[On this page, we’ve tried to provide a list of links that we feel would be helpful to anyone interested in interfaith news, issues and dialogue. In some cases–especially for those listed in the “Central Florida” section–the Interfaith Council of Central Florida may have a close working relationship with the entity for which we’ve provided the link. However, the purpose of providing these links is not to give endorsement to any particular entity but to simply recognize that what that entity is doing and/or saying impacts the interfaith landscape. In our “Members” section, we feature links pertinent to each specific faith tradition.]
CENTRAL FLORIDA
Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida. “The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida is an organization dedicated to combating anti-Semitism, racism and prejudice with the ultimate goal of developing a moral and just community through its extensive outreach of educational and cultural programs. Using the lessons of the Holocaust as a tool, the Center teaches the principles of good citizenship to thousands of people of all ages, religions and backgrounds each year.” http://www.holocaustedu.org
Multifaith Education Project. Their website says: “By building bridges of communication and understanding between the children of Abraham, the Multifaith Education Project is working today to create a better, more peaceful tomorrow. Jewish, Christian and Muslim middle school students gather three times a year to teach one another about their own faiths and to learn about others. Our students get to know one another through group activites, special projects, and lessons on the Abrahamic faith traditions.” This project is based in Orlando. http://www.multifaitheducationproject.org/index.php
The Religion World (Orlando Sentinel Online). This site has the advantage of providing information about the world of religion locally as well as around the globe. Put together by Jeff Kunerth of the Sentinel, it’s a nice complement and supplement to the print edition of the newspaper. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/religion/religion-world/
Valencia College’s Peace and Justice Initiative (PJI) is a faculty-, staff- and student-led initiative that aims to transform the culture at Valencia into one where peace and justice for all are valued, and conflict is viewed as an opportunity for growth and transformation. The work of the initiative is guided by its mission — “All People, All Voices, All Matter: Making a difference by intentionally engaging in practices and principles that explore, advocate, and honor the dignity of self, others, and the earth.” http://valenciacollege.edu/PJI/
ELSEWHERE IN FLORIDA
Sunshine State Interfaith Power & Light–like its national parent organization, Interfaith Power & Light–seeks to inspire, educate and equip individuals and congregations of all faiths to take seriously our collective spiritual obligation to care for the earth and handle its resources prudently. The goal is for congregations themselves to lead the way by setting an example of energy efficiency and wise stewardship, appealing to members and the larger community to follow suit. http://sunshinestateipl.org/
BEYOND FLORIDA
Charter for Compassion is a document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. Supported by leading thinkers from many traditions, the Charter activates the Golden Rule around the world. But it’s not just an idea or something to talk about, it’s also a plan of action. And its supporters are looking for partners to help make the vision a reality. http://charterforcompassion.org/
Deseret News. The Deseret News website has an excellent section on religious news. It includes news of all faiths as well as newsworthy stories from around the globe. As might be expected, since it is based in Salt Lake City, it also provides a comprehensive array of Mormon news. Although the section is strong on news, it provides little commentary or opinion. http://www.deseretnews.com/faith
Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council. “The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council is a non-profit organization that is . . . made up of 15 members from 15 various faith traditions from A to Z (American Indian to Zoroastrainism). . . . We strive to provide programming to educate the Greater Kansas City area about the many diverse faith traditions represented in the community by joining forces in religion, spirit and community.” For more detail about the organization’s activities and resources, go to http://www.kcinterfaith.org.
Harvard University’s Pluralism Project has for more than twenty years been systematically collecting and collating information and resources about various faith traditions. Whether you’re seeking a quick overview of pluralism and interfaith interaction in general or an in-depth analysis of the major religions of the world, this is a good place to start. http://pluralism.org/
Huffington Post’s Religion Section. Whether you’re looking for news or opinion about (or from the perspective of) any of the world’s major faith traditions, information concerning religion and science, reports on interfaith dialogue or even scripture commentary or ideas about effective prayer and meditation, the Huffington Post’s Religion Section has a lot to offer, including an array of links that we have availed ourselves of here at this website. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/religion/
Inclusion Center for Community and Justice. The center, housed on the campus of the University of Utah, sponsors a variety of workshops, camps and residential retreats for adolescents, youth and adults. The website also has a downloadable teaching curriculum with an array of games and other fun devices and activities to help recognize, address and remove the barriers that can be caused by diversity. http://inclusioncenter.org/
Interfaith Alliance. “The Interfaith Alliance is equally committed to protecting the integrity of both religion and democracy in America. We champion religious freedom by respecting individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism and build common ground.” http://www.interfaithalliance.org/
Interfaith Power & Light. “The mission of Interfaith Power & Light is to be faithful stewards of Creation by responding to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. This campaign intends to protect the earth’s ecosystems, safeguard the health of all Creation, and ensure sufficient, sustainable energy for all.” http://interfaithpowerandlight.org/
Interfaith Youth Core. “IFYC was incorporated in 2002 with one staff person. Our organization has outgrown a few offices since then, but our goal is the same: build an interfaith youth movement using service as the bridge.” http://www.ifyc.org/
Patheos.com declares itself “the premier online destination to engage in the global dialogue about religion and spirituality and to explore and experience the world’s beliefs. Patheos is the website of choice for the millions of people looking for credible and balanced information about religion.” http://www.patheos.com/About-Patheos.html
Public Religion Research Institute. “Our mission is to help journalists, opinion leaders, scholars, clergy, and the general public better understand debates on public policy issues and the role of religion in American public life by conducting high quality public opinion surveys and qualitative research. As a research organization, we do not take positions on, nor do we advocate for, particular policies. . . . PRRI research has been cited in over 600 media stories and has played a critical role in helping the media and the public gain a more accurate understanding of the changing religious landscape and its role in shaping American politics.” http://publicreligion.org
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. “Since its debut in 1997, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly has set itself apart from the mainstream media by providing distinctive, cutting-edge news coverage and analysis of national and international events in the ever-changing religious world. Hosted by veteran journalist Bob Abernethy and produced by Thirteen/WNET New York, the acclaimed one-of-a-kind TV show examines religion’s role — and the ethical dimensions — behind top news headlines.” The show’s website is especially good for educators, whether they’re dealing with elementary school children or university students. The site offers a rich array of resources, and the links take the searcher/researcher to even more. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/
Religious News Service. There’s well-presented material here that looks at politics, culture, faith, ethics, science and their many convoluted intersections with religion. It’s a site that’s worth checking out. http://www.religionnews.com/
Religious Tolerance. This site, based in Ontario, Canada, is jam-packed with information about the world’s well-known faith traditions as well as the less-well-known smaller religions. The site states: “Almost all other religious web sites explain only the beliefs of the webmaster or sponsoring faith group. We are different: we try to explain accurately the full diversity of religious beliefs, world views, and systems of morality, ethics, and values.” http://www.religioustolerance.org/
Sojourners. Sojourners is a national Christian organization committed to faith in action for social justice. We seek to inspire hope and build a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world. With a 40-year history, Sojourners is a nonpartisan leader that convenes, builds alliances among, and mobilizes people of faith, focusing on racial and social justice, life and peace, and environmental stewardship. http://sojo.net
Teaching Tolerance is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. As the name suggests, it’s about teaching the values of tolerance, inclusiveness, unity and understanding in the midst of social diversity. Religious diversity isn’t its prime focus. But the principles laid down as it addresses racial, ethnic, gender, economic and a vast array of other things that divide us as a society are also applicable to and essential for improving interfaith relationships. For those who deal with the instruction of youth, there’s a lot of excellent material here. And it applies to adults as well. http://www.tolerance.org/
The Guardian’s Belief Section. Lest anyone think that religious news comes from only one source in the UK, please be disabused of that notion immediately by checking out the “Comment Is Free Belief” section of The Guardian. It has subsections for Islam, Judaism, atheism and other perspectives. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief
The New York Times Religion and Belief website features: “News about religion and belief, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.” It has an excellent search engine as part of the website. It’s great for the serious researcher or for the casual explorer of the world of religion. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/r/religion_and_belief/index.html
The Telegraph’s Religion Section. It’s nice to occasionally read material that’s written from a different national perspective and from within a different spiritual and cultural milieu. The British publication The Telegraph provides just such variety. Check it out at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/
The Washington Post’s “On Faith.” If you’re interested in news and opinion from a religious perspective–or even from an openly atheist perspective–“On Faith” is a great resource. The entire faith spectrum is represented, as is the liberal-conservative spectrum within the various faith traditions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith
United Diversity. “United Diversity’s purpose is to improve quality of life on Earth whilst simultaneously reducing ecological footprint. We do this by helping people to discover, contribute to, and replicate intelligent responses to climate, energy and economic uncertainty. Using technologies of cooperation, we support social change organisations in their quests for peace, justice and sustainability by helping them to tap into the wisdom of crowds and harness the wealth of networks.” http://uniteddiversity.com/
Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. “The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities works with schools, businesses, and communities to achieve success by addressing prejudices, in all forms, in order to improve academic achievement, increase workplace productivity, and enhance local trust. Through workshops, retreats, and customized programs that raise knowledge, motivation, and skills, VCIC develops leaders who work together to achieve success throughout the Commonwealth.” http://www.inclusiveva.org/
Worldwide Religious News. “WorldWide Religious News (http://wwrn.org) is a non-profit service providing the international academic and legal community with up-to-date religious news from around the world. . . . WWRN news articles and information are researched and compiled daily, encompassing a wide array of religious topics currently highlighted in the international news media, with a particular focus on religious freedom, church and state issues, governmental legislation as it relates to religious organizations, as well as new religious movements (NRMs).” One helpful feature is the ability to search for news in specific world regions and subsections of those regions, which can save having to wade through reams of information not pertinent to the reader’s specific interests.