Please join the Charter for a special weeklong series of presentations during World Interfaith Harmony Week, inspired with the work of Muslim-Christian dialog.
We are exploring the need for developing compassion to understand and benefit from a world that is marked by diversity and pluralism—in life forms, in cultural patterns, in faith pathways, in physical characteristics like skin color and body shapes.
Among the topics we will grapple with in these calls:
- The value of engaging with the "other"
- Embracing pluralism: how to celebrate diversity while cultivating culture
- Responding to fundamentalism: politics and religion
- When bigotry becomes normalized
- How to represent a community not our own (For example, Christians confronting Islamophobia, straight people supporting gay, lesbian and transgender communities)
- While our primary focus will be on topics related to Islamophobia—and we will continue to update our Guide Book (here), we will look for opportunities to make connection with other issues, including racism, Mideast tensions, gender equality and gender identity
Speakers
Mon., Feb. 1, 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT: Karin Miller,
Karin is Vice President and General Counsel of a major entertainment industry consortium. Active in the mind, body and spirit communities for over ten years, Miller served as pro bono counsel to Marianne Williamson for the formation of the Peace Alliance and as an Advisory Board Member to the Alliance for a New Humanity, chaired by Deepak Chopra.
Karin founded Our New Evolution (ONE) to connect and empower people and projects that are aligned with Global Values—the heart of Karin’s new book, "Global Values: A New Paradigm for a New World." Read the introduction to Karen's book and visit Our New Evolution to learn more.
Hear the Conversation and Read the Report
Tue., Feb. 2, 12 p.m. ET/ 9 a.m. PT: Imam Jamal Rahman, Rev. Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon, "The Interfaith Amigos."
The Interfaith Amigos started working together after 9/11. Since then, they have brought their unique blend of spiritual wisdom and humor to audiences in the US, Canada, Israel-Palestine and Japan. Their first book, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith (Skylight Paths, 2009), brought the Interfaith Amigos international attention with coverage from the New York Times, CBS News, the BBC and various NPR programs. Karen Armstrong calls their "exuberant and courageous" second book, Religion Gone Astray: What We Found at the Heart of Interfaith (Skylight Paths, 2011), "an inspiration and example for all of us in these sadly polarized times."
Hear the Conversation and Read the Report
Wed., Feb. 3, 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT: Marie Roker-Jones, Louisa Hext, Aleasa Word.
Marie Roker-Jones and Louisa Hext are cofounders of #CompassionConvos: a compassion movement challenging our own bias. It's a call to action bringing people together to create individual and systemic change. Roker-Jones is also the founder of Raising Great Men an effort to raise boys to be men of character. Hext is the North American representative of The Forgiveness Project, and can be reached though Consultants Hext
Aleasa Word is an internationally certified professional life coach, editor at the Good Men Project, small business consultant and author specializing in helping people develop the second chapter of their lives professionally and personally. Details on her site Chapter 2 Living.
Hear the Conversation and Read the Report
Thur., Feb. 4, 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT: John Esposito
John Esposito is American professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Esposito is Founding Director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the Walsh School of Foreign Service.Previously, he was Loyola Professor of Middle East Studies, College of the Holy Cross. He is the author of over 45 books. Esposito's interviews and articles with newspapers, magazines, and the media in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, The Guardian, The Times of London, CNN, ABC Nightline, CBS, NBC, and the BBC. John is a major contributor to the Charter's Islamophobia Guide Book.
Hear the Conversation and Read the Report
Friday, Feb 5, 10 a.m. ET/ 7 am PT; Desperate Times Call for Compassionate Action.
Join Reham Hamoui and John Forseth who are working with refugees arriving in Europe and America. Reham is Syrian-born American currently residing in Seattle, WA. She has worked on humanitarian issues for 5 years in several capacities including the coordination of medical missions, political advocacy, and community outreach. She is now the Director of Communications for Salaam Cultural Museum, a NGO focused on providing humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees within the MENA region and Greece. John Forseth has worked for Lutheran Community Services for the past 6 years, previously as supervisor of in home caregivers in Pierce County. More recently he has worked as Program Director of Refugee Resettlement and Placement in Tacoma, WA.
Hear the Conversation and Read the Report
Also explore
The Charter's Islamophobia Guide
The Compassion Games' World Interfaith Harmony Week Coopetition
