Pluralism-list August 2011

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Internship Opportunity; Participatory Art; Hinduism Summit Webcast

by Pluralism Project Staff

Dear friends of the Pluralism Project, Please see below for opportunities from the North American Interfaith Network, Storefront for Art and Architecture (Sacred Spaces in Profane Buildings a New York Archive exhibit), and the Forum for Hindu Awakening. For more information about each of these opportunities, please contact the indicated organization or individual. * -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * *Intern Position for the North American Interfaith Network 2011–2012* *Intern for an International Interfaith Organization from the convenience of your home* NAIN is an official non-profit agency that began in 1988. NAIN is a network of local, regional, and national organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico that are committed to increasing understanding and mutual respect among people of various faith traditions. NAIN is undergoing an overhaul of its online presence and services to members. To support these changes, we have two Internship positions available. Structure and Requirements of Internship: - The intern position is a 1-year commitment of 5-10/hours a week, following an academic calendar. Ideally, the position is to begin no later than October. The internship will be considered complete upon attendance at the 2012 NAIN Connect. A memorandum of understanding will be required as a commitment to the terms. - Candidate should be familiar with and committed to interfaith work and have a passion for interfaith relations and religious and cultural diversity. Former attendance at a NAIN Connect is a distinct advantage. - Upon completion of the year’s commitment and submission of a report on tasks and hours spent, the intern will be paid a small stipend of $500. Interns must be able to travel to the annual NAIN Connect conference in the summer. A $500 scholarship towards Connect travel expenses will be paid by NAIN to help defray costs. - The intern will receive valuable experience in various aspects of management for a non-profit organization with an international focus. The intern will have the opportunity to be immersed in the Interfaith Movement and to meet and work with prominent people in the field. This is a valuable addition to the intern’s curriculum vitae or resume. - Students are encouraged to apply. Professionals who are looking for more experience in this field or are interested in a career change also are welcome to apply for an internship. For students interested in receiving college course credit, please contact your university directly for more information. - As NAIN does not have a central office, Interns will work from their own location under the guidance of the appropriate Committee Co-Chair. A regular email/telephone contact will be established at the convenience of all parties. - Interns must reside in North America (Canada, Mexico, or the United States). Two positions will be available: Communications Intern Membership Intern General Position Requirements: - Excellent interpersonal communications skills - Strong written communication skills - Ability and willingness to work closely with the appropriate Committee Chair To apply for the *Communications Position*, send your materials to Judy Lee Trautman at jltrautman(a)sbcglobal.net. To apply for the *Membership Position*, send your materials to Rabbi George Stern at geostern(a)nimphilly.org. Preferred deadline is *no later than September 25*, but late applications will be considered if the position is not already filled. * -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * ** *Storefront for Art and Architecture* presents Sacred Spaces in Profane Buildings a New York Archive, a project by *Matilde Cassani* opening on *September 13th*. *The project unveils the hidden spaces within New York dedicated to the different beliefs of its citizens.* As part of the upcoming exhibition, we are developing a New York Archive of Sacred Spacesin Profane Buildings and we need your help. This is an open call for contributions that explain either a story or the memory of a visit, a sketch of a known space, a photograph of a street sign, a location in a map, anything that might help us construct the most comprehensive guide to the sacred unknown of New York. *Do you know of a secret-sacred building in your neighborhood?* *Do you know of a shop that has become a Mosque?* *Or an apartment that has become an Iglesia Evangelica?* *Is there a prayer space in your block?* We are looking for profane buildings transformed into the sacred: private shrines; new bespoke religious buildings; and unofficial spaces for prayer. A selection of the submissions will be exhibited at Storefront and will be part of the Sacred Spaces in Profane Buildings NY Archive. This is a collective project and we want you to be part of it. To participate submit your material at: *http://sacredspacesinprofanebuildings.com/* * * For questions please contact us at *info@<info(a)sacredspacesinprofanebuildings.com> sacredspacesinprofanebuildings <info(a)sacredspacesinprofanebuildings.com>.com<info(a)sacredspacesinprofanebuildings.com> * Facebook: *Sacred Spaces in Profane Buildings* * -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * *Third Hinduism Summit in Chicago Saturday, August 27, 2011 **2:30 to 4:45 pm CST* *Cultural Hall, Hindu Temple of Lake County, 20444 W. Peterson Rd, Grayslake, IL 60030* To view the live webcast, visit the Summit's livestream page <http://www.livestream.com/forumforhinduawakening>on the day of the event. Sponsored by the Forum for Hindu Awakening<http://forumforhinduawakening.org/articles/id/about-us> Excerpt from the event website: "The Hinduism Summit will feature insightful presentations by supporters of Hinduism from all walks of life, as they share their firsthand account about Hinduism or Hindu issues. Ms. Maya Jairam will speak on ‘Growing up in America and embracing Hindu spirituality’, Mrs. Kalpana Sharma on ‘Spiritual dimension underlying Hindu concepts and issues’, Dr. Richard Benkin on ‘Human rights violations against Bangladeshi Hindus’ and Mrs. Bhavna Shinde Hurley on ‘Understanding, living and preserving Hinduism’. The presentations will highlight Hinduism’s practical solutions like the Agnihotra sacrificial fire for modern day problems like nuclear fallouts and create awareness about the issues currently faced by the Hindu community. The exhibition of posters and books at the Hinduism Summit will showcase Hindu spirituality and the spiritual science that is unique to Hinduism. This would help dispel misconceptions surrounding concepts, such as Hinduism’s ritualistic worship protocols, deities, and spiritual class system." For more information and registration details, please visit www.hinduawakening.org/events/chicagosummit or call 1-877-303-3FHA (1-877-303-3342) or send an email to Info(a)ForumforHinduAwakening.org -- -- The Pluralism Project Harvard University 2 Arrow Street, 4th floor Cambridge, MA 02138 617-496-2481 www.pluralism.org

12 years, 8 months

Interfaith Remembrances, Marking the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11

by Pluralism Project Staff

Dear friends of the Pluralism Project, Please see below for a brief list of local, national, and international events marking the tenth anniversary of September 11th. Please contact directly the individual or organization listed for inquiries about specific events. Thank you. ******************************************************************************************** *Local (Greater Boston) * *Sunday September 11, 2011: Massachusetts Remembers* *An invitation to the religious communities of Massachusetts* To mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, you are invited to "Massachusetts Remembers," a large public gathering, including prayers, poems and performances by the Boston Pops Brass and Boston Children's Chorus, Sunday September 11, 2011- 3pm at the Hatch Shell. Houses of worship and religious groups will bring an important component to this shared public day of remembrance. Delegations from houses of worship and religious groups are invited to gather beforehand on the Esplanade so that we can sit together at a space reserved for us. You are invited to bring a banner identifying your house of worship. "Massachusetts Remembers" will provide an opportunity not only to look back but also to look forward, united by our shared values of security, liberty and justice for all. A service and learning pavilion will feature local non-profits, charitable organizations led by 9/11 family members and ways to rededicate ourselves to retelling our shared American story of service and sacrifice, healing and wholeness. A common prayer, interfaith resources, and ways you can participate will be available shortly online. For more information, please contact Matt Carriker, ifyi(a)coopmet.org. To register your church or group, please visit https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHQ3SjhITWlnY1… ******************************************************************************************** * National* * **Prepare New York <http://prepareny.ning.com/> - New York City, NY* *Prepare New York* is a coalition of New York based interfaith organizations, including Auburn Seminary<http://www.auburnseminary.org/religion-and-media>and its Center for Multifaith Education, Interfaith Center of New York <http://www.interfaithcenter.org/>, Intersections International <http://intersectionsinternational.org/>, Odyssey Networks<http://odysseynetworks.org/>, Quest <http://www.questcenter.us/>, and Tanenbaum and its Religion and Diversity Education Program <https://www.tanenbaum.org/>, who have joined together to help create a city-wide climate that promotes healing and reconciliation in anticipation of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and 9/11 Community for Common Ground Initiative are serving as advisers to the multifaith organizations. *Prepare New York* is supporting conversations and producing educational materials for the tenth anniversary of 9/11. For more information, visit their website. <http://www.prepareny.ning.com/> In addition to lists of relevant books and resources, Prepare NY has created a video, "We the People<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9apMRjugSA&feature=player_embedded>." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Wisdom Thinkers Roundtable* *“Searching for Answers and Wisdom in a Post-9-11 World,” 92nd St Y, New York* * * *Thursday, Sept 8th, from 8:15 to 9:30. http://92y.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=75252* Event tied to the 10th anniversary to raise visibility of the urgency to change from a dominant narrative of conflict to one of peace through sharing our sacred and secular wisdom. Ten years after 9/11 we find our country and the world more deeply polarized, and buried under fear. Despite the efforts of a great many groups, pluralism is still seen more as a threat than a solution. If pluralism is to succeed it must be seen as a goal for society at large; it must be considered one of the primary goals of humanity to recognize that we are all in community together, and we need to find simple ways to develop a shared narrative that supports a more compassionate, fully engaged, pluralistic, civil society. We are committed to creating a climate of wisdom so peace and justice may flourish for all and dedicated to connecting the world, especially our children, through the shared wisdom of our stories, both sacred and secular. This is a major goal of the Wisdom Thinkers Network Roundtable, “Searching for Answers and Wisdom in a Post-9-11 World,” at the 92nd St Y, in New York, Thursday evening Sept.8th, tied to the 10th anniversary. *Arthur Miller*, former Harvard Law professor and Emmy Award Winner will moderate a distinguished group of leading thinkers in religion, science, education, business, and the arts, convened by *Ralph Singh*, Chair of the Wisdom Thinkers Network, in a lively discussion. Participants include, *Rabbis Irwin Kula and Brad Hirschfield*, of Clal, the New York hosts, *Carolynn Buys*, international youth leader, *Dr. James R. Doty, M.D*. of the Center for Compassion and Altruism, *Richard Ehst*, President of Customers Bank, *Dr. Noor Gillani,* ret’d NASA scientist and philanthropist, *Dr. Stuart Kauffman *, leader in complexity theory, author of Reinventing the Sacred, *Dr. Nina Meyerhof*, educator and founder, Children of the Earth, *R. Gustav Niebuhr*, professor and noted journalist, *Iyafin Amiebelle Olatunji*, African American Matriarch and widow of Babatunder Olatunji, *Carlos Portes*, Latino entrepreneur and liaison for the Latino and Chinese communities at Ground Zero; *Diane Schenandoah*, renowned Native American artist and Wolf Clan Faith Keeper, *Dr. Naresh Singh,* leading expert on poverty alleviation and advocate for Sustainable livelihoods, and *Asma Uddin*, attorney and founder of altmuslimah.org. *Robertson Work*, formerly UNDP’s top civil society consultant will help facilitate our closed sessions. The event will serve to launch Wisdom Thinkers Network and invite everyone to add a thread of wisdom to reinforce the fabric of our world and spread the word about the event. www.wisdomthinkers.org/event. To join in the conversation, follow us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152019128209655; and twitter. As we say, Wisdom welcomes everyone, but there is no room for hate! Contact: Ralph Singh <ralph(a)gobindsadan.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Women Transcending Boundaries <http://www.wtb.org> - Syracuse, NY* Women Transcending Boundaries continues to bridge the divides of interfaith relationships and build bridges of understanding in our community with compassionate activism. We will again host Acts of Kindness (A-OK!) weekend on 9/9-9/11. Building on our wonderful weekend of kindness and caring, in 2011, we now mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with an even bigger and better *A-OK! Weekend,* Acts of Kindness, Friday -Sunday, Sept 9-11. We imagine simple projects like children’s crafts in a local park or sorting clothes to be given to refugees, as well as renovation projects that might involve a larger group. One church is planning a 9/11 free Sunday breakfast for people in its neighborhood and Interfaith Works is talking about having public readings of passages from the Muslim sacred scripture, the Koran. Ideas are bubbling up, and it’s now time for you to get involved. We foresee hundreds of people honoring those who gave their lives on 9/11 with acts of kindness throughout Central New York. We know you want to be a part of giving back and sharing a tribute to the victims of 9/11. For more information about A-OK! weekend, click here<http://a-okweekend.wikispaces.com/>. Contact: Danya Wellmon <wellmond(a)msn.com> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *9-11 Interfaith Family Day - Boca Raton, FL* 1-4pm, Patch Reef Park For more information and contact information, check out this news story<http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/religion/faith-and-values/sfl-fv-blog-…>from *The Sun Sentinel *by James Davis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Spiritual and Religious Alliance for Hope (S.A.R.A.H.<http://www.sarah4hope.org/>) - Orange County and LA, CA* Our previous year's activities in observation of 9/11 are in alignment with our Be Compassion campaign (also how we perpetuate The Charter for Compassion) where we hand out "Be Compassion" bracelets in the mall (and give shoppers an extra bracelets to give to a random stranger), collect ideas for compassion on post cards while asking other shoppers to self address another post card. We then mail out strangers ideas to one another's home address. We give Free Hugs at the beach and arm our kids with quarters and send them to the beach to fill up expired parking meters. Since our organization sprung out of the events of 9/11 we decided to put our energies for the 10th Anniversary in our presence, support and acknowledgment for those whose shoulders we have stood on during the past 10 years and for those who help us see our vision realized. We did not want to add one more event to our community and felt it necessary to show our love and honor of those groups who work toward ending religiously motivated violence and creating enduring peace. Since we are active every 9/11, it is important to us to honor this day by honoring those who are also committed to our shared vision of a more safe and harmonious community. Because we wanted to incorporate acts of service into our day we will be feeding the hungry in Santa Ana early in the morning, a regular weekly effort of our Outreach arm One Human Family. >From there we will caravan to The Guibord Center, whose founder Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord is our most recent Peace Tapestry recipient. They are hosting "Finding Hope in the Holy: September 11, 10th Year Anniversary Observance." Our Orange County Sisters will go to the South County Interfaith Council's observation and then to Temple Beth Sholom in Tustin for an interfaith observation. Our Los Angeles Sisters will go on to The Urgency of 9/11/11: Challenging US War-Making facilitated by the Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace. We The World <http://www.wetheworld.org/> has initiated the 11 Days of Global Unity, the 11 days between 9/11 and 9/21; International Day of Peace. Day 7 is dedicated to Women and SARAH will be feeding women at Isaiah's House, a Catholic Workers home for women. We are encouraging women all over the world to do something on 1 or more of the 11 days. Contact: Sande Hart <http://sarah4hope.org/SARAH4Hope/Contact_Us.html> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------National Day of Service and Remembrance <http://www.serve.gov/sept11.asp>"Beginning in 2002, family members who lost loved ones in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and support groups began to seek a forward-looking tribute to honor the sacrifice of those who were lost and pay tribute to those who rose in service in response to the tragedy. By encouraging Americans to participate in service and remembrance activities on the 9/11 anniversary, family members wanted to provide a productive and respectful way to honor those who perished and rekindle the spirit of unity and compassion that swept our nation after 9/11 to help meet the challenges we face today. Because of their efforts to build support for this idea, September 11 has been designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance was established into law by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009, and is consistent with President Obama’s overall call to service, United We Serve." (Quoted from the *Corporation of National and Community Service* homepage) ******************************************************************************************** * International* *Project Mosaic <http://www.projectmosaic.net/> - London, UK * *10 Years After 9/11: A Gathering in Commemoration Thursday, 8 September 2011, 6:30pm registration for 7pm start. Event concludes at 8pm. Faraday House, 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE* A gathering to commemorate the nearly 3,000 people from dozens of countries who perished in the attacks on September 11, 2001 and to remember all people killed in violence fuelled by group hatred. Every nationality, faith and age group welcome, including children. HOW TO BOOK: Tickets are free but space is limited and tickets must be booked in advance. To book a place, email info(a)projectmosaic.net. For more than one ticket, please be sure to send a full name and email address for each ticket. We regret we are unable to hold or book a ticket without a name and email address. ABOUT PROJECT MOSAIC: Project Mosaic is a UK-based charity that teaches people to be more tolerant of those coming from a different background, whether racial, ethnic, religious, national or economic. It promotes interfaith and intercultural tolerance, multiethnic good citizenship and integration of immigrant communities, and counters prejudice, group hatred and extremism - through its Lecture Series, Global Citizen Programme and Young Filmmakers YouTube Film Competition. Project Mosaic was set up in memory of David Fontana, one of the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001 while helping to rescue people from the World Trade Towers in New York. ******************************************************************************************** -- The Pluralism Project Harvard University 2 Arrow Street, 4th floor Cambridge, MA 02138 617-496-2481 www.pluralism.org

12 years, 9 months

Last Call for Submissions to the 2011 Pluralism Project Photo Contest - Deadline August 1st!

by Pluralism Project Staff

Sender: pluralism-list-bounces(a)lists.fas.harvard.edu On-Behalf-Of: staff(a)pluralism.org Subject: [The Pluralism Project] Last Call for Submissions to the 2011 Pluralism Project Photo Contest - Deadline August 1st! Message-Id: <CACY=UmsLT-ZAzvgXaiEo+2_1q7+3x2HH2a-X_X6mP3YDagcFXg(a)mail.gmail.com> Recipient: rnadeau(a)trinity.edu.test-google-a.com, Forwarded: Rnadeau(a)trinity.edu

12 years, 9 months

Two Upcoming Events- Hindu Youth Camp; Conference on Islam in America

by Pluralism Project Staff

Please see below for invitations from 1) The Chinmaya Mission Yuva Kendra Northeast and 2) the organizing committee for the Conference on Islam in America. For more information about either of these events, please contact the sponsoring organization directly. Thank you! * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * * Hindu Youth Event at the Chinmaya Mission in Andover, MA August 26-28th, 2011* Join the CHYK (Chinmaya Mission Yuva Kendra) Northeast this August 26-28th for a special retreat held at Chinmaya Mission Andover. In this spiritual camp for young professionals (18-35) the Qualities of an Enlightened Master will be expounded upon by Acharya Vivek Gupta. These qualities of a Realized Master were sung in the song celestial by the Lord Himself - in the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. This camp will provide youth from all walks with the unique opportunity to learn about the teaching of Vedanta with their own peers. Chinmaya Mission <http://www.chinmaya-boston.com/> is a worldwide organization, that promotes the practice of Vedanta in everyday lives. The youth wing of our organization, focuses on bringing University and Young Professionals together weekly or monthly, in order to discuss a variety of Vedantic texts and how they apply to our daily lives. We are proud to announce that this year CHKY West (United States and Canada) has been able to host several conferences for youth around the country, one of which is to take place here at our Andover Center on August 26-28th. During this conference, University Students and Young Professionals will have an opportunity to learn the tools necessary to become and efficient person, through the lessons enumerated in the Bhagavad Gita Chapter II. This camp is led by Acharya Vivekji, who is from Chinmaya Mission Niagara. He is a passionate speaker and connects with the youth today very well. For more information about the camp and to register, visit our website at www.chykcamp.org. Contact: Sailaja Neel-Ganti Joshi <sailajanjoshi(a)gmail.com> <sailajanjoshi(a)gmail.com> * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * *Conference on Islam in America DePaul University’s loop campus in Chicago, IL September 23rd and 24th, 2011* As we approach the second decade of the twenty-first century, there has been a growing awareness in America of Islam on the American religious landscape and growing concerns over what that portends. Exploring Islam through various lenses such as anthropology, sociology, political science, along with American and world history is a logical and desirable process given the wide spectrum of thoughts, ideas, and individuals who have made positive contributions to Islam in America today. This Conference will include voices of policymakers, journalists and the business community as stakeholders in this conversation. The Conference Center is on the 8th floor of the DePaul Center on the corner of Jackson & State. For more information, please visit www.tcoia.org and sign up for our Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/#!/TCOIAmerica. Contact: Trent Carl <ilmprocess(a)gmail.com>, Organizer -- -- The Pluralism Project Harvard University 2 Arrow Street, 4th floor Cambridge, MA 02138 617-496-2481 www.pluralism.org

12 years, 9 months

Pluralism Project Summer 2011 E-Newsletter

by The Pluralism Project

Pluralism Project Summer 2011 E-Newsletter August 8, 2011 HTML version: http://pluralism.org/newsletters/view/2011-08-08 Newsletter archive: http://pluralism.org/newsletters Dear Friends, [Image: ] I have just returned from a week at the Congregational Summer Assembly [ http://summerassembly.org/ ] in Crystal Lake, Michigan, where I had the opportunity to preach at a Sunday service and, later, to talk about the work of the Pluralism Project. It was immensely heartening to experience the enthusiastic response to our work, even though we have been at it now for some twenty years! There has been much in the past month that has been disheartening, however. Like you, I have been challenged to understand the senseless, premeditated violence of the killings at Utoya in Norway.  The victims were young, politically active, and committed – like so many young people involved in summer trainings and internships. Breivik’s video manifesto, and its 1500 page counterpart, is chilling – giving frank, graphic expression to the very opposite of pluralism. The fear of diversity, anger at immigration and multiculturalism, and a contempt for dialogue are its repeated themes.   What is most troubling is that a more muted articulation of this same fear and anger can be heard in mainstream debates across Europe and in the US around issues of immigration. In both contexts, intolerance, xenophobia, and especially Islamophobia are on the rise, fueled by sensationalist media. The extremist rhetoric of groups like Jihad Watch, Act! For America, and Stop the Islamization of America is not without consequences, and needs to be recognized as the incendiary force that it is. When we foster healthy pluralism, enabling people of diverse religious, cultural, and political persuasions to thrive in a shared society, we foster global security. I am proud of the work that our staff, fellows, and summer interns have accomplished to this end over the past few months. As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, I am aware that many of you are planning interfaith events and compiling resources for others to use. We would certainly like to share that information with this network, as well. I invite you to email us at staff(a)pluralism.org [ mailto:staff@pluralism.org ] so that we can do so. [Image: ] Summer Programs Over the summer months, we have conducted two simultaneous programs: a fieldwork internship program in five US cities [ http://www.pluralism.org/about/people/#interns ], and a Presidential Information Technology Fellowship [ http://atg.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=atg&pageid=icb.page333414 ] (PITF) program based at Harvard. The fieldwork interns (in Boston, Cleveland, Minneapolis [Image: ] /St. Paul, Richmond, and and San Diego) have been conducting interviews on the ground in order to develop city portraits of the interfaith infrastructure, profiles of promising interfaith practices, and multimedia projects for an online storybook. The IT Fellows have been developing interactive GIS maps using the detailed data we compiled on the interfaith infrastructure and religious landscape in 20 US cities, complete with layers of relevant 2010 Census data. Thank you to Liza Carens, Skyler Oberst, Francesca Chubb-Confer, April Palo, Rachel Templeton, Megan Odell-Scott, Allison Solso, Whittney Barth, Abbas Jaffer, Josh Whitson, and Brendan Randall for their excellent work. Thanks also to Rev. Marcia Sietstra for her fieldwork in Omaha, Nebraska. We will publish these materials online later this year.   An American Mosque  We celebrated the completion of our summer programs with a film screening and reception [Image: ] at our Harvard Square office; in addition to our current student researchers, several local alumni and friends joined us. The featured film was the fine cut of David Washburn’s new documentary, An American Mosque [ http://anamericanmosque.com/ ]. The 26-minute film tells “a small town story with larger implications about whose history, whose religion, and whose sanctuaries are considered part of our national identity. The story revolves around the Muslim farming community in Yuba City, California, and the devastating arson in 1994 that destroyed its local mosque. The film’s narrative unfolds through a series of storylines: the building of the mosque, the fire and investigation, the community and media reaction, and the mosque’s rebuilding and future role for the community.” The film will begin screening in 2012. For more information, visit http://anamericanmosque.com/ [ http://anamericanmosque.com/ ]   Fremont, USA [Image: ] The Poway Interfaith Team [ http://www.powayinterfaithteam.com/Activities.html ] (POINT) in Poway, California launched their Interfaith Summer Nights film series [ http://www.nctimes.com/entertainment/attractions/article_02e6d808-e25a-53fa… ] with a screening of Fremont USA [ http://www.pluralism.org/fremontusa ]. The screening was followed by a round table discussion. North American Interfaith Network In July, Assistant Director Kathryn Lohre attended the North American Interfaith Network [ http://www.nain.org ] (NAIN) annual Connect conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The theme was “Many Lands, Many Faiths, One Common Principle – The Golden Rule.” The conference was hosted by the Arizona InterFaith Movement [ http://www.azifm.org ] (AIM), whose mission is to “build bridges of respect, understanding, and support among diverse [Image: ] people of faith through education, dialogue, service, and the implementation of the Golden Rule.” AIM, which was instrumental in making Arizona the first “Golden Rule State” in the nation in 2003, offers specialty license plates to AZ residents which serve to both generate funds for the organization’s work and to spread its mission far and wide. Ethiopian activist and international advocate Mussie Hailu was honored by AIM at NAIN; he offered the keynote address, articulating a vision for global interfaith harmony. Center for Public Leadership Blog Several Pluralism Project students, affiliates, and partners have written posts for a new blog post partnership with Harvard’s Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership. These posts seek to articulate the particular challenges of minority religious leadership and interfaith collaboration in light of current events. Currently posted are blogs written by Anju Bhargava [ http://www.centerforpublicleadership.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=i… ], founder of Hindu American Seva Charities, and Whittney Barth [ http://www.centerforpublicleadership.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=i… ], a research associate at the Pluralism Project. Advisor and Affiliate Updates We recently received a visit from long-time advisor Dr. Pravin Shah [ http://www.pluralism.org/affiliates/shah ] of the Federation of Jain Associations of North America [ http://www.jaina.org/ ] and the Jain Study Center of North Carolina [ http://jscnc.org/index.php ]. The purpose of his visit was to discuss developments within the Jain communities in the US and to develop plans for updating our research on Jainism in America.  Based on the research of his student research affiliates Heidi Bamberg and Michael Giuletti, Dr. Pankaj Jain [ http://www.pluralism.org/affiliates/jain/ ] added over 50 profiles of Hindu, Jain, and Sikh centers to his research project, “Studying the Religious and Ecological Practices of the Hindus and Jains in North Texas.” We welcome former research associate Katie Merriman [ http://www.pluralism.org/affiliates/student/merriman/ ] as a new student affiliate. She will present a paper entitled, “Beyond Park51: Mosques and Muslim Communities in New York City Post 9/11” at the 40th annual Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS) Conference [ http://208.106.208.252/ ] this fall. In May, student affiliate Shenila Khoja-Moolji [ http://pluralism.org/affiliates/student/khoja-moolji/ ] presented a paper at “American Bodies: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Modes of Power,” the Fourth International Graduate Conference [ http://www.jfki.fu-berlin.de/graduateschool/conference/2011/index.html ] at Freie Universität in Berlin. She drew on her Pluralism Project research to present key findings on Muslim women’s contributions to public leadership through the institution of Muslim chaplaincy. Her full research report can be accessed at: http://pluralism.org/affiliates/student/khoja-moolji/ [ http://pluralism.org/affiliates/student/khoja-moolji/ ] Lilly Endowment Inc. [Image: ] We are pleased to announce that we have been selected by Lilly Endowment Inc. [ http://www.lillyendowment.org/religion.html ] to receive a grant to complete the enhancement and migration of our award-winning CD-ROM, On Common Ground: World Religions in America (OCG) to web. Through this project we will develop new content reflecting the most critical developments of the past decade; incorporate the best of our research over the past 20 years using new multimedia technologies; and publish OCG 2.0 on our public website in 2012. Funding from the Endowment was critical to the development of the CD-ROM in 1997; we are grateful to the Endowment to be able to bring this award-winning project to you through an open source web-based platform. Save the Date: Multi-Faith Spaces Panel, September 6 On the afternoon of Tuesday September 6, the Pluralism Project will host a panel discussion at Harvard University with guests from “Multi-Faith Spaces – Symptoms and Agents of Religious and Social Change,” [ http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/architecture/research/mfs/ ] a research project at the University of Manchester (UK). Pluralism Project Research Director Elinor Pierce is a member of the project’s advisory council. At the event, Principal Investigator Dr. Ralf Brand, along with his colleagues, will share the findings of their research to date, and invite colleagues in other contexts to offer reflections and insights from their own work on multi-faith spaces. Save the Date: American Academy of Religion (AAR) Reception, November 18 [Image: ] Our annual reception [ http://www.aarweb.org/Meetings/Annual_Meeting/Current_Meeting/Program_Book/… ] honoring Pluralism Project friends, affiliates, and advisors will be held at AAR 2011 in San Francisco on Friday, November 18 from 9-11 PM in Room 2011 at the Moscone. This year’s program will feature a presentation of our pilot project “The Interfaith Infrastructure: Citizenship and Leadership in the Multi-Religious City.” We will also highlight new features and content developed for On Common Ground: World Religions in America 2.0, the online edition of our award-winning publication developed by our 2010-2011 Postdoctoral Fellow Ryan Overbey, set to launch in 2012. ------------------------- This is the read-only email list of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University. To join or leave this mailing list, please email us at staff(a)pluralism.org, or visit the subscription edit page at http://pluralism.org/subscribers/edit

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Pluralism-list August 2011