Call for Panelist Presenters

The 2022 Annual Summer Interfaith Forum is seeking panelists to present at its forthcoming gathering: Together for a Beloved Community
As future faith leaders how can we create spaces of true belonging and real connection?

We live in a country that is rich in diversity and intersectionality, necessitating a dialogue about how to establish spaces of faith where people can believe in and belong to themselves, as well as have a sense of connection to a larger humanity. We believe religious communities, faith leaders and those on a spiritual journey can play a central role by embodying their spiritual values in creating a more just, harmonious, and peaceful world.

This forum aims to address pertinent societal issues among a group of diverse participants in their twenties and thirties. Individuals may be defined as those who lead publicly through a religious or spiritual voice or those who lead publicly with a secular voice and have a strong private religious and/or spiritual practice. 

Potential topics to consider may include, but are not limited to:

• How can faith communities create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued? 
• Preparing young people for faith diversity
• How can religion and interfaith community help us create belonging in this stage of our spiritual, social, and scientific evolution?
• What do religion and interfaith communities teach us about how we can strengthen narratives of bridging and belonging? 
• Steps your congregation/religious tradition is taking to tackle issues of privilege and systemic bias, taking personal and collective responsibility to change them.

You will be asked to present a paper related to any of the above topics and will have a total of 10 minutes allocated. Papers should reflect original work. 

Please send an abstract of no more than 250 words together with your affiliation and contact details by June 1st, 2022 to Grace Song, wbslearn@woninstitute.edu