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June 2008 Letter from Eboo Patel
I’ve always thought of summer as a time of change and new opportunity. In that regard IFYC is off to an amazing start, with several exciting initiatives on the horizon.
Our partnership with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which was officially announced on May 30th, continues to be the focus of much of our international work. To read more about this partnership to bring the world’s faith communities together to help eradicate malaria click here. We also expanded our scope internationally through a State Department sponsored trip to the Netherlands, which you can read more about below. This is one of several international exchange programs in which IFYC has participated this year. We have similar trips planned in the coming months that will broaden and deepen our global impact.
Back in the United States, a recent trip to the Bay Area rounded off our year-long seeding and networking project in the region. IFYC’s intensive trainings and workshops have left a lasting impact on many campuses and civic and faith communities, and, as a result, the area is well on its way to becoming a model for pluralism and interfaith cooperation.
In our nation’s capital, we partnered with the United States Institute of Peace to convene a group of allies and members of the global interfaith youth movement for a summit regarding the future direction of our work.
Here in Chicago, we have launched our yearly Chicago Theological Seminary class with young people from around the country who are preparing for a life of ministry. The class, Interfaith Action in the World, began with a two-day retreat and will continue online for seven weeks, preparing the students for their vocations in today’s pluralistic society.
My own travels have taken me to Hanover, New Hampshire where I delivered the address at the Baccalaureate Ceremony for Dartmouth College, an institution where interfaith dialogue and activities are lively and thriving. While there, I was inspired by the strong interfaith community which contributes to a creative and vital campus life.
I was also honored to speak at a gathering held by Congressman Keith Ellison that focused on interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Congressman Ellison has been a leader in generating productive interreligious conversations, and I value his hard work in this arena. The event offered the interfaith youth movement in the Twin Cities a wonderful chance to discuss pressing issues and receive feedback and input from some of our nation’s leaders. This gathering is a precursor to a larger public event of the same kind scheduled for November.
Click here to read more about the Baccalaureate at Dartmouth
Click here to read my blog on the Dartmouth experience
I hope that you, too, find a way this summer to rejuvenate your commitment to the movement.
Thank you for your continued support of IFYC.
Eboo Patel
Executive Director
Interfaith Youth Core
Advancing the Interfaith Youth Movement for Peace
IFYC in the capital
On June 10th, IFYC, along with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), hosted a convening entitled “Advancing the Interfaith Youth Movement for Peace.” This groundbreaking summit was the first of its kind to be held at the Institute.
Stakeholders from every sector joined together to discuss the interfaith youth movement and the role each of us can play in taking it to scale. This event gave prominent voices in the policy, nonprofit, and academic worlds a chance to engage in lively dialogue about the future of interreligious cooperation.
Click here to read more about the event.
Listen to the Audio of the morning public session.
Dr. Eboo Patel outlined what he considers one of the greatest problems facing the world in the 21st century. This problem is extensive religious conflict coupled with the international revival of faith and the rise in interactions among young people of different faiths due to globalization, technology, and increased immigration. Dr. Eboo Patel emphasized the critical importance of the movement as a solution to this problem.
Next, Samuel Rizk of the Forum for Development, Culture, and Dialogue spoke of the status of the interfaith youth movement in the Middle East. He told the crowd about camps that have been held in Lebanon and Denmark attended by Muslim and Christian youth from the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. At these camps, young people study teachings and scripture of different religions that reflect shared values among different faiths. He noted how, in a short time, there was a transformation in relations among the participants from “suspicion, discomfort, and anxiety to dialogue and interaction.”
Participants also discussed the commitments they would make to see this movement grow to its full potential. Farah Pandith, Senior Advisor at the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, encouraged building connections between organizations like IFYC in the United States and similar organizations in Western Europe. She explained that this is an important step in forging connections with young members of religious minorities in Western Europe, who are struggling to merge their religious and national identities.
Ms. Pandith also stressed the importance of partnerships between the US government and non-profit organizations like IFYC because they are flexible, creative, and credible. Her excitement about the potential of the movement and the work of the movement’s participants was evident.
The afternoon session included a more targeted conversation about the specific challenges the movement faces. This roundtable gave participants a chance to further outline the roles that think-tanks, foundations, the private sector, and NGOs could play in this growing field.
The discussion ended with a strong sense of investment in the movement and enthusiasm about its bright future. Keep an eye out for more information about this event.
Pluralism in the Netherlands
Hind Makki with the other participants in the Exchange.
Many tourists go to the Netherlands to see the sights. IFYC Outreach Education and Training Associate Hind Makki, however, ventured to Europe to learn more about the country’s increasingly multicultural society. Hind’s visit to the Netherlands was the second part of an exchange program called the Muslim Youth Project, led by the Institute for Training and Development. Hind met with young people, government officials, NGOs and everyday citizens in five of the largest cities in the Netherlands.
Hind shared the philosophy and methodology of IFYC with the people she met there and returned to Chicago with pictures, stories, and ideas of how IFYC can impact the conversation about religion occurring in the Netherlands.
Read more about Hind Makki
In October of 2007, during the first half of the exchange program, fourteen young Dutch Muslim leaders came to the United States and visited different organizations to learn about what it means to be Muslim in America. They visited IFYC, where they heard about our work and methodology. Nine months later, seven American Muslims, including Hind, headed across the Atlantic to learn more about the culture of the Netherlands.
Hind also attended two conferences that focused on the integration of Muslims in the country. In her keynote address at the second conference, Hind explained how Muslims in America develop an Islam that is true to both their faith and their American identity. She described how the IFYC approach of storytelling and service and the engagement of young people are critical to the work of building a pluralist society.
Book Release: Debating the Divine
What is the best way to incorporate religion in civic life so that it enlivens and strengthens American democracy? Dr. Eboo Patel, along with other experts and scholars in the fields of religion and US politics and history, weigh in on this question in a new book, Debating the Divine: Religion in 21st Century American Democracy. This compilation of essays from these experts was published by the Center for American Progress (CAP).
CAP also held a panel discussion to launch the new book, where Dr. Eboo Patel contributed as one of three panelists, defending the role of faith in the public square. Lively debate followed over whether and how faith should affect public policy and civic life.
Learn more about the book here.
Watch highlights of the event.
Read an article by The Christian Post about the debate.
’08 Donate:
Are you looking to make a lasting impact with the money you received from the 2008 Stimulus Rebate? Join others in "stimulating" pluralism by giving to IFYC in the word of mouth ‘08Donate’ campaign. Just think, if only 1% of the $152 billion worth of rebates is donated, an extra $1.52 billion would go to charitable causes in 2008.
Click here to help make a difference with your tax refund check by donating to IFYC.
Acts of Faith now in Paperback!
Haven't read Eboo Patel's book, Acts of Faith, yet?
This story of Eboo Patel's personal identity journey as an American of Indian and Muslim heritage is a must-read. Now available in paperback!
To read the introduction and buy a copy, click here.
Book Release: Interfaith Dialogue at the Grassroots
Interfaith Dialogue at the Grassroots, a new book from the Journal of Ecumenical Studies, features contributions by IFYC staff including:
Eboo Patel, Executive Director
April Kunze, Vice President of Programs
Noah Silverman, Content Coordinator
This volume offers guidance from religious scholars and activists for interreligious dialogue in a variety of grassroots settings. Great for use by individuals, study groups, classes and more.
Check it out here.
Eboo’s Blog Spot
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2008/06/the_tony_blair_faith_foundatio.html
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2008/06/the_emerging_interfaith_youth.html
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2008/06/a_palestinian_journey_an_ameri.html
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2008/06/muslims_and_the_destiny_of_ame.html
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2008/06/the_faith_line.html
Guest Blog
Eboo Patel
Executive Director
Interfaith Youth Core
