Friday March 13
Session C-1:
- unity (representative from Peace Unity Church)
- timeliness of the topic (now more than ever it seems we need to be
talking about peace and now is the time to be acting and promoting dialogue)
questions to contemplate:
- what's next? How do we follow dialogue?
- How can I as an individual be a source of peace to myself and to others?
- Office of student conflict resolution at university of Michigan
- Identity conflicts (around religion, ethnicity, and national identity)
- What are different interpretations of the word peace and how can this
be used to promote instead of hinder and complicate peace activism?
- Dispelling fear over giving information to US Census Bureau
o Bureau information is particularly important given rising numbers
of immigrants, refugees, and foreclosures that force families to move:
its important for people to fill out the form in order to be counted
- $ 3 trillion goes into doing the Census over the next ten years
- influential teachers
- promotion of diversity and peace in schools/among young people
- promoting interfaith dialogue
- ensuring that voices of indigenous African American muslim voices
are heard- to confront racism and other issues
- different interpretations of the word peace, and of other issues-
recognizing that each individual looks at the world from a different
lens
o example of isrealis and Palestinians interpreting "ceasefire
in different ways that hindered their ability to cooperate and was only
discovered once they sat down to have a dialogue
o its important to acknowledge that for a long time peace has been seen
as a dirty word (people often look down on peacebuilding efforts, thinking
it involves hippie gatherings with people singing kumbaya, etc.)
- how can organizers institutionalize interfaith work (to help ensure
that it continues into the future and doesn't end when certain individuals
leave)
- the issue of translation with international peace agreements, for
example
- promoting peace through health projects (working for common goals,
with common public health goals as an example)
- US-Muslim Engagement Project (Paula Gutlove)
o Citizen Dialogue kit (materials that can be given to groups who want
to have dialogue across the country)
- centuries of harmonious coexistence between different faiths in the
middle east, and in iraq for example, so the question is what happened
to change the centuries of harmonious living?
- We've called upon our congresspeople, senators, etc. asking what we
can do in the US
- What role does politics play in fostering conflict?
- Religion and politics don't seem to mix very well
- There's intellectual conversation sometimes about how genocide can
happen between groups who formerly coexisted for so long, but perhaps
this dialogue isn't occurring enough on the community level with ordinary
people
- We tend to easily help the oppressed but not those who are doing the
oppressing (and think about what it is motivating them that makes them
oppress)
- Need to have leaders promote tolerance for common man to listen as
well (religious scholars and others)
- We cant change the world until we change our own mentalities on an
individual level
- What about the role of youth
- We need to consider the way that the support of politicians can promote
the spread of one particular interpretation of a religious (ex: Wahhabi
movement and Saudi Arabian government alliance)
- Why does the US support governments that are unjust to their people
(like Saudi Arabia) - the US needs to support principles not people
- Interfaith Youth Core - a good model for collaboration; its important
to get people talking but also making sure they work together (in collaborative
projects)
- Citizen diplomacy
- We should reminder ourselves that things can change rapidly; we are
in a time of great transition so we don't have time to not pay attention
to serious issues (ex: rapid climate change)
- Working together towards a common cause is the way to build lasting
relationships
- In this country we've been worshipping a "false god" that
is materialism and money (not the wealth of relationships with people,
our planet, etc.) so its important for us to redefine what has meaning
to us
- We should also be reconsidering how we define power (many conflicts
are created in search of power, but we too often consider power over,
but what about power to, power with, etc.)
- A 4-step process for truth and reconciliation: eat together, listen
to each other, recognize both parties are victims, and then role play
to empathize (drama is one way to forge deep empathy), then the last
step is you do something together in order to heal
- Its important to recognize that many people have deep, deep connections
with anyone else of the same faith, even if they lived on the other
side of the world (a Jewish American woman saying that she is so deeply
connected to Israeli because whenever a Jew is hurt she feels the weight
of a 1000 years of oppression)
- How can a whole society heal after deep conflict (this is Psycho-Social
Healing, which is really the same as peace building because its all
about societies)
- "answers divide us, questions unite us" - its important
to keep this mind as we struggle to promote peace in a rapidly changing
world, and each of us have a part of the answer within ourselves as
well
- its important for us as American citizens to recognize the amount
of influence we can have on the global order so we need to make our
voices heard and we also need to make conscious efforts to help American
heal itself and frankly address the issues of oppression and of peace;
so we can serve as a role model for the world if we really become united
in order to be the united states
- its very important we encourage ourselves to expose ourselves to new
viewpoints and go out of our way to listen to our own perspectives
- changing the world can begin with changing ourselves
- raising consciousness about peace and global issues is a responsibility
for all of us, first within ourselves and then with others as well
- in the 60s there was a great focus on "tolerance" but today
we really seem to have moved beyond this to acceptance and this is a
very hopeful sign ____________
Session C-2:
Sarah Sayeed from New York
The Purpose to come to the conference was to learn about different faiths.
We were especially interested because this was our first interfaith
conference. The main thing we wanted to learn was the differences and
similarities of all religions.
One of the attendees wanted to spread the word about lunching a United
States National Peace Academy, Case Western Reserve University.
Family history of a certain faith:
Many of the attendees were born into a certain religion but found they
did not agree with the rules and practices. Others decided to not have
a religion. Still others liked the religion that they were born into
but are on different levels of practicing.
A question was brought up about Muslim women wearing the hijab.
The Muslim women wear a scarf for modesty, but it is not a requirement.
However, it should be noted that both men and women should dress modestly
in Islam
How does a Muslim woman swim and dress modestly?
There are swim gear that are now specifically made for women. Also,
many gyms allow us to rent out the pool for a whole day.
What is the purpose of fasting in Islam?
Teaches us discipline and reminds us how people are fasting involuntary
all over the world.
Restriction: if you are ill, travel, or pregnant, or nursing you do
not have to fast.
If you do not fast you would have to make up the fast at the end of
the month or give charity.
Saturday March 14
Session G-1:
Facilitator: Irene
I. -We in Birmingham have an interfaith dialogue; however have had recent
difficulty when certain Jewish groups because of the recent Palestinian
crisis and thus the interfaith activities stopped for 3 months.
II. In Toledo interfaith council doesn't do anything unless there is
more than 5 religious groups who are going to be present.
- Good to do interfaith with Abrahamic faiths, however it is even better
to get out of 'comfort zone' and invite other religious groups to do
interfaith with.
III. In professional groups like doctors and professors you don't have
discussion and problems often with religious issues. In professional
settings because these professionals have to be sensitive of these issues
and limit the discussion on what topic is being discussed.
IV. Session on Interfaith Worship:
-Very well done. Experiential based (developed personal relationships).
Also good contrast between other types of events and lectures and panel
made dialogue meaningful and talked about real important issues. Panels
showed strong commitment to dialogue and courage in their discussion.
V. Movie on Forgiveness:
-Would have liked to see more present day material. Maybe bring interfaith
dialogue to Middle East as a way to solve the perpetual and sporadic
violence that occurs there between different religious groups. Teaching
of forgiveness in schools very striking and important to interfaith
dialogue, teaching like this should start in schools.
-In Ireland where there is tension between Catholics and Protestants
maybe one way to reconcile differences would be to focus on smaller
internal reconciliations like among children in schools between boys
and girls.
VI. Children need to be taught at a young age what other religions are
and what they actually believe. They also need to be taught to get along
with all other peoples and we need to make sure that as responsible
adults we are not spreading misinformation and we are teaching what
we should be.
VII. Also as proponents of interfaith discussion we should be more vocal
about what other faiths believe when we hear people talk about them
in a way that is not true. We have to be more vocal and let people know.
VIII. Religion first and foremost is your personal connection with God
& as such we should be understanding and talk to our neighbors as
part of this.
IX. It is our duty to go about understanding other religions and as
such we need to educate ourselves about other religions and understand
them in their full context.
-There is enough material out there to make it easy for a person to
understand other faiths and learn what they stand for and believe in.
This makes it easier for us to be vocal when misinformation is being
spread.
X. When discussing with people who have radical theories try to talk
to that person about common virtues like 'truth' or 'honesty' or 'justice'
to establish a connection and then use those common virtues to try to
discuss with the other person and bring them down away from their extreme
belief.
XI. There is a need for understanding over ignorance and instead of
blindly following something go out and try actively to understand everything.
XII. The fact that we generally as a country try to include every group
and every religion and ethnic group is something 'I' love.
-In South Africa sometimes the problems there reached a point where
the only way to move forward was to just tell people to forget about
what had happened the day before and what problems occurred in previous
days but instead to look forward into the future instead and just reset
the problems that had happened.
XIII. If you teach hate at a young age then we are bound to keep the
violence continuing and never ending. Children need to be taught from
a young age about hate and peace and we need to make sure that they
as children are learning right and wrong from a young age.
XIV. Even though I know prejudice is wrong, I sometimes will see someone
from a different faith group and begin to think badly about that person.
I'll immediately know this is wrong but I have to make a conscious effort
to tell my heart to not think this way. It's a learning process to be
able to get over prejudice and hatred.
XV. The problem sometimes is not knowing how to get past what has happened
in the past and move forward.
-People have PTSD and are unable to get behind what has happened in
the past. What has happened in the past to some people dictates how
they exist in the present. There is a problem in some countries like
both sides of the border in Israel and Palestine about people, Jewish
or Muslim about not being able to feel welcomed in their own home. For
example, Germans are still being blamed for the holocaust and WWII even
though present day Germans didn't cause either and weren't even alive
during that time. These people have no connection to what happened except
that they are German
XVI. All people of all religions are equal and even though they have
differences we have to be able to move past these differences and learn
from one and other.
-More personal conversations with people; more sharing of religious
stories and because all religions have so much to offer the world we
can all gain much from listening; more working together, because in
numbers we can succeed far greater than with low numbers.
______________
Session G-2:
Does one need to have a higher spirituality in order to take part in
an interfaith dialogue to achieve peace?
Yes, because you need to heal yourself before healing others; one cannot
be an agent for peace if he/she does not have peace within.
***
Life is about cultivating the higher self and allowing spirituality
to guide you.
One must work with people to get their basic needs met in order to
free up space and time to resolve conflicts; if we focus on our individual
self, we can then move on to solving bigger issues concerning our communities.
If you have the power, then you certainly have the power/ability to
provide resources for others.
Religious groups, especially churches, should realize that they are
not coming to save. Rather, they should focus on coming/working together.
***
Just because a person is spiritually well off, does not mean that they
will be materially well off (e.g., Africans who were brought to America).
One must not only focus on spiritually and material prosperity; poverty
is not tied to having a lack of spirituality. If the two were connected,
then one could argue that those brought over to America in slave ships
were not spiritual, which is quite the opposite.
***
It is important to have forgiveness in one's life; however, how is it
possible for someone to forgive if, say, their ancestors were made into
slaves? How can Jews who suffered in the Holocaust forgive?
Maybe it is easier to understand forgiveness from those who have been
oppressed.
Unfortunately, we have never seen powerful nations make an attempt
at reconciliations (e.g., the U.S.'s actions dealing with Iraq after
the events on September 11, 2001). Very often it is the weak that are
called to forgive.
There should be no shame in seeking justice, but at the same time remaining
pure within yourself.
Seek justice for yourself; tell yourself the pain is toxic for your
body. If you forgive, then you are chiseling away at that pain. This
is healing.
How can one forgive, though, when the oppressor continues to oppress?
There is not enough being done at the other side to balance the justice.
This is similar to an abusive relationship. Our psychology never tells
us to focus on the oppressor but just automatically forgive.
To accomplish this, try to heal yourself to reach a place where the
pain does not touch you anymore.
Most importantly, healing and justice should not be exclusive; you
can achieve both justice AND healing.
______________
Session G-3:
" A few different organizations that people in the group represented:
Pathways to Peace Foundation, Shirin Ebadi Foundation, Interfaith Center
of New York
"Considering the viewpoint of to what extent religion is (and/or
should be) a personal matter
" Perhaps part of the fear in a post-9/11 world comes from the
fact that some extremists seem to otherwise be ordinary people coming
from ordinary professions, educations, and backgrounds, so the question
to contemplate deeply is what pushes these individuals over the edge
towards extremism?
" Many Americans also seem concerned that there isn't a public
outcry and collective outrage against extremism by Muslim Americans;
the question asked when someone expressed this sentiment was where do
they look to see such an outcry and the general response was the media;
this led to a significant discussion about prejudice in the media and
the difficulty of having people know about positive interactions between
people that promote peace when all the media is interested in sharing
are sensationalist stories
" Another question to consider: if interpersonal interactions seem
to have the greatest ability to change people's perceptions and overcome
the prejudice some individuals have, then how do we encourage these
dialogues and spread their impact on a larger scale?
" one member in our group didn't believe that Israel should be
referred or considered to be a Jewish state but instead as a secular
state, but one Jewish woman in our group responded by saying that for
her as an individual Jew, Judaism, Zionism, and the state of Israel
are all inseparable components of who she is (like the heart, soul,
and spirit of herself), so this discussion reminded our group of the
importance of listening to the different ways in which two individuals
can look at the same thing but interpret it very differently and have
very different emotions towards it
" the two Jewish members of our group agreed when someone asked
them that a person who is criticizing Israel is not necessarily anti-Semitic,
noting that many Jews are critical of some Israeli policy
" it is important to set ground rules before discussing issues
that are particularly sensitive for many individuals, such as the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict
" our group certainly discussed the difficult and weighty topic
of religion and politics, with some members arguing that religion and
politics should never mix, while simultaneously recognizing that in
some cases it is impossible to separate the two (as is the case with
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)
" the story of Abraham is always a good reminder for people interested
in promoting interfaith dialogue, to remind the three prominent Abrahamic
faiths of their common roots
" when dealing with this conflict, it is essential to recognize
the strong feelings of emotional and psychological trauma and victimization
that both sides feel in order to truly heal
" it's also important to think about semantics and the role it
can play in our discussions- for example, it's important to be clear
about what we mean when we use the word "terrorism" (are we
simply referring to violence against innocent people? If so, couldn't
the acts of some countries be included under this definition? Etc.)
while simultaneously recognizing that the media sometimes promotes prejudice
through usage of certain terms (ex: when a Muslim kills innocent people
it is labeled terrorism, but when an American in Alabama kills innocent
people they are referred to as a "gunman")
" it's important for us as individuals to recognize that we need
to be courageous and promote hope over fear in order to be able to solve
conflicts and promote peace worldwide
" all of us in the group agreed that human rights is very important
to us and the best way to measure a government (as opposed to something
like democracy) so we need to emphasize this common standard in order
to move forward and work together more effectively
_______________________________
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