Episodes
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Our guest speaker is Rev. Dr. Gary Mason, a Methodist minister and founder and director of the Belfast-based "Rethinking Conflict” organization. Prior to this, he spent 27 years as a Methodist clergy person in parish ministry in Belfast.
Gary played an integral role in the Northern Irish peace process, and was instrumental in facilitating negotiations with paramilitaries and government officials. In 2007, his contribution was formally recognised by Queen Elizabeth II.
Mason has lectured throughout Europe, South Africa, the Middle East and USA, and advises the Biden Administration on implementing The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA) of 2020, which focuses on strengthening civil society and developing grassroots peace building in the Israeli/Palestinian arena.
Gary is also an affiliated expert and partner to the Negotiation Strategies Institute, a Harvard University program on negotiation for Israelis and Palestinians and international diplomats.
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This program will feature discussions with persons familiar with on the ground realities. Presenters will include a Christian Palestinian, a Muslim Palestinian and a representative from Jewish Voices for Peace. These grassroots voices will provide unique perspectives for a fuller understanding of the current Israel-Gaza conflict.
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Our guest speaker for this program is Daniel Maté, an acclaimed composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theater based in Brooklyn, New York. Maté, whose great grandparents died at Auschwitz, has been prolific on social media since the war on Gaza began. He has 33.4K followers on Instagram, 10.3 subscribers on YouTube, and 2.2K followers on X (formerly Twitter).
Outside of music, theater and activism, Maté runs the world’s only “mental chiropractic” service, Take A Walk With Daniel. His passion is to help people access their own innate crystal clarity and true intelligence by getting their minds aligned. With his father Dr. Gabor Maté, renowned expert on trauma, addiction and stress, Maté co-authored the New York Times bestseller The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture.
Maté graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing. He also holds a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from McGill.
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In this program, we welcome guest speaker Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP). She is a leading authority on the Middle East, with particular expertise on U.S. foreign policy in the region, on Israel/Palestine, and on the way Middle East and Israel/Palestine-related issues play out in Congress and in U.S. domestic politics, policies, and legislation. Lara is a former officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, with diplomatic postings in Jerusalem, Washington, Tunis, and Beirut.
She also served previously as the Director of Policy and Government Relations at Americans for Peace Now. In addition to her work with FMEP, Lara is a non-resident fellow at the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP). She holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service; in addition to English, Lara speaks French, Arabic, Spanish, (weak) Italian, and muddles through in Hebrew.
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Our guest speaker for this program is Rummana Hussain, an editorial board member and columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times. During her career at the newspaper, she also had stints as an assistant metro editor, criminal courts reporter, general assignment reporter and assistant to columnist Michael Sneed.
Before the Sun-Times, Rummana covered education and criminal courts in Lake County for the Chicago Tribune and was assigned the crime, education and City Hall beats for the City News Bureau of Chicago.
Rummana was named a Jefferson fellow by the East-West Center in 2006. She has also served on the board of the Chicago Headline Club and the local chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association.
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In this program, we are joined by guest speaker David Dumke. He is the Executive Director of the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Global Perspectives & International Initiatives. Dumke was the founding director of UCF’s Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research & Studies, as well as the Office of Middle East and South Asia Initiatives. In 2019, he co-authored and edited Aspiring Powers, Regional Rivals: Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the new Middle East with Dr. Gönül Tol of the Middle Eastern Institute (MEI). Dumke is also a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, American University in Cairo (Egypt). Dumke previously served as an aide to House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Michigan), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Michigan). He received a B.A. in History, Political Science, and Russian Studies from Indiana University, and an M.A. in Muslim-Christian Understanding from Georgetown University.
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The following is a virtual conversation with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim representatives to discuss faith-based perspectives on affirming transsexuality. A keynote conversation launches the discussion with Dr. James Whitehead, a Catholic Christian theologian who is recognized as one of the lead legacy theologians in the US on the topic of faith, gender, and sexual orientation/identity. Jim’s newest book, released in April, is entitled “The Road to Me - A Transgender Journey. Part 1 of the Megoir” and is co-authored with Meghan Buell, a trans woman. Joining in the discussion are Meghan Buell, Rabbi Simone Schicker of Temple B’Nai Israel Kalamazoo, and Maher Alhaj, author of Halal This Way: Towards a Viable Queering in Sunni Islam. This event is co-sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, and the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan.
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In today's religious and political climate, it is more important than ever to create and participate in spaces where diverse faith traditions and backgrounds can come together. Our esteemed guest, Jack Gordon, has a rich history of facilitating Interfaith conversations, creating spaces for members of different faith traditions, political persuasions, and cultural backgrounds to engage in meaningful conversations. Jack Gordon is host of the radio show “Interfaith-ish” on WOWD 94.3FM Takoma Radio in Takoma Park, Maryland (episodes can also be found on Apple Podcasts). His show, 'Interfaith-Ish,' is described as "conversations about what we believe, why we believe, and how we navigate the common ground and differences between our traditions." He has worked as a professional documentary filmmaker for nearly 20 years, and recently directed the short film 'To Bigotry No Sanction', commissioned by George Washington University. Jack has been active in the DC area interfaith scene since 2010, serving on the board of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington and spearheading the annual DC Interfaith Leadership Summit for young adult leaders in the region until 2017. Jack grew up in a religiously mixed family and identifies as a Baha'i who is also culturally Jewish. Interfaith Action SW Michigan Website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/
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In March 2023, Interfaith Action hosted a panel discussion on efforts to restore specialized driver's licenses for immigrants residing in Michigan. Licenses were available until 2008 when they were rescinded. The restoration of driver's licenses is now being considered. The panelists for the discussion include:
- Gene Schoon, Coordinator for Policy and Justice for Interfaith Action
- Lupita Sanchez, SW Rural Michigan Organizer for We The People-Michigan
- Liz Balck, ACLU of Michigan
- Simon Marshall-Shah, Policy Analyst for the Michigan League for Public Policy
For More Information:
- Drive Michigan Forward Info Packet and FAQ: https://www.drivemichiganforward.com/...
- Sign Up To Receive Updates: https://www.drivemichiganforward.com/...
- Contact your Elected Officials: tinyurl.com/v7b8pb9y
- Preventing Undocumented Immigrants from Obtaining State Driver’s Licenses and IDs Hurts All of Michigan: https://www.aclumich.org/en/news/driv...
Interfaith Action Website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/
Music Attribution: "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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Part of our Theologies of Transformation and Actions for Justice Series
During this session, we had the privilege of welcoming Dr. Clark Gilpin to give a reflection on our tenth Interfaith Action principle. Clark is Interfaith Action's Lead Advisor for Faith Framing, and the Margaret E. Burton Professor, emeritus, at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he served as dean from 1990 to 2000. He lives in Stevensville and attends the Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where he and his wife Nancy co-chair the Social Justice Committee. Clark studies the history of modern Christianity, especially in relation to literature, and he recently published Religion Around Emily Dickinson (Penn State University Press).
The tenth principle states: 'Our faith traditions uphold the common good as grounded in solidarity with the poor and the vulnerable. Alleviation of poverty, homelessness and hunger are essential causes for people of faith. This commitment requires us to promote basic standards of living and to confront excesses of capitalism and growing wealth divides.'
You can find our Interfaith Principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
Music Attribution: "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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During this session, we have the privilege of welcoming Bishop Prince Singh to give a reflection on our ninth principle on ‘Our Common Goal: Rejecting Racism and Systemic Exclusion.' The Rt. Rev. Prince Grenville Singh, Ph.D. serves as Bishop Provisional of the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan. Bishop Singh was born and raised in India, attending seminary and serving several congregations before immigrating to the US in the mid-90s for additional study and service in the Episcopal Church. His church-wide leadership includes Bishops Against Gun Violence, the House of Bishops Theology Committee, the Taskforce on the Theology of Social Justice, as a coach in the College for Bishops and several others.
Our ninth Interfaith Action principle states: 'Our common good requires advancing policies of inclusion and equity. We believe that racism and systemic exclusion in multiple forms is an intrinsic evil. As such capitalism without a foundational commitment to common good is a structural sin. Our faith traditions require us to reject systems that oppress people and create inequities. We are aware that racism and other forms of exclusionary discrimination impact the well-being of both the oppressed and the oppressor.'
You can find our Interfaith Principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare Music Attribution: "Night Owl" from the
Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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Part of our Theologies of Transformation and Actions for Justice Series
During this session, we have the privilege of welcoming Diane Rapaport to give a reflection on our eighth principle on ‘Barriers and Bridges to the Common Good.' Diane is a member of Temple B’nai Shalom in Benton Harbor.
We discuss our eighth Interfaith Action principle, which states: 'We advance the value of the COMMON GOOD as an essential guard against greed and power. Democracy without values of justice, equity, inclusion, and public responsibility results in an individualism which threatens our common good. In striving for the common good, we believe in a metric of equality of outcome, not a metric of opportunity. We are aware that patterns of consumerism and materialism impact the fulfillment of our common good and also threaten the future of our common home.'
You can find our Interfaith Principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
Music Attribution: "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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Part of our Theologies of Transformation and Actions for Justice Series In this discussion, we have the privilege of welcoming Dr. Tatiana Reinoza to give a reflection on our seventh Interfaith Action principle. Dr. Reinoza is on the board of Interfaith Action, and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Reinoza’s research and writing focus on contemporary Latinx art. She specializes in the history of printmaking of Latinx artists in the United States with an emphasis on the themes of immigration, race, and histories of colonialism.
Our seventh principle states, ‘All of our faith traditions contain holy stories about migration and the importance of welcoming the stranger and the migrant as fully belonging in our common home, the household of God. Inspired by these traditions, we, too, commit to solidarity with migrants around the world and work to ensure their dignity, their human rights, and their protection. Our holy writings remind us that the outsider must be included and is often the bearer of transformation.’
You can find our Interfaith Principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
Music Attribution: "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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Part of our Theologies of Transformation and Actions for Justice Series In this session, we have the privilege of welcoming Rev. Salvatore Sapienza to give a reflection on our sixth principle on ‘The Protection and Preservation of our Common Home.’ Reverend Salvatore Sapienza is the pastor of Douglas United Church of Christ.
Our sixth Interfaith Action principle states, 'People of faith have a bedrock commitment to our common home, including advancing policies and practices towards the protection and preservation of creation.'
Interfaith Action has made resources available for faith communities with the goal of protecting and preserving our Common Home. Please see our Season of Creation booklet, Green Faith Action Framework, and Green Faith Checklist on our resource page: https://swmichinterfaith.org/resources
You can find our Interfaith Principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
Music Attribution: "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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As we approach our November election, we are aware of hyper-partisan divides which often disrupt our finding common cause for the common good. A member of one of our engaged faith communities, Dr. Paul Detrisac, is active in a creative new paradigm relative to our current party system.
Interfaith Action presents this as an informational session and not as a recommended approach. We agree that current partisan divides often serve to hamper our achievement of the common good, and we encourage robust discussions around moving forward to a future where we have a shared approach to solving key public issues essential for a democracy that provides opportunity, wholeness, and justice for all.
For more information, you can see the Forward Party Website: www.forwardparty.com/
Interfaith Action of SW Michigan: https://swmichinterfaith.org/
Music is "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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Our Fifth Interfaith Action principle underscores our common calling as people of faith to be bearers of peace. How do our faith traditions form us to be bearers of peace in a world filled with violence? How do we counter the epidemic of gun violence in our communities, global wars, and other personal and communal forms of violence as people of faith?
In this episode, Pastor Jay Fast, pastor at Harbert Community Church shares a reflection on our fifth interfaith action principle on peacemaking, followed by group discussion. Pastor Jay has served at Harbert Community Church since 2014. Prior to his ministry in SW Michigan, Pastor Jay served at churches in Illinois, Indiana, and Massachusetts.
Our Fifth Principle states: ‘In our common life as communities of faith, we affirm that we are to be bearers of peace. In that commitment, we work to counter violence in homes, within communities and amongst nations. We are concerned with the proliferation of weapons which destroy the sanctity of life.’
Interfaith Action Faith Principles: swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
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Our fourth Interfaith Action principle underscores the importance of our common life. Our common life guides us to promote human dignity, mutual respect, and dialogue. What are barriers to our common life today? What gets in the way of mutual respect and dialogue? How does your faith tradition influence the way you think about these questions?
In the following conversation, Seif Saqallah, Jatinder Singh, and the Rev. Dr. Sid Mohn give a brief reflection on our fourth Interfaith Action principle, followed by group discussion.
You can find our Interfaith Principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
Music is "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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Each year in June, Interfaith Action hosts a panel discussion with LGBTQ individuals who are engaged with a faith community. This year’s Faith and PRIDE discussion features four openly gay male clergy serving congregations in Interfaith Action’s five-county region, along with an openly lesbian clergy person serving a Holland-based congregation. Congregational discussion groups are also encouraged to group discussions on this podcast, as well as Interfaith Action’s newly released guideline for translating a congregation’s inclusive policy commitment into practice.
You can find the following resources under the 'Resources from Common Good' tab at: swmichinterfaith.org/resources
All Are Welcome Checklist Action Steps for Becoming an LGBTQ Inclusive Faith Community
All are Welcome Affirming Faith Communities See this webpage for a list of LGBTQ Affirming Faith Communities in SW Michigan: swmichinterfaith.org/affirming-faith-communities
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Music Attribution: Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/BrokeForFree/DirectionlessEP/BrokeForFree-DirectionlessEP-01NightOwl.
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How do our encounters with others shape our commitments to human rights and justice? In this video, the Rev. Dr. Sid Mohn, Co-Director of Interfaith Action and a long-time human rights advocate, gives a brief reflection on our third Interfaith Action principle on 'human rights and justice', followed by group discussion.
You can find our Interfaith Principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
Music is "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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What does ‘tenderness’ have to do with our political life? In his encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis writes, ‘Politics too must make room for a tender love of others. What is tenderness? It is love that draws near and becomes real. A movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands...Tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women.’
Pope Francis challenges us to ask: what if tenderness was viewed as a strength in our political life, rather than a weakness?
In this episode, Bobbie Gaunt, Lead Advisor for Inclusion & Participation at Interfaith Action, gives a reflection on this topic followed by group discussion. We hope you enjoy the conversation - thanks for listening.
You can find Interfaith Action's principles on our website: https://swmichinterfaith.org/whoweare
Music is "Night Owl" from the Directionless EP by Broke For Free, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Available at http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bro....
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