Interfaith Today Show Notes

Is Interfaith Today dead?

2007-05-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

The best answer is... I am not sure. I have a couple of shows that were in process. But I just accidently deleted about half of one of them. My life has gotten pretty crazy/busy and Interfaith Today has definitely suffered. OTOH, I have a nice new digital recorder to carry off and do interviews. So the show may go on. But probably not in the next month which will be full of business travel and other distractions. I just wanted to say I haven't totally quit.

Rowan

Podcamp West

2006-10-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

Tom Mahon, who appeared in episode eight, let me knw about an upcoming conference for bloggers and readers, podcasters and listeners, VideoBloggers and new media of all types in San Francisco on Nov. 18-19th, 2006. I'm planning on attending at least some of the conference.

Interfaith Today, episode nine

2006-10-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Interfaith Today offers a talk by Dr. Iftekhar Hai that was presented last year at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. The recording starts without much introduction as Dr. Hai sings a prayer. So I offer a biography of Dr. Hai written by Paul Chaffee, Director of the ICP.

Iftekhar Hai is the interfaith officer of United Muslims of America. For the past ten years he has been active locally, nationally, and internationally in interfaith circles. He serves on the boards of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, and for a number of years on the United Religions Global Council. Iftekhar is of Pakistani heritage, but he grew up in Mumbai (Bombay) in India, went to Roman Catholic schools, and had a Jewish landlady when he first came to the United States, who helped him with the cultural adjustment and introduced him to Judaism. Iftekhar has not only been active as a Muslim representative to interfaith groups but, since 9-11, has gone out of his way to introduce new Muslim leaders to the Bay Area. He has also been active in the larger Muslim community in promoting liberal approaches to their faith.

I am happy to have this presentation to share during Ramadan.

Interfaith Today, episode eight

2006-08-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

The first segment of this episode is an essay by Tom Mahon who kindly stopped by my house and recorded his thoughts on Religions Yet to Be which were published in his blog, reconnecting.calm. Tom Mahon has written about technology for over 30 years as publicist, journalist, novelist, dramatist and activist. Since the early 1990s, he has spoken and written widely on the need to reconnect technical capability with social responsibility. Since 2005 he has written his blog. He also has a website for his book, Reconnecting.calm:
A user manual for balancing handwork, brainwork and heartwork in the age of science and technology.

Then we'll hear a chant to Saraswati by Fontain's M.U.S.E. from their album, Fire Trance. Saraswati of the Book is one of Rowan's matron Goddesses.
Lyrics:
Oh Goddess Saraswati
We adore you
With your magic and melody
Bring peace to our hearts
Bring peace to the world
Oh mother Saraswati

The third segment features a version of the talk Rowan did on her faith journey at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio on Memorial Day along with some thoughts on the International Day of Peace which is coming up on September 21st.

Interfaith Today, episode seven

2006-07-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

This episode is a continuation of the interviews Rowan did in Menlo Park, California amongst attendees at the the United Religions Initiative Global Council meeting. Please listen to Episodes #5 and #6 for more interviews. The first segment of this podcast features Jonathan Rose, a coordinator for the Multiregional CCs. This is followed by an interview with Fr. Patrick Hanjoul of Belgium, who is a coordinator for URI Europe. Next I interview Fr. James Channan a Trustee from Pakistan and I end this episode with an interview with P.K. McCary, a North American Trustee.

Here is the link to the Everest Peace Project mentioned in my interview with Jonathan Rose.

P.K. McCary has a blog for The Peace Hour.

I would like to thank all the folks of the URI who helped me conduct these interviews and to all the interviewees who took time out of their busy schedules at the Global Council meeting to share a little of the rich stories they have to offer.

Trustee biographies from the URI

Fr. James Channan, O.P.
-- Catholic, Lahore CC, Lahore, Pakistan
-- My name is James Channan, and I am a Pakistani Christian and a Catholic priest. At present, I am serving as Director of the Pastoral Institute, a Catholic establishment and I am working with the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with Islam. My graduate and priestly study was in Pakistan. I attended the Pontifical Institute for Islamic Studies and Arabic language in Rome from 1982-85 and obtained a Licentiate Degree. I also was awarded a Masters Degree in Counseling from Emmanuel College, Boston, MA and received graduate Credits from Harvard University. I am the author of "Christian Muslim Dialogue in Pakistan" and have wide media exposure in the area of interfaith dialogue. Pope John Paul II appointed me as Consultor for the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the Vatican, and I served as Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Christian Muslim Relations for 17 years. I was the primary organizer of the URI’s 1,500 miles "Journey for Peace" from Karachi to Khyber. For the past three years, I have served as one of three URI Coordinators for Asia.

My vision for the URI is that Preamble, Purpose and Principles can play an integral role in bringing people of different races religions, and cultures together. The Global Council can make this vision come true. I will put forth my whole heart and soul for this effort. I believe the Global Council trustees can serve best by supporting one another and by sharing successes and challenges with each other. United, we can certainly bring change to the world.

Ms. Perri Kathryn "P.K." McCary
-- Christian/Lutheran, Women’s Spirituality CC, Houston, Texas, USA
-- Perri Kathryn, "P.K." is a story weaver and peace advocate who believes that we should invoke the simple prayer that "God bless the whole world. No exceptions" on a daily basis. She believes that we must believe in peace in order to see it and to that end, chronicles the stories that she witnesses from those who believe.

She is the former Director of Special Programs at the Rothko Chapel (an interfaith foundation) where she designed and facilitated several initiatives for peace, including the yearly "Prayer Vigil with Indigenous People;" the "99 Days of Intentional Peace;" and "The Meaning of the Dream," a tribute to Dr. King hosted at the St. Thomas University. All of these programs reached across cultural, age, religious, and geographic borders to build bridges of understanding, respect and reconciliation. P.K. strongly advocates for youth, from grammar (primary) school through university. She has presented at international conferences and on national TV programs. P.K. works with many interfaith organizations and is a member of Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and the Decade of Non-Violence (UN initiative to create a culture of peace.)

P.K. is an early member of URI, and belongs to several URI Cooperation Circles, including the Women's Spirituality CC and the Arts and Creativity CC. She conducts storytelling workshops around the world, helping people tell their own stories. She is the author of several books, the most recent, What Matters to the Heart: A Storyteller’s Anthology of Hope and Love. P.K. facilitates retreats for women and children.

P.K.'s advocacy experience began before college when she worked with Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. PK was the youngest and first secretary to the Texas Black Political Caucus. After college, she was the public relations spokesperson for the late Congressman, Mickey Leland. As a member of the Decade of Nonviolence, she hosts "The Peace Hour" on KPFT Pacifica radio. This program focuses attention on current issues, local and global, exploring solutions through non-violent means, and interviewing those on the path to peace. P.K. is the mother of three and a grandmother.

Interfaith Today, episode six

2006-06-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Rowan continues with interviews from the URI Global Council Meeting. Please see Episode Five for the first three interviews. Episode Seven will conclude this collection of interviews.

In this podcast, the first segment features Ms. Despina Namwembe a Global Trustee from Uganda who speaks about her work as a social scientist caring for AIDS patients. The second segment features a Global Trustee from the Middle East, Mr. Shlomo Alon of the Interfaith Encounter Association. The last segment is Monica Willard who volunteers as the official UN Representative of URI and who is particularly involved in the International Day of Peace.

Trustee biographies from the URI

Ms. Despina Namwembe
-- Orthodox Christian, Interfaith CC Initiative, Kampala, Uganda;
-- Biographic Information: I am the National Program Manager for Youth and Children on Primary Basic Health Care in the Uganda Orthodox Church. I hold a BA Degree in Social Sciences and a Diploma in Administration. I have worked for religious institutions, including The Uganda Joint Christian Council as Assistant Program Officer for the Gender, Youth and Children Department. I have promoted URI work since its inception in Uganda in 1997 and I am a very instrumental person with an interfaith personality, self-driven with special interest in helping marginalized groups. I have been a Global Council Trustee for one term and have helped promote URI to different categories of people within and outside of Uganda.

Mr. Shlomo Alon
-- Jewish, Jerusalem Interfaith Encounter CC, Jerusalem, Israel
-- A Jewish-Israeli working in the Israeli Ministry of Education, where he spent 15 years as the national supervisor of Arabic Language Education (for Jews). Because of his lifelong involvement with the Arabic language and people, he became very interested in cross-cultural and interfaith work. He is the Jewish Vice-Chairperson of the board of directors for the Interfaith Encounter Association, a URI MCC.

Interfaith podcasting

2006-05-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

Having just gotten out an episode of Interfaith Today, it occurs to me to mention that interfaith/religious podcasts to which I myself listen on a regular basis. All of them are public radio shows. As far as I know, I'm the only amateur interfaith podcaster.

Speaking of Faith from American Public Media. Each show is an in-depth look at a topic. Recent shows have included a military chaplain talking about reintegration of veterans into the community, the late Jaroslav Pelikan talking about the Christian creeds and why people need creeds and a show on one family's struggle with their son's schizophrenia.

Interfaith Voices, (formerly called Faith Matters), is a magazine format show that talks about religion and the issues of the day. Recent shows have dealt with the Da Vinci Code controversy, Buddhism in America and an interview with Bishop Spong about the controveries in the Episcopal church.

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, a weekly PBS news format show on such matters. Recent shows have included discussion of illegal immigration, the story of a doctor who gave up his life in the city to treat the poor in Peru, and how some Christian groups are creating faith-based health care programs.

I find all of these, particularly Speaking of Faith because of its in-depth format, to be interesting and valuable discussions on religion in society.

Interfaith Today, episode five

2006-05-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

This week, in late May 2006, the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative has been meeting in Menlo Park, California. This is the first podcast in a series featuring interviews with URI trustees and regional coordinators.

This first segment features an interview of Elana Rosenman, a Multiregion trustee from Jeruselem who started the Women’s Interfaith Encounter CC after her son was injured in a suicide bombing. Then Kathy Sandoval, a trustee from North America, and a member of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians - Acjachemen Nation. The last interview features Andre Porto, Latin America's regional coordinator, speaking about his work and that of Viva Rio in Brazil.

Trustee biographies from the URI

Mrs. Elana Rozenman
-- Jewish, Women’s Interfaith Encounter CC, Jerusalem, Israel.
-- I have a Masters in Social Work and have worked for over 30 years assisting people to improve their lives. Three years ago, I created the Women’s Interfaith Encounter, a program (with Muslim and Christian co-coordinators) of the Interfaith Encounter Association as a response to the severe wounding of my son in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem and a desire that women should no longer be the victims of war and violence.

I also was concerned that the women’s voice is not heard in interfaith dialogue because the clergy in the Holy Land are men. We now have groups of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian women who share the vision of women building peace together--studying each other’s religions and creating relationships of respect, trust, and love as an antidote to the violence and madness in which we live. Many women have been empowered to bring this interfaith message to their families, students, and colleagues. I’ve brought our Middle East interfaith model to international conferences with my Muslim and Christian co-coordinators, and have become involved with other international women’s groups which are now networking with URI.

I co-created the WINMENA (Women’s Interfaith Network of the Middle East and North Africa) and now I am working on a regional interfaith conference for women on “How Women Build Peace”. I envision the Global Council supporting the creation of a Women’s Interfaith Network (WIN) Africa, WIN Asia, etc, all becoming regional MCCs within which there would be many local women’s CCs working on local and regional issues of concern to women and demonstrating a model of inclusion, respect and love among the religions. These women ARE becoming the change they wish to see in the world and are assisting men to strengthen the truth of our religions to combat the religious distortions that are fueling the violence in our world. I know URI will benefit from this infusion of women’s energy and wisdom, and URI is a natural international leader in this movement.

Ms. Kathy Sandoval
-- Native American Acjachemen and Progressive Christian, Alliance for Spiritual Community CC, San Juan Capistrano, California, USA
-- Attended Catholic schools, majored in psychology in college. For the past 12 years, has studied with the Acjachemen Atiatish (tribal spiritual teacher) and is now a Ceremonial Leader and Keeper of the Sacred Songs of the People. Kathy is the Cultural Liaison for the Acjachemen Nation and has created a tribal singing group, the Tushmalum Heleckum, who perform at various ceremonial gatherings and community events. She has created a weekly Native American Worship and Healing Service in association with Shepherd of the Hills, UCC.

Kathy attended the URI North American Assembly in Utah in 2001 and the URI Global Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2002. She has been an active member of the Alliance for Spiritual Community CC since 1995. She expresses her vision thus:
My experiences in every aspect of my life, from working with indigent and emotionally handicapped individuals to teaching young and old how to count in their ancestors’ language, have given me insight into the way we are as human beings. It is my observation that we have been asleep for sometime. The Wise Ones of the People have said we are waking up. I have been taught we are to share what we know with all people. I take every opportunity to remind people about something we have forgotten: that we are connected to our Mother the Earth and she is a living and vibrant being. We are connected to the source of all, the Creator, and we are connected to each other and to the Universe.

My vision for the Global Council of the URI is that of a powerful conduit to the worldwide CCs. It will be a huge listener for all CCs and encourage viable and responsible solutions to every dilemma. We will do everything in our power to eliminate spiritual competition and honor all CCs unfolding at their own pace. We will encourage imagination and vision as a powerful means of solution.

Interfaith Today, episode four

2006-05-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is a short show with some comments from Rowan about her Beltaine celebrations.

Rowan & Kurt as the May Queen and Jack-in-the-Green. Photo by Russell Williams.

Rowan plays a song from Fontain's M.U.S.E called, Warrior. The lyrics call for a Warrior to lay down weapons and dream of peace. I think this song speaks to our interfaith dream of a world that cultivates cultures of peace, justice and healing.

The computer is back from the shop and new material is on hand from the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, so hopefully next month I'll be back with a longer podcast. Thanks again to my listeners -- please comment! And thanks to Emerald Rose for my introductory music.

Interfaith Today, episode three

2006-03-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

The third show features a recording from listener Mark Denni that he made at a San Leandro, CA, Women of Faith gathering of Women's Federation for World Peace. The purpose of the Women of Faith gatherings is to bring women of different faiths together to share bonds of heart and by sharing to bring peace into the world. This recording features Helen Spector talking about her personal spiritual journey and some discussion of her work with the Parliament of the World's Religions and thoughts on the Interfaith Movement.

Helen kindly provided this biography:

Helen Spector works as an independent organizational consultant, providing strategic planning, vision/values clarification and resource structuring services to values-based organizations, and designing large, multi-stakeholder group processes and gatherings for community and organizations dealing with complex and difficult issues. She has has served as a Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions since 1990, and has held the office of Vice-chair for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions since 1999. Currently she co-chairs the Site Selection Task Force for the 2009 Parliament. She was one of the original co-conveners of the Bridge Cooperation Circle of the United Religions Initiative, a Bay-Area group focused on providing a bridge between the two international grassroots interreligious organizations.

So thank you to Mark Denni and Helen Spector and always to Emerald Rose for the music used in this podcast.

Interfaith Today, episode two

2006-02-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

This episode features a talk called "URI's Vision" given by the Reverend Canon Charles Gibbs, the Executive Director of the URI, at the joint North American Interfaith Network NAINconnect and URI North American Summit in August 2005. I talk a bit about NAIN and my experience at NAINconnect/URI-NA Summit and then just let Charles' speech run. Listening to it again really got me inspired.

The next NAINconnect will be held Friday June 23 - Tuesday, June 27, 2006 at Vancouver School of Theology in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Plenary speakers will include Douglas Roche, Farid Esack, Helen Caldicott and Mel Hurtig. NAINconnect is running concurrently with the World Peace Forum and thus will provide many opportunities to network and celebrate peace. The Multifaith Action Society is the local host for NAINconnect.

Please consider checking out the wonderful Celtic band, Emerald Rose who gave me permission to use their music clips. The song you hear at the beginning and ending is "Come by the Hills" from their album Bending Tradition.

Belated credits

2006-02-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

Wow. There is just so much to think about! Now that it is published I notice that I never mentioned the website in the first podcast. And I didn't credit the music! The wonderful Celtic band, Emerald Rose gave me permission to use their music clips. The song you hear at the beginning and ending is Come by the Hills from their album Bending Tradition.

First Podcast!

2006-01-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it didn't take until March! Friday I buckled down and got the first podcast cleaned up and ready to go.

This one is an introduction - to me and to the United Religions Initiative, Council for the Parliament of the Worlds Religions and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. I asked my partner Kurt to read the preamble to A Declaration Toward a Global Ethic. I also mentioned the 1995 conference on the Global Ethic, Celebrating the Spirit and the A Walk Through Time which I walked at the 1999 Parliament.

The next podcast should be out in a couple of weeks and will feature a talk by Charles Gibbs, Executive Director of the URI, that I recorded at the North American Interfaith Network/URI North America meetings in August 2005. Hopefully I'll also be able to report on the recent URI electronic Meeting of Members.

Delay in initial feed

2006-01-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

I had the best of intentions to release the first podcast of Interfaith Today back in November and the first podcast if mostly in the can. But life intervened in a big way as a family member became ill. I am now targeting March 1, 2006 for the first release.

The Interfaith Center at the Presidio has been taping their speakers for awhile now and is planning to offer those for this cast. So please stay tuned for interesting content once we get up and running.

Rowan

Welcome

2005-11-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the show notes for the podcast Interfaith Today. The first edition of the podcast should be uploaded soon. This is a steep technology learning curve for me!