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<http://pluralism.org/about/contribute/donate/>
Dear Friends,
We greet you at the end of 2016, an extraordinary and critical year for the
Pluralism Project and for America's public and political commitment to
pluralism. At a time when many Americans are uncertain about the strength
of our identity as a multireligious and multicultural nation, the Pluralism
Project <http://www.pluralism.org> looks with confidence to the vision, the
reality and the future of the American experiment. It is a vision based in
the Constitutional promise of religious freedom, a blueprint for the very
diversity that is ours today. As we move forward, we do so with renewed
resolve, and a new mission that will inform our ongoing, and increasingly
important efforts: *The Pluralism Project: **Engaging, Educating, and
Strengthening the Next Generation of *
*Religious and Civic Leaders in the United States.*
For more than two decades, the Pluralism Project has studied the changing
religious landscape of our nation. Our confidence in pluralism –the
engagement of our differences in the common project of citizenship—is based
on grassroots research among the religious communities of the United
States. We have come to know the diverse and dedicated faith communities of
our nation through their hospitality, their energy, and their commitment to
American values. Our vision is deeply informed by the enduring principles
and practices of the world’s religions and, above all, by the emerging
infrastructure of interfaith engagement that is strengthening local
communities across the country.
We are confident that these gains cannot be reversed by the forms of fear
and division that have come to the surface in the turbulence of the
election and its aftermath. Engaging our diversity in cities and towns
across the country will continue to be the strength of our democracy. Our
goal is to support and encourage the next generation of civic and religious
leaders as they strengthen the bridges and networks of relationship that
will serve a diverse, dynamic, and interdependent society.
In his most recent book, Thomas Friedman has forcefully mentioned Harvard's
Pluralism Project and our insistence that pluralism is not mere diversity,
but engagement with that diversity, not relativism, but the encounter of
commitments based on dialogue across differences. "Being able to embrace
and nurture this kind of true pluralism is a huge asset for a society in
the age of accelerations," he writes. "Indeed, I would go a step further
and say that the return on investment on pluralism... will soar and become
maybe the single most important competitive advantage for a society –for
both economic and political reasons."
*We ask you to *invest in the promotion of pluralism
<http://pluralism.org/about/contribute/donate/>*.* The Pluralism Project
engages students, teachers, and citizens in tackling the most important
issues of our time. But the project of pluralism must engage all of us –and
we invite you to that engagement in the New Year that lies before us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Diana L. Eck
Director, The Pluralism Project
*Want to invest with us in this immensely important work?*
*Make a tax-deductible donation online
<http://pluralism.org/about/contribute/donate/> or donate by check at the
address below, payable to Harvard University (Memo note: "Pluralism
Project")Want to get involved?*
*Email us <staff(a)pluralism.org>, follow us on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/pluralismproj/?fref=ts> to learn about events,
films, and organizations, or call us to find out about opportunities to
engage*
The Pluralism Project at Harvard University
2 Arrow Street, 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-496-2481
www.pluralism.org
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