November Resource Roundup

Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign
11 min readDec 1, 2023

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.

The notes below are a selection of public resources and events shared by network members and our various partners and friends. If you want to learn more about our Shoulder to Shoulder Community Network, contact us and/or check out our website.

A Special Note

We started the Community and Congregational Network in 2017 to live out our mission of equipping, connecting, and mobilizing communities to build a country where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. During the last five years, this network has expanded and deepened our collaboration and resource-sharing with local communities across 32 states. This work now includes our monthly Resource Roundup that our staff and community curate monthly. We have shared hundreds of jobs, grant opportunities, toolkits, reports, and events.

Over the last two months, we have rapidly ramped up our work to connect, equip, and mobilize communities, and we need your help to continue at this level. Our 2024 calendar is filling up with more Faith Over Fear trainings, new resources, and convenings.

If you value this monthly Resource Roundup and the support we provide you and our partners, DONATE to the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign today. Every dollar we receive contributes to this important work.

Are you staff at a community or faith-based organization? We know that many people on our email list are community leaders leading their own organizations, so please consider giving as an individual and/or as an organization. To contribute as an organization, please email us directly at info@S2SCampaign.org.

Thank you for all you do every day.

With gratitude,

Cassandra

S2S Updates & Highlighted Resources

Upcoming Important Dates

Events

  • Beyond Divide and Conquer: Unite and Build Racial Equity — Four-part training
  • Islamophobia Awareness Month
  • December 5, 2023 | Join an online discussion of “Slavery and Islam,” by Jonathan A.C. Brown. Brown, a professor and the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization at Georgetown University, explores the moral and ultimately theological problem of slavery across the Jewish, Christian and primarily Islamic traditions. 25 free books will be available to those who sign up. Register Here
  • The Forum on Workplace Inclusion’s Navigating Spiritual, Religious and Worldview Diversity in the Workplace with Najeeba Syeed | Thursday, December 7, Zoom
  • Institute for Social Policy and Understanding | Translating Research into Action and Change: A How-to DiscussionThursday, December 7, 8–9 pm EST
  • December 7 & 8 | Transformative Conversations is a training that seeks to equip community leaders to engage others in difficult conversations on hot button issues effectively. Register Here
  • Wellbeing for Heart, Mind, Spirit, and Body | December 10 | In this virtual, experiential session, Rachel Baldi and Simcha Zevit share teachings from Islamic and Jewish traditions that promote a harmonious approach to overall well-being. Register Here
  • Interfaith Photovoice Workshop | December 13th | Interfaith Photovoice founder Roman Williams will facilitate a photovoice workshop in which participants use their own photographs to have a conversation about gratitude. He will also present an overview of photovoice as a method of interfaith engagement, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. Reserve your seat now
  • Workshop and Lecture with Amy-Jill Levine | Tuesday, January 9, Chapel of the Incarnation, Olson Campus Center, St. Paul, MN. In person and on YouTube | Clergy Workshop: “Understanding Jesus and Paul Means Understanding Jewish Practice and Belief” | “The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Why Knowledge of Jewish History Matters for Christian Preaching and Teaching” More Information and Registration Here
  • Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom — Spain 2024 — MEJDI Tours

Jobs

  • Come join our team at the Bridging Divides Initiative!
  • The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom is Hiring! We are looking for a part-time office manager. For more information, please email tahija@sosspeace.org
  • Careers — Interfaith America Director of Data Governance; Program Coordinator; Talent & Culture Administrator
  • ISPU is seeking their next Executive Director! It’s an incredible opportunity for an experienced executive with a passion for our mission to provide objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making. You can find the post here.
  • Faith in Public Life | Senior Director of Development
  • Vigilant Love is looking for a Community Organizer, Grants Manager, and Communications Coordinator as we grow our small and mighty team.

Fellowships

  • M4BL will select 20 Black-led organizations from 20 different cities to participate in the 11-month People’s Response Fellowship to advance a collective strategy for Black safety and wellness. More information and application here
  • Applications are now open for Collegeville Institute’s About Me, About You: A Writing Workshop By and For Women of Color with Roohi Choudhry. This generative writing workshop, designed to bring together women of color from diverse backgrounds to write creative prose rooted in personal experience, will be held from April 22–28, 2024 at General Theological Seminary in New York City. Applications are due Thursday, December 7, 2024.
  • BJC Fellows Program: We are currently accepting referrals and applications for the 2024 BJC Fellows Program. If you know someone that is interested or if you work with young and emerging professionals, please share this information. They can visit BJConline.org/fellows for more information. FYI…Please encourage any past applicants to reapply. The 2024 Seminar will take place July 24–28, 2024. (Shoulder to Shoulder’s Director of Strategic Communications, Rev. Cassandra Lawrence, was a 2022 Fellow.)

Grants

  • Emergent Fund: https://www.emergentfund.net/apply. Emergent Fund is a rolling, monthly rapid response and emergent organizing grant for movement and frontline communities responding to urgent and specific unanticipated crises or opportunities to build power.
  • Urgent Action Fund: https://urgentactionfund.org/our-grants/security-grant/. We provide fast, flexible support to women, trans and non-binary activists so they can respond to unexpected risks and opportunities. We offer security grants, which are intended to support the safety and security of activists at risk. We also offer opportunity grants, which fund efforts to influence policy, raise awareness on important issues, and advocate for change.
  • Inaya Care Fund from HEART: a grassroots fund for US-based Muslims in need of financial assistance as they navigate grief, organizing, and transitions. (Please share and support this beautiful care fund)
  • Rise Together Fund is offering rapid response grants ranging from $5,000 — $25,000 to U.S. based community organizations. Each inquiry will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Whenever possible, RTF will support organizations with general support grants to allow for organizational flexibility. More Information Here

Call to Action

Resources

Toolkits

Books

Reports

Event Recordings & Podcasts

  • UNESCO REP Webinar Series 6th Event | New Perspectives on Collective Healing, Social Justice and Well-Being, an international webinar series, jointly hosted by The UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples Project and the Global Humanity for Peace Institute, University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD).
  • Paths to Understanding | Host Jeff Renner facilitates conversations about anti-semitism, interfaith, Islamophobia, cultural racism, religious oppression, and violence against faith-based communities. Watch Here
  • In a recent Interfaith Dialogue hosted at Muslim Community Center, East Bay, Rev. Andrew Lobban and Dr. Ali Ataie examined the role of Jesus, son of Mary (peace and blessings be upon him), in the Bible and Christian theology and contrasted with his role in the Qur’an and Islamic theology. Watch Here
  • New Ground: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change — Public Forum on Antisemitism
  • New Ground: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change — Public Forum on Islamophobia
  • Understanding and Countering Online Hate During the Israel-Gaza Conflict — JCPA
  • Organizing for the Long Haul by Building Community
  • In her talk on the theme of ROOTS, Malaka Gharib shares her creative history and some funny, touching examples of her work. As an artist, journalist, writer, cartoonist, and zine maker, Malaka speaks about her experience as a first-generation Filipino Egyptian American and how her cultural identity has shaped her work. In her talk, she tells us that it’s never too late to explore and embrace your roots.
  • In the latest episode of Interfaith America with Eboo Patel, Harvard political scientist Danielle Allen discusses the role of power, agency, and religious identities in reinvigorating American democracy.

Articles

Closing

Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Unfolding Light

www.unfoldinglight.net

At the bird feeder I see sparrows and finches,

catbirds, chickadees, mourning doves,

woodpeckers (downy and hairy,

and even the occasional huge pileated

hanging comically on the tiny suet cage),

bluebirds, jays and cardinals….

each with their own calls, their own habits,

their flight patterns, their ways of flocking.

Each different. All distinct. All their own.

God grant you the grace to have your voice, yours,

not another’s, not what another wants of you,

even if you upset them.

God grant you faith to trust your own goodness,

in your own form, with your own gifts,

not what others wish or expect of you.

Let the bluejay next to you squawk all they want;

you don’t have to be a bluejay, or pretend,

or make the bluejay happy.

Don’t let even the mockingbird get you

to sing another’s song. If you’re a sparrow,

be a sparrow, sing your sparrow song.

That’s what gives The Listener such joy

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Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign
Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign

Written by Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign

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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