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March 2024 Resource Roundup

Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign
17 min readApr 1, 2024

Each month, we collect, curate, and collaborate to create this Community and Congregational Network (CCN) Resource Roundup. This Roundup includes jobs, grants, events, reports, articles, movies, toolkits, and more. Each of the items listed in some way contributes to our shared work of building a country where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, including countering anti-Muslim discrimination and violence as just one of the things preventing us from realizing that better world.

Our Shoulder to Shoulder Community & Congregational Network is an opportunity to connect with interfaith and community organizations and leaders throughout the country who are, in some capacity, addressing anti-Muslim discrimination in the U.S. Members share resources, problem-solve, and reflect on this important work in our meetings. Our network includes volunteer-run organizations and organizations with 10+ staff members. Members include organizations in rural, urban, and suburban communities in red, blue, and purple states and beyond. Each of them recognizes anti-Muslim discrimination as a threat to our communities and country. Each is committed to addressing this issue alongside their Muslim neighbors, friends, and siblings in their community.

Know that our Shoulder to Shoulder team is here to support and encourage you in the work however we can. The views expressed in linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign. If there is something specific you’re looking for but don’t find here or you’re looking for a thought partner, please reach out to us at info@s2scampaign.org If you want to learn more about our Shoulder to Shoulder Community Network, contact us and/or check out our website. You can check out past resource roundups on our Medium Channel.

S2S Updates & Highlighted Resources

  • Check out Shoulder to Shoulder Campaigns Interfaith Ramadan Stories Project with Interfaith America
  • Countering anti-Muslim Discrimination trainings, workshops and presentations. Over the last four months we have had a rise in requests for trainings, workshops, and presentations on anti-Muslim discrimination in the U.S. and how faith communities can respond. If you’re looking for support and resources, our team is here to help you and your communities. Reach out to us: info@S2SCampaign.org

Upcoming Important Dates

  • 2024 Religious Holidays Calendar from Encounter World Religions, an organization promoting pluralism and religious literacy. Recognizing the religious holidays of others is a great way to make folks feel seen and foster conversation and connection. Encounter World Religion’s new 2024 Holiday Guide is perfect for workplaces, schools, community groups or anyone wanting to know more about the celebrations and seasonal festivals of their neighbors.
  • National Poetry Month
  • National Volunteer Month
  • April 5: Lailat al-Qadr (Night of Power — Ramadan)
  • April 6: National Student-Athlete Day* (Posts about athletics inclusion)
  • April 9: Eid al-Fitr
  • April 13/14: Vaisakhi (Sikh, Hindu, others)
  • April 15: Boston Marathon Bombing
  • Apr 20, 2024 — Thu, May 2, 2024: Ridvan
  • April 21: Spring Equinox
  • April 21 Mahavir Jayanti (Hindu)
  • April 22: Earth Day
  • April 24th: Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
  • April 22 — Apr 30: Passover

Resources & Upcoming Opportunities — Shared and copy/pasted from various partners and friends:

Events

  • April 2 | Whose Country is it Anyway? | BJC | In Person and Online
  • April 3 | A Sacred Argument: Dispatches from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Encounter | A Sacred Argument: Dispatches from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Encounter is a memoir written by ICJS founding Executive Director Chris Leighton, who retired in 2018. In this work, he recounts his friendship and collaboration with the late Rabbi Joel Zaiman, who was a driving force in the creation and work of ICJS. A Sacred Argument also addresses the sharp political, social, and religious polarization in society, equipping readers with practical and theoretical resources to engage problems that all too often break down trust, shut down honest conversations, and disrupt collaborative action. Heather Miller Rubens, ICJS executive director and Roman Catholic scholar, will lead a discussion of the book.
  • April 4 | Building Movement Project Join us for our upcoming webinar highlighting research from our #RaceToLead report. This webinar will examine the data about the factors that “push” BIPOC leaders to take on exec positions, and too often “push” them to burn out. Register: https://hubs.la/Q02qhxLN0
  • April 8 and 9 | Antisemitism and Allyship: Assessing the Present, Imagining the Future | Registration and Information
  • April 10 | Navigating Interfaith Relations in the Midst of Global Conflict | United Church of Christ | Over the past few months since the escalation of violence in the Middle East, we have seen a rise in both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions, including here in the United States. For some congregations that have nurtured interfaith relations over the years, the crisis in the Middle East has presented a challenge: how to remain faithful to a Christian witness for justice and peace, accompanying Palestinian partners while also maintaining relationships with Jewish and Muslim neighbors locally.
  • Interfaith Center of New York’s Disarming Hate: Workshop and Dialogue Series March 13, April 17, May 9, 16 | Registration and Information
  • On The Blood Libel (And Other Lies About Jews) Online | Four Wednesdays: March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 7:00 P.M. Et | Registration and Information
  • April 4–6, 2024 | Religion Communicators Council Convention | Louisville, Kentucky
  • April 13–16 | Summit for Religious Freedom
  • April 17–18 | Disrupting Uyghur Genocide conference in NYC. It’s slated to be the largest-ever NYC interfaith gathering devoted to mobilizing action on the plight of the Uyghur people, motivated by the conviction that our freedom demands of us that we consider the persecution of an entire people targeted for erasure. Pre-registration is required, via the website.
  • April 18 | Building Peace Through Religiously Inclusive Workplaces | Religions for Peace USA | Peace is being built by millions of people daily through company-sponsored, employee-led faith and interfaith workplace initiatives. Join Dr. Brian Grim to learn about this amazing movement for peace occurring in Fortune 500 companies as diverse as Google, Salesforce, DELL, CVS Health, American Airlines, PayPal, and more!
  • April 18 | The Three Amigos On ‘friendship And Transcendence’ | A Priest, Rabbi and Imam — Mons. Joseph Donnelly, Rabbi Eric Polokoff and Imam Gazmend Aga — are known in Connecticut as “The Three Amigos.” They will kick off our new Robertson Spirituality Series with a talk about their friendship and ways they connect with each other. The Robertson Series intends to provide provocative and nourishing presentations to seekers from all backgrounds. LEARN MORE
  • April 18th | LittleSis is launching “Research Tools for Organizers” a training curriculum designed to bring a new perspective to your organizing by incorporating practical research techniques and a corporate power analysis into your strategic campaigns. Trainings will be held every third Thursday, 7–8:30pm ET. Register to join us for an individual training or the full series here: https://bit.ly/ResearchToolsTraining
  • April 25–27th | Othering and Belonging Conference | UC Berkeley | Our Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign staff member, Rev. Cassandra Lawrence, will attend. Reach out if you’re around!
  • May 1 | Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, the Interfaith Center of New York & Others | We Dwell in Common: Ecumenical Resources for Interfaith Engagement | A webinar exploring the repertoire of ecumenical perspectives and methods that are crucial resources for interfaith engagement today — particularly important as ecumenical training is increasingly marginal in most programs of theological education and interreligious dialogue. Following a presentation by Dr. Linda Hogan, Professor of Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin and Former Head of the Irish School of Ecumenics, we will hear responses from and conversation among leading figures in US interfaith engagement and interreligious studies.
  • May 15th — 16th, 2024 | The Summit to Counter Antisemitism & Islamophobia and Related Forms of Hatred and Bias in Rural America: a two-day convening on the Tri-Faith Commons in Omaha, Nebraska. Registration Here
  • June 5–6, 2024 | Race, Religion, and Social Justice Conference | Omaha, NE.
  • June 11–14 | Center for Storybased Strategy Advanced Training | The Advanced Training (AT) is a 4-day deep immersion in Story-based Strategy concepts and tools. Story-based Strategy is a framework that integrates core principles from organizing, communications, narrative, and culture, and has built with grassroots movements in changing the story for over 20 years.
  • June 16–20 Teaching Interfaith Understanding Faculty Seminar
  • July 11–13 | Netroots Nation in Baltimore Proposals due Feb 5
  • August 2–4 | The 2024 Interfaith Leadership Summit | Chicago
  • August 30 — September 2, 2024 | 61st Annual ISNA Convention | Dallas, TX
  • May 23 — June 1 | Peace Catalyst trip in Bosnia & Herzegovina. You will meet and talk to Serbian Orthodox Christians, Bosniac Muslims, and Croatian Catholics. You will visit and discuss the Srebrenica memorial and learn why things fell apart, but more importantly, you will consider how to put things back together with people who have endured civil war and genocide. Trip details

Jobs

  • BJC: Religious Liberty | Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC) is searching for successful candidates to join their team. Click on the links below for more information: BJC Policy Counsel; Director of Development
  • Interfaith Alliance | Interfaith Alliance is seeking to expand their team with passionate and talented candidates! Click on the links below for more information: Communications, Marketing, and Fundraising Associate (DC preferred); Manager of Operations and Events (DC required); Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy
  • United Church of Christ | United Church of Christ is hiring to fill an open position within their team. Application submission closes on April 5. Click on the link below for more information: Communications and Campaigns Specialist
  • Emgage USA | Multiple Positions Open | National Positions: Communications and Operations Associate; Development Director; Development Associate; Development Internship. Florida Chapter: Interim Executive Director. Michigan Chapter: Community Organizer; Program Associate. Pennsylvania Chapter: Community Organizer. Texas Chapter: Executive Director. Virginia Chapter: Regional Organizer
  • InnoFaith | Contributing Editor | We’re looking to build a group that collectively is rooted in a diversity of networks so that we can make sure we’re bringing the best and most relevant faith and social innovation content to our multi-faith audience.
  • ReThink Media | Program Director, Rights & Inclusion | The Rights & Inclusion Program Director will supervise a team of communications professionals, work alongside our Research & Analysis team, and collaborate with ReThink leadership and staff to build narrative power and communications capacity for BAMEMSSA communities and leaders, shift public opinion via news and digital media, and promote a more just civil society.
  • US Campaign for Palestinian Rights | Operations and Bookkeeper
  • Pax Christi USA is currently hiring for the position of Executive Director | Pax Christi USA, located in Washington, D.C., has an opening for the position of Executive Director. Pax Christi USA is the national Catholic peace and justice movement. We work for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world through prayer, study and action. We encourage you to become familiar with our Statement of Principles: bit.ly/statementofprinciplespcusa. The position is full-time. Click here for a full job description and employment requirements.

Fellowships

  • Interfaith Youth Alliance in Southern California | Interfaith Summer Immersion Experience in Orange and LA counties. We will be housed at CSU Fullerton dorms and will visit 2–3 houses of worship everyday, along with 1–2 hours of leadership trainings each day.
  • 2024 Public Leaders for Inclusion Council | America Indivisible | The Public Leaders for Inclusion Council (PLC) is a leadership development program that equips public servants in elected, appointed, and professional positions to explore practices and policies that challenge anti-Muslim racism and other forms of hate while building inclusion and social resilience in their communities. Faith and community leaders are also welcome to apply.
  • Boston College School of Theology and Ministry is launching a new certificate program in summer 2024. Courage to Preach is a six-credit post-master’s certificate program that will train participants to read and interpret Scripture and use it as a foundational collection to preach on contemporary issues, such as racial, economic, and environmental justice. The program will teach methods for preaching and teaching diverse audiences. It is especially attuned to the various opportunities, contexts, and media that can be most effective for reaching young adults.
  • ISF’s paid 9-month Congressional Policy Fellowship are being accepted on a rolling basis. Through a 9-month paid fellowship, young professionals gain real-world experience working on legislative and public policy issues in Congress. This opportunity is for American Muslims committed to a career in public service.
  • Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice 2024 Certificate Program. June 17–21, 2024 Applicants are encouraged to seek sponsorship from their academic institutions, denominations, and congregations (most participants are sponsored either partially or fully by their academic institutions). For more information about the Certificate Program, including how to apply, please visit the following website: https://www.faithandjusticeacademy.com/
  • National Council of Churches Freedom Summer Fellowship | NCC Freedom Summer Fellowship program! Freedom Fellows are the cornerstone of the NCC Freedom Summer 60th-anniversary commemorative campaign. Through your participation as a leader in this one-week immersive fellowship program, you will establish community hubs and organize local churches for various outreach activities, including Bible study, canvassing, and voter empowerment and civic education workshops.
  • Auburn Rose Way Program for Emerging Leaders, we will host a second cohort of leaders aged 18–35 to form a broadly diverse group of faith-formed and faith-curious individuals who are bridging divides and healing the world. Submit your application here.
  • Center for Storytelling and Narrative Change. From May 30 — June 1 at Riverside Church in NYC, Auburn will bring together preachers, educators, writers and poets, podcasters, playwrights, and visual storytellers exploring religious and theological narratives that heal the world. It will be intentionally intergenerational and include people from across faith traditions. Submit your application here.
  • Hartford International University of Religion and Peace’s (HIU) Master of Arts in Peacebuilding Program (MAP) is a one-year, residential, 36-credit, master’s degree program where students develop interreligious literacy and acquire constructive conflict intervention skills through a combination of service-learning, traditional courses, experiential courses, and project-based learning. Students live in interreligious housing on the HIU campus. More Information
  • Interfaith Alliance is launching a new program, the Interfaith Alliance Leadership Network. The ILN is a cohort of diverse clergy and faith leaders who will work in partnership with Interfaith Alliance on a grassroots-driven project that addresses a critical need in their state or community. Interfaith Alliance will support the ILN with practical skills, financial resources, expert coaching, and a strong, collaborative network to advance civil rights and religious freedom across the country. Visit the ILN Landing page for more information and to see the application and nomination forms. I’ve also attached graphics and draft social below.
  • 2024 Summer Young Religious Leaders Summer Organizing Fellowship | For over fifteen years, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice has introduced young activists to the world of faith-rooted community organizing and to the labor movement through its annual paid summer internship program. The stipend this summer is $7,200. For ten weeks from June 3 to August 9, fellows will undergo intensive training in CLUE’s method of faith-rooted organizing and will work on active social justice campaigns alongside an experienced Faith-Rooted Organizer. Please note this organizing fellowship is not a 9am — 5pm internship, so a flexible schedule is preferred. More Information Here
  • Diversity, Dialogue, & Interfaith Engagement Internship | Interfaith Photovoice | We will be taking on several interns for the upcoming 2024–2025 academic year. Interns will help to coordinate, facilitate, and participate in an Interfaith Photovoice project based in their own location, in addition to other work that will be decided based on the intern’s own interests and strengths, and organizational needs. Learn more and apply on our website.

Grants

Call to Action

Resources

Toolkits

  • Sikh Coalition discussion guide for Fauja Singh Keeps Going, by Dr Simran Jeet Singh about the true story of the man who broke world records to become the first 100 yr old to run a marathon.
  • Discover Islam is a media company dedicated to producing educational material about Islam and Muslims. We started as an interfaith project on a Canadian university campus in 1991 and have grown into a brand known for quality and excellence in interfaith education. We’re currently embarking on a significant initiative: distributing 10,000 flash drives containing our six award-winning films, designed to provide insights into various aspects of Islam. This project is backed by a grant, which specifically requires that these educational materials be distributed to non-Muslim organizations and church denominations. In our past ventures, we’ve worked with groups such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church, U.S.A (ELCA), The United Church of Christ, The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), The Episcopal Church, and The Moravian Church Northern Province. Our collaboration extends to providing study guides, authored by Carol Schersten LaHurd and developed with the ELCA Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Muslim Relations and A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. These guides, can be optionally included in the flash drives, complement our films and enhance the viewer’s understanding. For more information on these films, please visit https://www.discoverislam.com/elca. Email info@discoverislam.com for more information and to receive your copies
  • What employers and educators need to know about the last 10 days of Ramadan, which are followed by the Muslim holiday, Eid ul-Fitr | ING
  • Faith in Elections Playbook — Interfaith America
  • Five types of misinformation | Teachers Guide
  • Know Your Rights materials | Muslim Advocates | for seeking religious accommodations to facilitate Ramadan observance at schools, in the workplace, and in carceral facilities (including relevant template letters)
  • Keeping the Faith | Muslim Advocates | advising departments of correction in all 50 states about accommodating Ramadan observance for people in custody.
  • Peacemaker Practice Cards | Search for Common Ground
  • The Commons | Build Up | Social media responses to the current political climate

U.S. Government Updates and Fact Sheets

Books & Stories

Reports

Event Recordings/Videos

Newsletters & Organizations to Follow

  • Arab American Institute | To confront what was coined the “Politics of Exclusion” by our co-founders, the Arab American Institute Foundation was launched in 1995 by the Arab American Institute as the civic engagement arm of the Arab American community. For over twenty years, AAIF has engaged with the 3.7 million Arab Americans living in all 50 states to encourage their full participation in local, state, and national governance.
  • Antisemitism Notebook | New weekly newsletter from the Forward | A candid examination of how rising antisemitism and disputes over how to address it are shaping American Jewish life.
  • The OpEd Project | Workshops
  • Narratives of America Project | US Baha’i Office of Public Affairs
  • Center of Muslim Experience in the United States | Arizona State University
  • Join the Building Movement Project for this year’s Solidarity Is programs to sharpen analysis and strategy, deepen our connections, and practice skills that can help us continue the critical work of advancing justice and liberation.
  • Tech and Social Cohesion | How can we design and deploy tech to build social cohesion, rather than polarization and violence? This space elevates perspectives and shares initiatives underway to incentivize tech which builds trust and collaboration. Substack Newsletter Here

Articles/Podcasts

Closing:

In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute. — Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice

“[We must] place at the center of all political, social, and economic activity the human person, who enjoys the highest dignity, and respect for the common good. May this determination help us flee from the temptation for revenge and the satisfaction of short-term partisan interests.” — Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti

“We are in such a climate of hate right now. We’re seeing diminishing acts of kindness and love because fear of the stranger has been so deeply cultivated in us. Breaking down that us-and-them binary is part of the work of love. We need to challenge all the binaries we face and try to see where to find a relationship with the ‘other’ — the one we fear — so that we can enact compassion.” — Sharon Salzberg in The Work of Nonviolence

Antimuslim Discrimination
Islamophobia
Discrimination
Interfaith

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Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign
Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign

Written by Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign

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Shoulder to Shoulder is a coalition of 36 religious denominations and organizations committed to standing with American Muslims to advance American ideals

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