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At a Glance
Interfaith Summer Institute
August 4- 12 Schedule
Download PDF or view here

Collective Process of the Interfaith Summer Institute

The Interfaith Summer Institute is providing a unique opportunity to bring people together from across many differences and movements. We are offering a loose structure that can be a container for whatever people make happen. We would like to encourage a spirit and intention of sharing/dialogue/deep communication and invite all to share the responsibility to take initiatives to make this happen.

At the SFU Burnaby Campus, the James Douglas Room and the Halpern Centre are the central spaces of the Institute. The James Douglas Room will be available in the morning for coffee, tea and coming together before the courses start, as well as throughout the day for people to gather at lunch, or to caucus or meet after the courses.

We are also using a series of talking circles (see below) to bring people together to meet each other and to reflect on their experiences. We encourage people to move to different circles each day in order to meet new people.

Sunday and Monday: Introduction Circles

Wednesday Talking Circles: What are obstacles, struggles, difficulties you are having in interfaith alliances and solidarity( keep in mind the theme of race, power and difference)? What are issues coming up for you here at the ISI?

Saturday Talking Circles What has worked in your experience of interfaith solidarity and alliances with social movements? What would you like to do?

Sunday Talking Circles Where do we go from here? Mapping future directions

AUGUST 5th
Sunday 10:00 am– 5:30 pm
SFU – Burnaby Campus

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE FOR PEACE
AND JUSTICE

Opening and Welcome

Introduction Circles

Panel on Spiritual Practice and Justice
Stephen Aberle (Jewish- Jews for Just Peace), James Loney (Christian -Christian Peacemaker Teams), and Priti Shah (Community activist and Living Wage Campaign)
  • How does your spirituality/faith practice sustain you in justice work?
  • How can spirituality/faith practice inform activism that is life-giving?

Roundtable on the Rights and Responsibilities of Spiritual Practice in an Interfaith Context
Members of the Interfaith Summer Institute Community Consultative Committee and participants

  • How can we act justly, or with justice, towards the spiritual practice of others?

Spiritual Practice: A Time to Pray, Reflect, Meditate or Chant in Different Groups or Traditions.

Closing Ceremony

AUGUST 6th
Monday 1:00 pm – 8:pm
First Nations House of Learning

INTERFAITH SOLIDARITY / OPENING

Opening Ceremony

Welcome to Long House and Musqueam Territory

Introduction Circles

Introductory Remarks

Keynote: Interfaith Solidarity: Power, Race, and Difference
Simona Sharoni and Robert Joseph (Gwa wa enuk First Nation)

Break | 4:00pm – 4:30pm

Panel: 4:30pm – 6:00pm
Is There Life after Tea?
Moving From Interfaith Dialogue to Solidarity In Times of Empire
Farid Esack, Carmencita Karagdag, and Kathryn Poethig

Dinner | 6:00 pm

Concert | 7:00 pm

Closing | 8:00 pm

COURSES

AUGUST 7th - 11th
Tuesday - Saturday | SFU Burnaby Campus

Morning Classes | 9:30am - 12:30pm

The War for Muslim Minds:
A Progressive Islamic Response
Farid Esack

Engaged Buddhism Across the Pacific
Kathryn Poethig

Fundamentalism in World Religions
Namsoon Kang

Afternoon Classes | 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Can you Love the Land Like I do? Building Native – Non-Native Alliances
Dorothy Christian (Okanagan-Secwepemc)
and Victoria Freeman

Religion, Nationalism, and Human Rights: Gendering South Asia and Its Diasporas
Angana Chatterji

Difficult Conversations Across Significant Differences: The Israel/Palestinian Conflict
Simona Sharoni

WORKSHOPS & FORUMS

AUGUST 4th - 5th
Saturday 9:00 – 6:00 | Sunday noon -9:00 pm
Renfrew Community Centre 2929 E 22nd Avenue
Popular Theatre:
Preventing Gender-Based Violence
Nisha Sajnani and Victor Porter

AUGUST 7th-9th
2:00pm - 6:00 pm | Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre 1607 East Hastings
Hip-Hop for Social Justice
Sara Kendall , Rupinder Sidhu,
with JB The First Lady and Skeena Reece

AUGUST 7th
Tuesday 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Ross Street Sikh Temple 8000 Ross Street
(Food served)
Popular Theatre and Public Forum : Religion, Culture and Violence against Women
Nisha Sajnani and Angana Chatterji

AUGUST 9th
Thursday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
SFU Harbour Centre
Transformation Through Encounters
with the Other
Public Forum with James Loney

AUGUST 10th
Friday 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | SFU Harbour Centre
HIV, AIDS and Religion:
Between Scorn, Pity and Justice
Public Forum with Farid Esack

AUGUST 12th
Sunday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
SFU Burnaby Campus
Interfaith Solidarity for Worker Justice: Challenges and Hopes
Junaid Ahmad and Priti Shah

Sunday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
SFU Burnaby Campus
Restorative Justice: A Strict Law Bids Us: However Eagle Down is Our Law
Gloria Cole (Gaaxstalas Wedlidi, Tlowitsis)
and Marjorie Dumont (Wet'suwet'en and Gitksan)

Sunday 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
SFU Burnaby Campus | (Light meal)
Closing: Talking Circles, Closing Remarks and Closing Ceremony