by Kate Chance,
Interfaith Coordinator for Islamic Networks Group
I was speaking with a friend not too long ago about the political divisions in our country and all the hateful language being used towards those holding different ideologies. We’d both consider ourselves open minded—we’re Episcopalians and identify with the liberal ideals of most of our San Francisco Bay Area neighbors and friends.
As we were talking about this divisiveness she mentioned the name of a friend who had voted for Donald Trump in this past election. She said that her friend began to share why she voted for Trump, before she cut her off saying, “I’m sorry, I just don’t want to hear what you have to say about this.”
How can we claim to be open minded and accepting when so often we are not listening to those of other opinions? How can we argue that we are aware of the concerns facing our nation when we subscribe to only one news source and surround ourselves with those of similar opinions?
Photo: Islamic Networks Group employees and volunteers attending a
unity rally promoting the importance of Know Your Neighbor
While the political divisiveness is something all Americans are well aware of, the solution isn’t. We often view these political conflicts as something to be solved by convincing those of other opinions to adopt our view point instead of listening to theirs. This approach is only furthering this conflict and pushing those of different viewpoints to further polarization, and the further we push that polarization, the less we empathize with those around us and so foster an “us” versus “them” mentality.
This is why Islamic Networks Group has launched the Know Your Neighbor: Multifaith Encounters Summer Campaign (www.ing.org/KYN), which calls all Americans, regardless of political ideology or religious identity, to participate in a few simple actions this summer to help encourage more empathy and understanding in our nation.
Photo: A moment of interfaith dialogue from a Muslim-Jewish Halaqa-Seder dinner
The Know Your Neighbor: Multifaith Encounters Summer Campaign provides simple yet impactful tools and resources for reaching out to build mutual understanding and respect among all our fellow Americans over the summer and beyond. Studies show that all you need is a ten-minute non-confrontational encounter with a person from a different background to dispel stereotyping and prejudice.
There are suggested activities for individuals, communities, and youth to participate in this program, with challenges as simple as talking to someone while waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store. We invite you to sign up and participate in this campaign by visiting our website, Flyers giving overviews of these campaigns are linked at the bottom of this post.
We believe that if enough Americans join our campaign by participating in one or two simple actions of mutual encounter, we can strengthen our communities, foster relations among all Americans, and live up to our national ideal of being one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Learn More about the Know Your Neighbor Campaign & share it with others using these resources:
Know Your Neighbor Main Campaign Flyer
Know Your Neighbor Individuals Flyer
Know Your Neighbor Communities Flyer
Know Your Neighbor Youth Flyer
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Know Your Neighbor: Multifaith Encounters (KYN:ME) is a grassroots project of the Islamic Networks Group (ING), whose mission is the pursuit of peace through education and interfaith engagement while working within the framework of the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom and pluralism. KYN:ME is a network of ING affiliates and over 70 interfaith organizations with a combined presence in all 50 states. To learn more about ING, visit us at www.ing.org. To learn more about the KYN summer campaign, go to www.ing.org/KYN. To join the KYN:ME network, write to Interfaith@ing.org.
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