|
By Zainab Cheema
Coordinators of the Muslim-Christian Initiative are currently touring major U.S. cities to reach out to Muslims and Christians, create an anti-nuclear weapon network from the two faith groups, and to enroll committed individuals as facilitators who will spread the message through grassroots activism. At the December 1, 2007 facilitators' meeting at Washington, DC's Wesley Theological Seminary, MCI Coordinator Patricia Anton and her colleagues, Rev. Tyler Wigg Stevenson of the National Religious Partnership on the Nuclear Weapons Danger, and Rev. Amanda Hendler-Voss of Women's Action for New Directions Education Fund (WAND) demonstrated how the model of interfaith discussion can be used to educate participants and move people to action toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
 Trainings consist of two general components: dialogue sessions using the MCI study guide and best practices for organizing and facilitating interfaith dialogue. Those who complete the training commit to conducting a series of three dialogue sessions within their local community, either within a single congregation or an interfaith setting. Facilitators also agree to participate in collecting endorsements for the MCI statement in their communities. Beyond these commitments those who have completed trainings have come forward in various ways to become more active with MCI. These initiatives include: writing articles for local papers, introducing MCI into online networking forums such as myspace and facebook and organizing visits to their own Representatives in Congress. Upcoming dialogues are planed for a variety of venues from existing interfaith groups, to intra-office staff meetings, to in home tupperware parties.
The interfaith forum for exploring the danger of nuclear weapons has proved to be compelling. Combining faith with such an unthinkable threat to humanity, the environment, indeed the whole planet, provides a rich field for deep dialogue.
The issue of nuclear weapons demands everyone to take a stand. "The Muslim-Christian Initiative offers the invitation and the occasion for Muslims, Catholics, and Protestants to come together to talk about how our respective religious traditions inform our understanding of one of the most urgent moral issues of our day: nuclear weapons," notes Rev. Hendler-Voss.
The MCI extends an open invitation to Muslims and Christians across the nation to get involved. Citizens can choose to host discussions with friends and community members, receive the MCI e-newsletter to learn more about the nuclear weapons issue, and even participate in the cutting edge MCI Facilitator training to take the next step in civic engagement to keep our world safe. MCI will be hosting trainings in major cities across the United States; if interested, please contact MCI Coordinator Patricia Anton at coordinator@mci-nwd.org and 202-544-8989.
|
