is not just seeing a problem and finding and implementing a solution. I speak of acting to understand—truly understand—those different from ourselves"- Wendy Webber..."The simple prayers and actions of ordinary Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and humanists across the globe teach me what is truly at the heart of these traditions: love" - David Barickman... "But don’t fool yourself into thinking that these [interfaith] conversations are dry, academic, monotonous and uninspired — like some sermons or speeches tend to be. Most of these events are lively and passionate (sometimes heated), are fun and inspiring and most times involve great food and a focus on community" - Joran Slane Oppelt

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: World Interfaith Harmony Week | Global March for Humanity | Chaplaincy Institute Hiring | Big I Conference | The Pope's Rabbi | Parliament 2015 | Notes & Quotes |

"I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony" went the words of a song back in the 1970's. Although it originated as a commercial jingle for Coca-Cola, that dream of a world of harmony caught the imagination of many.

Hans Küng famously said, "There can be no peace among nations without peace among religions." As we seek harmony in the world we might well begin among the religious traditions of the world, and that is where World Interfaith Harmony Week comes in. Since 2010, the United Nations has declared the first week of February a time "when all interfaith groups and other groups of goodwill can show the world what a powerful movement they are."

"Love of God or love of the good and love of the neighbor" will lead people all around the world, in Kampala, Toronto, and Cape Town, from Palestine, Charleston, WV, and Kuwait to Bali, Prague, and Mumbai, to gather for dialogue, service, sharing art and music, food and compassion for the communities in which they live.

Here in the Bay Area, local interfaith groups have planned a variety of opportunities to observe World Interfaith Harmony Week:

• The Interfaith Center at the Presidio will showcase a regional interfaith group each day of the week on the ICP Facebook page and the ICP blog. If you are on Facebook and haven't yet "liked" ICP, this is a good reason to do so. Check by each day to learn more about the great work being done around the Bay!
• In the South Bay: SiVIC (Silicon Valley Interreligious Council) has compiled a list of "8 Things You Can Do During World Interfaith Harmony Week."
• In Fremont: The Tri-Cities Interfaith Council is sponsoring a WIHW gathering on Saturday, February 7, 2015,
  1:00 - 4:00 pm. The day will feature participants from over 10 faith groups, booths with information about each tradition; a moderated panel discussion with religious leaders; appetizers, refreshments, and stimulating conversation. Co-sponsored by Tri-Cities Interfaith Council, Alameda County Office of Human Relations, and Interfaith Women of Peace. For more information, contact Moina Shaiq 510-938-0536.
• In Walnut Creek: the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County is encouraging their member congregations to take part in WIHW, and will celebrate those activities with a prayer service on Sunday, February 8, 7:00 pm, at Walnut Creek United Methodist Church, 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek.
• URI (United Religions Initiative) is tracking WIHW events being sponsored by Cooperating Circles; they also have a downloadable "Tool Card" with suggestions for how people can take action wherever they are.

GLOBAL MARCH FOR HUMANITY. Out of a recent conference call involving people from Compassion Games International, URI, SiVIC, Abbey of HOPE, Pacifica Institue, Carry the Vision, Peace Jam and other interfaith and peacemaking groups, the idea of a virtual global march for unity emerged. The concept of a march evokes memories of the great marches for humanity such as Gandhi's Salt march, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Selma March, and the recent Unity March in Paris. Inspired by 1 Billion Acts of Peace, a global initiative seeking to record an unprecedented number of acts of kindness and altruism, and coupled with the challenge put forth by Compassion Games International to inspire compassionate competition through a collaborative and cooperative model, we invite you to participate in the Global March for Humanity.

• Go to Facebook and "like" the  Global March for Humanity page. Then share it with your friends. Our aim is to gather 1 Million “Likes.”
  
• Put together a march, flash mob, candle lighting, or demonstration of unity in your neighborhood or community, or engage in acts of kindness and compassion during World Interfaith Harmony Week, February 1-7. 
• Check out the Global March website to share collaborative efforts, and find our partnerships and links to our Partners pages and events. This site will also emable people to sign up for World Interfaith Harmony Week, The Compassion Games, The Parliament of World’s Religions, the United Religions Initiative’s request for videos, and 1 Billion Acts of Peace.

CHAPLAINCY INSTITUTE IS HIRING. The Chaplaincy Institute is announcing new staff positions within our seminary and spiritual community: Program Manager (part time, 3 days a week equivalent position); Marketing and Communications Manager (part time, 2 days a week equivalent position); and Admissions Advisor (part time, 2 days a week equivalent position). See their website for details.

BIG I CONFERENCE. The 2015 "Big I Conference" (the "I" stands for Interfaith, Interspiritual, Integral, and Independent) will be held at the Mercy Center in Burlingame February 6-8, 2015. The theme is "Ministering for the Earth: tending the heart of the planet." The intent of the conference is to bring together scholars and spiritual people to explore through dialogue and practices and scholarly publication, the evolution of human spirituality through the inclusive theology and consciousness of interfaith, interspirituality and integral spirituality and meeting the emerging spiritually independent (spiritual-but-not-religious) community. You can learn more at bigiconference.org/

"THE POPE'S RABBI." Rabbi Abraham Skorka is the rabbi of the Jewish community Benei Tikva in Buenos Aires. With then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), Rabbi Skorka held a series of inter-religious conversations on topics such as God, fundamentalism, atheists, death, holocaust, homosexuality, and capitalism. Most recently Rabbi Skorka accompanied Pope Francis and Omar Abboud (a leader of Argentina’s Muslim community) to Jordan, the West bank, and Israel. Rabbi Skorka will be speaking at Santa Clara Unversity on Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at 4:00 pm. Respondents will include Bishop Patrick McGrath (Diocese of San Jose) and Rabbi Dana Magat (Temple Emanu-El), who will reflect on their longtime friendship and its impact on local Catholic-Jewish relations. The event is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, and the Diocese of San Jose. RSVP required at www.scu.edu/ic/bannan

PARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. The Women's Task Force of the Parliament of the World’s Religions invites YOU to the Inaugural Assembly for Women's Global Advancement, Oct. 15 and Program Initiative at the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions, Oct. 16-19, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Women’s Task Force is working to assure that thousands of women from diverse religious and spiritual traditions will converge in Salt Lake City, Utah to inspire one another, the Parliament and the world - and to make history.

Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity is the overall theme of the Parliament, highlighting three critical issues: 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.

Keynote speakers for the Parliament will include 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.

NOTES & QUOTES: ““Perhaps now more than ever such a need (for inter-religious dialogue) is felt, because the most effective antidote against all forms of violence is education towards the discovery and acceptance of differences...If it is assumed that we all belong to human nature, prejudices and falsehoods can be overcome and an understanding of the other according to a new perspective can begin.” - Pope Francis..."...when organizations of any kind adopt a more people-focused approach, everyone wins" - Roman Krznaric..."Our belief systems have in them the capacity to wound or to heal, to build up or to tear down, and our sacred scriptures can be used to promote peace or violence. Thus, it could be said that all religion hangs in a delicate balance like carefully weighted scales. But if religion is a part of our sickness, then it must also be a part of our cure" - E. Neil Gaser

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.

IN THIS ISSUE: Looking Back at 2014 | Parliament 2015 | Be|Art|Now | World Interfaith Harmony Week | The Pope's Rabbi | Notes & Quotes | Send Us Your News |

The days marking the end of the old year and the coming of the new are often a time for remembering what the past year brought our way. What kind of a year was it for the Interfaith Center at the Presidio and the world of interfaith relationships?

January saw the final celebrations of the "Year of Vivekenanda," honoring the 150th Anniversary of the honored Indian teacher who captured the imagination of the first Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893... The first week of February marked World Interfaith Harmony Week, celebrated in several ways around the Bay Area and the world... In March, we pondered whether dialogue "works," and the San Francisco Unit of the Girl Scouts held a multi-religious awards celebration in the ICP chapel...April brought a visit from the students of the InterFaith Tour, traveling from France around the world to experience interfaith work. ICP was instrumental in helping them meet local leaders. Videos of their trip are on YouTube... In May, the Chapel was open to the public as part of Memorial Day observances at the Presidio... In June, at the Annual Meeting, the role of sponsoring organizations was changed to allow ICP to carry out its mission more effectively. ICP also hosted the Global Council and Staff of the URI (United Religions Initiative) for their welcoming ceremony in the Chapel...

The horrific battles that broke out in July between Israel and Gaza occasioned calls for peace and reconciliation from many interreligious groups...August featured the "Peace in the Park" celebration in Golden Gate Park; ICP and the URI shared booth space and conversation with folks who dropped by. NAINConnect 2014 met in Detroit, bringing interfaith leaders together from North American Interfaith Network...To observe the International Day of Peace in September, ICP sponsored two showings of the Not In Our Town film, "Waking in Oak Creek"...October was "Hindu-American Awareness and Appreciation Month" in California for the second year, and a set of high-resolution photos of the ICP McDonald Windows collection went on display in Aachen, Germany as part of the celebration of the 1,200th anniversary of the death of Charlemagne...For Veterans Day in November, ICP hosted an interfaith "Service of Unity and Peace" in the Chapel that featured leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim traditions...The chapel was open again to all for meditation and prayer on National Wreaths Across America Day and a Christmas Eve Service in December.

For more details on any of these stories (and many more), take a look at the archives for the Bay Area Interfaith Connect on the ICP website.

PARLIAMENT 2015 IN SALT LAKE CITY. Looking to the year ahead, one of the major events of 2015 is sure to be the Parliament of the World's Religions gathering in Salt Lake City October 15 – 19, 2015. Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity is the theme. 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.

Two of the 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.

Be|Art|Now: ACTIVISTS, ARTISTS & PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE OF FAITH. Be|Art|Now is an experiential conference that explores the intersections between art, spirit, and social change through presentations, lectures, workshops, and immersive activities with leaders in arts and activism from the Bay Area and beyond. Featured presenters include musician Michael Franti, pastor and former professional dancer Adriene Thorne, hip hop artist and police officer Jinho “The Piper” Ferreira, and sculptor Tim Holmes. The Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA - January 29-31, 2015. For more information and to register, visit the website at www.psr.edu/beartnow.

WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK FEBRUARY 1-7. Every year the first week of February has been designated by the United Nations since 2010 as a week to showcase and celebrate the ongoing work of interreligious harmony and peacemaking. Groups and individuals are encouraged to sponsor events during this week and to share the information on the World Interfaith Harmony Week website.

This year, the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council (SiVIC), a URI Cooperation Circle, is partnering with the Compassion Games' Interfaith League to bring the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week Coopetition to life. SiVIC is participating in the Compassion Games and challenges all URI CC's to join them to be the most compassionate URI Cooperation Circle...... Game On!

"THE POPE'S RABBI." Rabbi Abraham Skorka is the rabbi of the Jewish community Benei Tikva in Buenos Aires. With then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), Rabbi Skorka held a series of inter-religious conversations on topics such as God, fundamentalism, atheists, death, holocaust, homosexuality, and capitalism. Most recently Rabbi Skorka accompanied Pope Francis and Omar Abboud (a leader of Argentina’s Muslim community) to Jordan, the West bank, and Israel. Rabbi Skorka will be speaking at Santa Clara Unversity on Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at 4:00 pm. Respondents will include Bishop Patrick McGrath (Diocese of San Jose) and Rabbi Dana Magat (Temple Emanu-El), who will reflect on their longtime friendship and its impact on local Catholic-Jewish relations. The event is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, and the Diocese of San Jose. RSVP required at www.scu.edu/ic/bannan

NOTES & QUOTES: Blessings for the New Year! We'll be back next month.

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.