Report from the 2006

North American Interfaith Network Connect

Naomi Greenspan

Program Associate

The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) is an association of interfaith organizations and agencies across North America that seeks to build communication and mutual understanding among interfaith organizations and diverse religious groups.

One of its primary networking opportunities is its annual conference, NAINConnect, held this year in Vancouver, British Columbia from June 23-27. Along with 50 other people from across North America, I had the opportunity to attend the conference. Most of the people present came as part of their community interfaith organizations but many others also represented national interfaith organizations, such as the United Religions Initiative, or their religious denomination, as I attended representing the Union for Reform Judaism. Regardless of what organization we formally represented, however, each of us attended as a member of our own faith community and came out of a desire to cooperate for the betterment of our shared world.

Uniting under the theme “Passion for Peace, Commitment to Change,” NAINConnect 2006 was an incredible opportunity to come together to discover the spiritual foundations of peacebuilding that we all hold in common as people of faith. Speakers and workshops throughout the weekend focused on a range of topics addressing how interfaith understanding and cooperation allows us the opportunity to work together for peace and justice.

In the keynote address, the Rt. Reverend Michael Ingham, Episcopal Bishop of Vancouver, spoke of the current challenges and opportunities facing the interfaith movement. He noted the urgent necessity of engaging in interfaith relationship building, or as he put it, “you cannot build bridges when the city is already burning.” We cannot wait until a crisis arises to start talking to one another, but must begin the process now so that we have the necessary trust and respect to sort through the tensions. By coming together on the core values that each of our traditions share: compassion, hope, and a commitment to ending injustice, we have the ability to protect the freedom and dignity of every individual.

Educator Nancy Fisher brought a Buddhist perspective to NAINConnect during her presentation on the Mindfulness Education program in Vancouver public schools. In this program, by taking several moments of reflection throughout the school day, students show a vast improvement in behavior, learning, confidence, and cooperation. Successful results have brought increasing attention to this program and its ability to reduce stress and cultivate joy and peace in the lives of children.

We also heard from two national leaders in Canada’s political and religious life, the Hon. Douglas Roche and the Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson. They spoke of a second nuclear arms race, currently taking place, which has the potential to be more devastating than the first. They called on religious communities to come together to put an end to such nuclear proliferation.

Dr. Louay Safi of the Islamic Society of North America spoke about peacemaking from an Islamic perspective. In telling several traditional Muslim stories and quoting passages from the Qur’an he depicted Islam as not just a partner for true peace, but essential in creating that peace. True peace, according to Safi, is more than an absence of violence; it also incorporates treating all human beings with dignity and respect as the fellow Children of God. He stressed the need for justice, while also recognizing that not all Muslims live up to this Islamic ideal. Following his presentation, representatives from different religious traditions responded to his comments and NAINConnect participants engaged in a lively discussion about how to engage the Muslim community in dialogue.

Another major highlight of the conference was the fifteen 90-minute “How-to Workshops” presented by representatives of the various interfaith groups (each participant could attend three workshops). Topics covered a wide range of issues such as:

• How to Stage an Interfaith Concert
• The Challenge of Cultural and Religious Diversity and Peace-building in an Interdependent World
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Young Adults and Interfaith Work: The Need to Expand
• Promoting Sustainability Within and Between Faith Communities with the Earth Charter
• Religion and Ethics Newsweekly: Resources for Interfaith Discussion

Noteworthy for the Commission on Interreligious Affairs, I ran a workshop on Open Doors, Open Minds. Attracting a large audience, the session gave an overview of the program and we then watched and discussed one of the films used in the curriculum from the “Walking God’s Paths” series. Participants expressed a great interest in the program and spoke of the possibility of initiating it in their communities.

In addition to the benefits of the formal sessions, were the personal relationships we built over the course of the conference. Attending as one of the five youth scholarship recipients, I made a strong connection with the other young adults present. Throughout the weekend, people commented on our excitement and passion for interfaith work. They discussed how we were the “leaders of tomorrow.” Through our full participation in the conference (each of us even ran a “How-to workshop”), NAIN gave us the opportunity to be the leaders of today. The connection that we made continues still as we email one another to share the interfaith programs we are planning and use one another as resources in this work.

NAINConnect was certainly an inspiring and thought-provoking conference. In addition to the many sessions described above, we had the opportunity to share in one another’s worship services, attend an interfaith concert, view films on interfaith issues, participate in an auction to raise funds for youth involvement, and even find a little time to dance to the live jazz trio during the closing banquet. The connections made and partnerships built will be invaluable as we move forward in building a stronger interfaith movement in North America.

NAINConnect 2007 will be held in Richmond, Virginia from July 12-16 with a focus on “Embracing Religious Freedom.”

Union for Reform Judaism		North American Federation of Temple Brotherhoods		Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion		Central Conference of American Rabbis		Women of Reform Judaism