On April 5th, the Interfaith Center of New York will hold a full-day conference for the city’s religious and civic leaders, exploring the emerging challenges for religious leadership under the presidency of Donald Trump. After the keynote welcome by NYCLU’s Donna Lieberman, a panel discussion will be held on the role of religious leaders in supporting New York’s diverse immigrant communities. The panelists:
Dr. Diane Steinman (pictured top left) is the co-founder and director of the New York State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform, a network of diverse faith community leaders and organizations formed in 2009 to advocate adoption of just and humane immigration/refugee policies. She also serves as co-chair of the Micah Faith Table Immigration Committee, which works to promote immigration reform, expand NYC faith community involvement in the reform movement, and enhance knowledge and appreciation of New York City’s “gorgeous mosaic.”
The Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper (pictured top right) is Senior Minister at Judson Memorial Church (a sanctuary congregation. One of the first women trained by Saul Alinsky, the founder of community organization strategies, Schaper has focused on issues of political and economic development and interfaith and open rituals which support action for social change. At Judson she has pioneered work with the New York City New Sanctuary Movement to protect those immigrants being detained or deported unjustly as well as making Judson a home for Occupy and Occupy Faith.
Rev. Juan Carlos Luis (pictured bottom left) is a priest at The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.He is also a nationally known community activist who serves as immigration liaison with The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. Rev. Luis is one of the co-founders of the New Sanctuary Movement, which supports immigrants across the country who have taken refuge in churches to avoid deportation.
Ravi Ragbir (pictured bottom right) is a nationally recognized leader in the immigrants’ rights movement. In 2010, Mr. Ragbir became a full-time organizer for the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City, one of the largest coalitions in the city focused on immigrants’ rights, with over 20 faith-based and supporting organizations, representing over 3,000 New Yorkers. Through his own struggle to remain in the U.S., Mr. Ragbir became active in supporting other immigrants and refugees facing similar challenges. He faces deportation on April 11, 2017.
This conference is a professional development and capacity building opportunity for religious leaders, allowing faith leaders to learn about social issues, create networks for mutual support, and meet civic leaders and service providers. We invite all concerned New York City faith leaders to attend this retreat to share your actions and ideas, and explore opportunities to work together to address the concerns of your communities.
