North American Interfaith Network

NAIN at the
Parliament of World Religions 2023

Interfaith Awareness Week Hosted by World Interfaith Network

Every year, for the past seven years, the World Interfaith Network has regularly hosted Interfaith Awareness Week during the month of August. Join us and others during the first full week of August as we continue to build up the interfaith community with the theme “We Are Not Alone.”

NAIN is involved in two different pannels for Interfaith Awareness Week. Use the hyperlink next to each time stamp to join!

The first pannel will be Sunday, August 6 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM - Online

Title: The Evolution of Interfaith in America

Our speakers are: Bettina Gray, Rev. Kay Lindahl, Rev. Dr. Robert Hankinson, Rev. Paul Chaffee, Ruth Broyde Sharone

The second pannel will be Monday, August 7 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST - Online

Title: Interfaith Experiences and the Importance of Allyship

Our speakers are: Shelton Nalley, Alan Bachman, and Bettina Gray

NAIN will be hosting a space to explore the theme of solidarity and allyship through the stories and experiences of those who have been part of the interfaith world. We will share tales of different interfaith encounters and how those encounters have enabled us to build up our communities and each other. We hope to shed light on the importance of interfaith and allyship by exploring the lived realities of those who have been touched by interfaith encounters.

Who Gets to Believe? Pluralism and Religious Freedom in Turtle Island/North America

NAIN Workshop

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM CDT - Monday August 14, 2023 Chicago, Illinois

We will explore:
In North America, not everyone gets to believe, to identify with their beliefs, to practice their beliefs, or to act on their beliefs. Over the centuries, many peoples and communities have experienced the denial and suppression of their right to freedom of religion or belief. In more recent years, faith-based nationalism has reawakened and reenergized efforts to impose a single story on others. As representatives of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN), our panel will highlight different experiences of pluralism and religious freedom from our own communities in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The panel will consist of four presenters, each of whom will offer a case study. Through these case studies, we seek to answer: what is the state of pluralism and religious freedom in Turtle Island? What can we do to advance pluralism and religious freedom for all?

We Are Hiring!

Building Our Membership

As we continue to build the North American Interfaith Network, we are currently looking for a young adult, between the ages of 18 to 30, to assist with membership registrations through internet research, emails, phone calls and data entry. Coordination with NAIN board member(s) will help with any necessary training and oversight for the selected person. This position will pay approximately $15 USD per hour, with a total allocation not to exceed $5,000 USD from a special fund and wishes created by Teja Singh. It is anticipated that the person

will work up to 15 hours per week.

Qualifications:

- Good data entry knowledge

- Proficient computer skills

- Excellent communications and interpersonal skills

- A friendly attitude

- Committed to promoting interfaith understanding

If you are interested in this position or have any questions, please contact Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia at tsbutalia@gmail.com.

To apply, please send the following in your application package in one pdf document to tsbutalia@gmail.com:

1. Resume (which includes your Full Name, Mailing Address, Phone Number, and Email Address, Faith Tradition, & Qualifications, etc. for this position)

2. Statement of Interest (for this position and your interest in promoting interfaith understanding)

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and continue until the position is filled.

We thank all those that apply but only those qualified will be contacted for this position.

Recent News in the Interfaith World!

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) recently announced their prestigious Annual Wilbur Awards for 2023 and Volume 2 of INTERFAITH: The Musical was awarded a Certificate of Merit. The interfaith musical was created by Ruth Broyde Sharone, an interfaith activist and leader for more than 30 years, and long-time member of NAIN.

Some comments from the Religion Communicators Council judges:

Thank you for bringing this hopeful message in the musical theatre genre.

This is such a unique musical with an important and timely message! Thank you for writing it.

This is a huge undertaking. Hats off to all involved. The music is well produced and the lyrics are poignant for our times.

The hopeful nature of this work is inspiring as are the performances. The message of cooperation and unique nature of all is one worth sharing.

Catchy melodies and meaningful lyrics help listeners to embrace diversity and peaceably coexist. It's a strong and much needed message for today's world! The Broadway musical style will appeal to a broad audience.

Congradulations Ruth!

Does Your Organization Have Any Upcoming Interfaith Events?

If you or your organization have any upcoming events please send us your information and we will be happy to share it on our newsletter!