DEARBORN, Michigan – The 3rd Annual International Conference, “Religion, Conflict, and Peace: Walking The Talk to Compassion and Harmony” will be held at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn from Friday through Sunday, April 8-10, 2011.
Coexist?
The conference, sponsored by the Common Bond Institute (CBI) is an inclusive, interactive three-day public forum promoting inter-religious and intra-religious dialogue to explore the challenges of extremism, intolerance, scapegoating, Islamophobia, the promise of reason, understanding, compassion and cultural harmony.
In addition to on-site presenters, key individuals and groups from 2 countries will be simultaneously Skyped into the conference for real-time, 2-way participation during plenary sessions. These live virtual groups will be present during the 2 hour Friday morning conference opening and as part of a special 2 hour global student roundtable including students from these remote locations in Israel and Jordan (by Skype), as well as on-site from communities in the the US. This round-table will also be broadcast live as it is happening via the Internet.
“Religious intolerance, marginalization, scapegoating, and related conflict are not new experiences, whether in the US or globally. Many examples are woven throughout our human history that highlight both the unique circumstances of individual religious groups, and the broader commonality shared by all who have been on either side of such supposedly fundamental divides. A current example in American society is the recent experience of Islam and the Muslim community. However the dynamics, struggles, and threat are universal for all religious communities exposed to these ills.”
For more details, please contact Steve Olweean by email ([email protected]) or by phone: 269.665.9393.