Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign Mid-Year Update
Dear Shoulder to Shoulder Partners & Supporters:
I’m writing to share an update on our work over the last six months. I hope this will reorient you to our campaign, remind you that we are here for you, and encourage your continued engagement and collaboration in our shared work at the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign (S2S).
Our team and leadership remain committed to a greater vision of an inclusive and pluralistic U.S. where all people, regardless of their faith or background, are treated with dignity. We move closer toward that vision through Shoulder to Shoulder’s mission of connecting, equipping, and mobilizing communities of faith at national and local levels (primarily people of faith beyond Muslim communities) to understand, counter, and prevent anti-Muslim discrimination in the US. Our network consists of a broad collection of individuals and organizations with varying approaches to countering anti-Muslim discrimination, as well as differences in politics and our many issues of concern, domestic and global. This is our challenge, our strength, and our opportunity. We see ourselves as one organization among an ecosystem of organizations working on these issues in multiple capacities, each doing our part based on our unique locations.
When considering the impact of our work, we often think in numbers, i.e. how many trainings we have done or how many people we have reached. But what we believe is core to this kind of work is something that’s not always visible and measurable — relationships. Since October 2023, we have certainly had an increase in requests for workshops and trainings, but some of our most meaningful engagements have been over texts, phone calls, emails, and Zoom meetings with our partners, friends, and colleagues in various communities and interfaith contexts. Since the start of 2024, our team has had more than fifty intentional one-to-one conversations, which have been spaces for thought partnership, cultivating deeper relationships and engagement, contact sharing, and resource sharing that also help us stay aware of local developments beyond the headlines. We’ve also facilitated conversations about joy and grief in times of pain, and in the context of social change, for our Community & Congregational Network members — a space for them to connect and share all of the challenges, hopes, and opportunities they are experiencing in this time.
In February, we convened our National Partners, Consultative Circle members, and our Executive Committee in DC, where we heard from leaders in the field like Maya Berry from Arab American Institute, Aziza Hasan from NewGround, Erum Ikramullah from ISPU, and Salam Al-Marayati from MPAC. Deepa Iyer led participants through her Social Change Map workshop, to help us and our partners reflect on the roles they do and can play in our coalition. Two weeks later, over 150 guests, including local Muslim and interfaith leaders, and many of our partners came together for our annual DC/Maryland/Virginia Iftar. In addition to sharing updates on our work, together we enjoyed meaningful conversations, a blessed time of prayer, and delicious cuisine.
Since January, we facilitated four Faith Over Fear trainings and workshops for the Student Diversity Initiative at Hillsborough High School in New Jersey, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston in Texas, for Jefferson County Public Schools Kentucky teachers and staff, and the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission at St. James’ Episcopal Church in upstate New York. Through our post-training surveys, participants shared how they are better equipped to communicate on this issue in their own communities, and feel empowered to speak up and take action.
We’ve held two virtual Public Conversations so far — one on Allyship & Accountability with Margari Hill and Whitney Parnell with over 70 registered guests, and one on Understanding & Addressing Islamophobia and Antisemitism, featuring Jenan Mohajir and Rebecca Russo from Interfaith America, with over 150 registered guests. Participants shared that they were deeply impacted by what speakers offered in each conversation, and how they were equipped with new knowledge and practical insights to become better neighbors and allies in this time, and always.
Through our invaluable partnerships and friendships, our team was invited to engage in over a dozen presentations or speaking engagements this year, including for students at Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, a United Church of Christ webinar on Navigating Interfaith Relations in the Midst of Global Conflict, a Gaza Forum for Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago students, among others. We’ve attended and participated in seven convenings around the country, including National Council of Churches — Christian-Muslim Dialogue, an Advocacy & Movement Convening for BAMEMSA (Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian) movement-building in Chicago, International Religious Freedom Forum in DC, USDA & Tri-Faith Summit to Counter Antisemitism & Islamophobia and Related Forms of Hatred and Bias in Rural America in Omaha, among others. We also participated in an international convening at Wilton Park in the U.K. on addressing the rise in global hatred on the basis of religion or belief that included participants from around the world, including government and multilateral representatives, grassroots and national leaders. We continue our regular recurring convening commitments and particulate in coalitions in our greater BAMEMSA field.
Our strategic communications goal is to increase audience understanding and engagement to counter anti-Muslim discrimination. We also strive to tell stories, pointing to facts and data about who American Muslims are, in all their rich diversity, beyond the Islamophobia lens. In 2023, our website traffic increased by 400%, with over 70,000 unique visitors annually. Through the support of our social media consulting partners, our followers and engagement have rapidly increased with original content.
We continue to curate monthly Resource Roundup emails that share a selection of public resources, events, grants, and relevant opportunities shared by network members and our various partners and friends in the field, which have also been well-received and have increased our email engagement metrics. In May, S2S was grateful to unexpectedly receive a one-time donation of $125,000. This donation came just after Ramadan, when we experienced challenges in reaching our fundraising goals in light of the current context. As of June, Becca Tyvoll has moved up from part-time to a full-time position with us, which will continue to scale our existing efforts and expand our network. We ask for your continued support through engaging with our work and donating to help sustain and grow our team’s capacity.
As we look ahead into the next six months, anticipating all that is to come with a critical election, please know our team is here for you to share contacts and resources in the field, to offer trainings and workshops, to co-design programming to meet your particular audience and needs, as we together work towards our shared vision. Please contact our team directly for any questions or concerns.
If you haven’t already, explore and follow our social media platforms:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s2scampaign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shouldertoshouldercampaign/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shoulder-to-shoulder-campaign
- Medium: https://s2scampaign.medium.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shouldertoshouldercampaign
- Twitter/X: http://twitter.com/s2scampaign
The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign aspires to be a model of multifaith solidarity, not just a coalition for coalition’s sake. Our team wishes to work alongside you, our partners, to reach and teach people of faith who are not Muslim about Islamophobia so that Muslims don’t have to do this work alone. And we will continue to help communities connect the dots to other forms of hate and discrimination, including antisemitism and anti-Arab hate, as we seek to break through echo chambers by sharing and pointing to the multiple perspectives and approaches in the greater field. We know this is a particularly challenging time for interfaith relationships, partnerships, and collaborations, and we know we will get through it, one moment at a time, shoulder to shoulder with you.
With hope,
Nina and the Shoulder to Shoulder Team
