Having Difficulty Viewing This Email?, Please Click Here.

In This Issue:

1. Executive Director's Updates
   • Interreligious Council Capacity Building
   • RFP-USA and Interfaith Youth Core Partner
   • National Days of Interfaith Youth Service - April 9-10, 2005
   • International Day of Women Celebration - March 8
   • Heckman selected as Senior Fellow at Baruch College
   • Katherine Clark and Eric Severson Join RFP-USA
   • Religions for Peace-USA Is Growing! Thank you!
2. We Are All Connected
   • Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice - March 11-14
3. An Introduction to the Sikh Cultural Society of Richmond Hill
4. "American Judaism" and "Bridge or Barrier: Religion, Violence and Visions for Peace"
5. Food for Thought: Malcolm X
6. Donate to Religions for Peace - USA
7. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

From Our Executive Director…

Sam Muyskens humors the Board of the KCIC

Interreligious Council Capacity Building

We have heard from so many of you who are excited about doing interfaith work in your communities. The questions are in our inbox everyday. "Should we focus on dialogue or action/social services?" "How should we structure ourselves - grassroots or religious leaders?" "What are the best ways to get funding?" The latest was from a group seeking to start an interfaith council in Greater Toronto.

Religions for Peace - USA, with generous support from the Rockefeller Foundation, is presently providing technical assistance to three emerging interreligious councils in the U.S.. In January, we sent Rev. Dr. Clark Lobenstine, Executive Director of the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington and Rev. Sam Muyskens, Executive Director of the InterFaith Ministries of Wichita to work with the newly reconstituting Kansas City Interfaith Council. KCIC had been a program division of CRES for many years and is seeking to establish itself as an independent nonprofit.

Lobenstine also consulted with the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia. While they have different organizational structures and foci in their respective communities, both Lobenstine and Muyskens bring a passion for mixing dialogue and action to their interfaith work. They have over a half century of experience between them.

Religions for Peace - USA also has produced a guidebook entitled "Building for Peace - A Guidebook for the Development of Local Interreligious Councils," which is soon to be available on the web. Look for more details in upcoming e-newsletters.

We want to hear your stories and hope to resource more communities in the future. In the meantime, we encourage people to consider attending NAEIS and NAIN conferences in July and August of 2005. We also advise visiting the Pluralism Project's website for locating interfaith organization's in your area. Religions for Peace - USA shared its directory of nearly 800 U.S. interfaith organizations with the Pluralism Project.

RFP-USA and Interfaith Youth Core Partner

Religions for Peace-USA is pleased to announce a new partnership with Interfaith Youth Core. Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based international grassroots organization, is building a movement that encourages religious young people to strengthen their religious identities, foster inter-religious understanding, and cooperate to serve the common good. Religions for Peace - USA is working to support the work of IFYC through its relationships and affiliates, as an extension of its own historic work with religious youth. An example, in point, is the National Days of Interfaith Youth Serve. See below.

National Days of Interfaith Youth Service - April 9-10, 2005

On April 9-10, 2005 the National Days of Interfaith Youth Service (NDYIS) will bring together religiously diverse young people in hometowns and college campuses across the nation to serve their communities. These young people will explore and act upon the impetus for service in their religious traditions and work towards better inter-religious understanding. Grassroots organizers of the National Day will come together on May 16-17, 2005 at the 3rd National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work in Chicago to celebrate the impact of 2005 and plan for 2006.

To learn more, to find a site in your area, or to organize your own site, go to www.ifyc.org/ndiys.

International Day of Women Celebration - March 8

On March 8th, Religions for Peace - USA will join with the Chaplain's Office of the Church Center for the United Nations to celebrate the UN's International Day of Women. The focus this year is on Women and HIV/AIDS. The public event will feature Ubaka Hill (Ooo-bah'-kah), who is a nationally known drummer, teacher, performer, and visual artist. It will be at 6 p.m. in the Tillman Chapel. For directions, please click here.

Heckman selected as Senior Fellow at Baruch College

Executive Director of Religions for Peace-USA, Rev. Bud Heckman, was recently selected as a 2005 Senior Fellow at Baruch College as part of United Way of New York City's Nonprofit Leadership Development Institute. The program "focuses on high performing nonprofit professionals with at least five years of experience in the sector," providing them the skills and education necessary to lead the nonprofit sector for the next generation.

The Nonprofit Leadership Development Institute was created in response to a two-year research project, conducted by Baruch College School of Public Affairs, on Leadership Development and Succession Management in the New York City Nonprofit Sector. Bud hopes to apply the learnings of the program to work of Religions for Peace - USA.

Katherine Clark and Eric Severson Join RFP-USA

Eric Severson joined Religions for Peace-USA in January as intern. Eric is a senior at New York University, double-majoring in philosophy and religious studies. At Religions for Peace - USA, Eric is working on issues surrounding the U.N. and religion in foreign policy. For example, he is editing a study guide on religion and international affairs presently. He hopes to pursue a career in poverty alleviation. The son of a Lutheran pastor, Eric hails from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Katherine Clark joined Religions for Peace-USA as a volunteer. Katherine is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin. A recent arrival to NYC, she is exploring some options, prior to further studies and travel. She worked for the Pluralism Project this past summer, studying Tamil communities in the upper Midwest, after having lived and worked among the Tamil people in India for a year abroad. She enjoys yoga and studying many world traditions.

Religions for Peace-USA Is Growing! Thank you!

Thank you for your generous responses to our end-of-the-year giving appeal. In 2004, we met our fundraising goal and garnered the $6,000 anonymous matching grant. Your support is helping! Let us cite just two other positive indicators….

In a little over a period of one year we have increased the number of our participating religious communities by 30%, adding a dozen new religious communities. Others are still inquiring. Thank you for your interest!

From FY2003 to FY2004, we grew the number of religious communities financially contributing to the operations of Religions for Peace - USA by 56%. That is a big jump! A special thanks is owed to our Treasurer, Rev. Olivia Holmes, and Chair of Finance and Development, Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar for their special efforts.

We have set our sights even higher for 2005. Why? It has never been more important in our history for religions to work together than right now. To continue achieving our mission and to expand our work, Religions for Peace - USA must partner with individuals like you. Please consider a donation today.

Make All Things New is the theme of the third annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days gathering in Washington, D.C.. Ecumenical Advocacy Days will highlight the urgency of pursuing wise and peaceful solutions to conflicts and the need for aid, debt, and trade policies that benefit impoverished peoples.

Participants will examine U.S. policy regarding the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, global economic justice, global security, eco-justice, and U.S. domestic issues. Comprehensive briefings will precede visits with members of Congress or their key policy staff assistants.

More than 30 faith-based groups are sponsoring or supporting this year's Ecumenical Advocacy Days, which will provide religious leaders, laypersons, and others interested in advocacy with a mix of worship, music, prayer, issue briefings, plenary speakers, and advocacy training workshops.

For more information and to register, go to www.advocacydays.org, or email info@advocacydays.org or call (202) 544-2350.

With over 50 member religious communities and over 90 members on its three councils, Religions for Peace-USA, wishes to occasionally spotlight individual members or communities. This issue features the Sikh Cultural Society of Richmond Hill

From Rabinder S. Bharma of the Sikh Cultural Society of Richmond Hill, one of the original founders…

Sikhism is the youngest and the fifth largest religion of the world. With an estimated population of approximately 25 million worldwide, out of which 20 million reside in India, Sikhs only started migrating to United States around the end of nineteenth century in relatively small numbers. The present U.S. population is estimated to be around 500,000. A very religious, hardworking, and law abiding people, who once ruled the northwest part of what is now modern India. By tradition they are good soldiers, farmers, industrious and law enforcing people, and British rulers in India used their talents in these regards. For example, Sikhs formed 47 percent of the army and police force at a time in which they constituted only 2 percent of the total population of India.

The Sikh place of worship is called Gurdwara. In New York City, Sikhs incorporated the Sikh Cultural Society in 1968, a tax exempt society with the sole purpose of starting a Gurdwara. It was started with donations from the members in 1972 on the site of an old Methodist church. This was the first major Gurdwara on the East coast. Starting with a membership of about 250 people in 1972, it has now risen to about 3,000. 7,000 to 8,000 persons attend services on weekends. Along with development of nine more Gurdwaras in Queens and Long Island - many of which it helped to start - the Sikh population has risen to approximately 70,000 in area, according to the Sikh Cultural Society.

The Sikhs by their religious discipline are required to keep uncut hair and men wear a turban on their head. This gives them a distinct look and does result in discrimination in society. The appearance of the turban and beard means that they are often mistaken "for being Muslims" or "for being from the Middle East." The Sikh Cultural Society in Richmond Hill works to increase understanding and tolerance for Sikhs in the greater New York area. Members have been subjected to misdirected hate crimes or workplace discrimination.

In this section we feature interesting, replicable projects of our member religious communities or thought-provoking publications for our common mission. In this issue we highlight the books American Judaism: A History by Jonathan Sarna and "Bridge or Barrier: Religion, Violence and Visions for Peace" edited by Gerrie ter Haar and James Busuttil.

American Judaism: A History

Jonathan Sarna, a Brandeis University professor, chronicles the 350-year history of the Jewish religion in America. Tracing American Judaism from its origins in the colonial era through the present day, Sarna explores the ways in which Judaism adapted in this new context. How did American culture-predominantly Protestant and overwhelmingly capitalist-affect Jewish religion and culture? And how did American Jews shape their own communities and faith in the new world? Sarna, a preeminent scholar of American Judaism, tells the story of individuals struggling to remain Jewish while also becoming American. He offers a dynamic and timely history of assimilation and revitalization, of faith lost and faith regained. The first comprehensive history of American Judaism in over fifty years, this book is both a celebration of 350 years of Jewish life in America and essential reading for anyone interested in American religion and life.

Publisher: Yale University Press (February, 2004) ISBN: 030010197X

"Bridge or Barrier: Religion, Violence and Visions for Peace"

The book discusses the transformative role of religion in situations of violent conflict. It considers both the constructive and destructive sides of religious belief and particularly explores ways in which religion(s) may contribute to transforming conflict into peace.

Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers ISBN 90 04 13943 5

You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.

Malcolm X (1925-1965), "Prospects for Freedom in 1965," speech, Jan. 7, 1965, New York City.