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By Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement
February 1, 2022
A Listening Year ~ February 2022
Listening for Interfaith Harmony
LISTEN HERE to the Center Message on Soundcloud
Thank you for opening the February Newsletter of the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement at Seattle University. My name is Genevieve and I am a Student Affiliate at the Center, beginning my first year of studies at Seattle University.
In our day and age, a younger generation of students like me are the front-runners on the track to a future where more people are included, more voices heard, and more perspectives that enrich a shared vision of the future. However, these young voices can be drowned out by the lack of inclusion or bigotry that plagues our society today.
As a young student, I try to amplify my own and others’ voices within my university’s community, but it can be difficult when society constantly reminds us that we’re too young and too naïve to lead. But when I look around the world today, where we see critical challenges, young adults like me are in fact leading. We’re already here.
As a young leader, it is painful to watch the news and the lack of inclusion and even harmony before our eyes daily. As you can see from this month’s theme in our “listening year,” the Center is lifting up the Week of Interfaith Harmony, initiated by the United Nations. The first week of February is a time when people of goodwill everywhere have an opportunity to seek deeper inclusion and harmony in their communities all around the world.
This is why we are providing you with many ways to engage in the Week for Interfaith Harmony, as you will see in the body of the newsletter.
Also, the Center Team is focusing on a Gen Z response to mental health and a changing climate, which is the topic of our Center Roundtable Video for the month of February. Please listen to Carlos, Abhay and Divya reflect together about the challenges in front of us.
We are also sharing our new Sparking the Imagination video on the theme of Interfaith Harmony, as well as a series of podcasts from the Center’s Religica Theolab. These popular podcasts include: Dr. Jim Dumont on the cultural and spiritual roots of the traditional Anishinabe Way of Life. We hear from Human Rights Activist Anjte Mattheus, we speak with Rev. Bill Kirlin-Hackett who directs the Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness in our region, and with Rev. Rachel Mash who is the Environmental Coordinator of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. These leaders help us think about the challenges facing our world today, and each of them appeals to deeper interfaith harmony required for the world to respond!
Please also look at what is coming in March. Our theme for March is Listening in a Pandemic Age as we also celebrate International Women’s Day with several podcasts and messages from leaders from numerous religious traditions and generations.
The Center desires to accentuate voices of leadership across generations, focused now on the voices of my generation. We maintain hope to keep fighting for the values we know the world needs.
From my view, young generations bring essential keys to unlocking a better future; and the Center Team believes it is essential to resources from the heart of the religious, philosophical and wisdom traditions around us to further the path to a safer, more inclusive and harmonious society. The younger generation has a job to keep pushing forward, and in turn we will empower future generations to continue our work too.
At the RoundTable #2: SU Students Gather to address the theme of Climate Change and Mental Health. They are joined by Abhay Singh Sachal, a Canadian humanitarian, environmentalist, and activist and co-founder of Break The Divide Foundation, a non-profit organization that connects youth around the world with one another.
Sparking our Imagination each month at the Center:
Interfaith Harmony
How do you create harmony in your community?
Created by Center Student Affiliate Genevieve Kennebrae
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Center Scholar's Update: The Center Scholars have submitted their papers as we study in a Pandemic Age. At this time we work with the editors and are building a new forthcoming resource to be used in the spring, 2022!
Our Center has a laboratory called the Religica Theolab with a commitment to public theological engagement for a new generation. In the month of January we focus on ways we access wisdom traditions and honor sacred space. Take a listen by clicking the images below! Engage the Religica Theolab
A Month to Engage: Each month we seek resources that are relevant and meaningful for communities to engage in the role of religion and spiritual pathways for our times.
United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week 2022
World Interfaith Harmony Week: Parliament of Religions
World Interfaith Harmony Week: Charter for Compassion
World Interfaith Harmony Week: Silsilah Dialogue Movement
World Interfaith Harmony Week: Toronto-Canada 2022 Virtual & Live Events
Religious traditions, Spiritual pathways, and Indigenous wisdom are active in communities around the world. Each month we share new ways to engage with our monthly theme. Below we offer a collection of resources to engage with Interfaith Harmony with a special focus on young adults and youth:
Interfaith Youth Core: Gen Z is Keeping the Faith; Just Don't Expect to See Them at Worship
Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development: Seminary Faith and Ecology Project
February 2022
Feb 1
Chinese New Year - Water Tiger
World Interfaith Harmony Week (2/1-7)
Feb 2
Candlemas - Presentation of Christ in the Temple – Christian
Imbolc (Candlemas) - Wicca/Neo Pagan (Northern Hemisphere)
Saint Brigid of Kildare – Christian
Feb 3
St. Blaze Day – Christian
Setsubun-sai (Beginning of spring) - Shinto
Feb 5
Vasant Panchami – Hindu
Feb 14
St. Valentine's Day – Christian
Feb 15
Nirvana Day - Buddhist
Feb 24
St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Christian
Feb 25 - March 1
Ayyám-i-Há - Baha'I
Feb 27
Meatfare - Orthodox Christian
Transfiguration Sunday – Christian
Coming in March!
Listening in a Pandemic Age will be our theme. We are also looking forward to celebrating International Women’s Day with a number of podcasts from women leaders including Buddhist nun Venerable Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Mississauga First Nations Chief Carolyn King, and Georgia Dunston, Founding Director, National Human Genome Center at Howard University.
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