A Note from Anantanand Rambachan
Greetings Friends, Thank you for reading our newsletter. I welcome you to the Minnesota Multifaith Network and, if you are not already involved, extend the warmest invitation to you to
Resources
There are many resources locally, nationally and internationally that can help us all do better and find our places in this important work. Our focus is on supporting and equipping interfaith leaders to join together to amplify efforts leading to equity, justice, compassion, understanding, and empathy. We recognize that people orient differently to religion, spirituality and worldviews, so leaders may include people from any spiritual home background with an interest in interfaith or inter-belief work committed to championing these values in the world.
In this section you will find resources to support and inform your work. You can access volunteer and paid job opportunities, a religious holidays calendar, news and commentary, links to library material, and resources on networking as well as links to organizations that regularly conduct trainings. We share these resources in the spirit of collaborative learning and not as an endorsement of any particular organization or position.
These are not meant to be an exhaustive list, rather a place to get started. Do you have a resource you think we should add? Let us know.
Volunteer and Job Opportunities
Religious Holidays Calendar
News and Commentary
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Hate Crimes Reform Commentary
Communities Combating Hate is a coalition advocating for hate crimes reform. This commentary was published in the Star Tribune on May 14, 2021 and is signed by multiple faith-based organizations
FEMA Funeral Expense Assistance for COVID-Related Deaths
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred
View Our News and Commentary Archive
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Learning Opportunities
Library
- Native Governance Center: TERMINOLOGY GUIDE
and STYLE GUIDE FOR WORKPLACE - Hijacked by Hate: American Philanthropy and the Islamophobia Network (report)
- Pluralism Project/Harvard University
- United Religions Initiative – Resource Library
- The Interfaith Center (University of Miami in Ohio)
- Sent to us by our colleagues at the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, find in-depth reports that outline how to spot communications that divide and fuel hate and violence and how to craft communications that promote inclusion, dignity and respect: Counteracting Dangerous Narratives.
- No Religion is an Island, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
- Understanding Covenants and Communities: Jews and Latter-day Saints in Dialogue; edited by Mark S. Diamond and Andrew C. Reed
- Civil Rights Memorial Center (sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center): Movement and Space (Creating Dialogue on System Racism from the Modern Rights Movement to the Present)
- Southern Poverty Law Center’s podcast series: “Sounds Like Hate” (listen to an audio documentary series about the dangers and peril of everyday people who engage in extremism, and ways to disengage them from a life of hatred)
- 2021 PRRI-IFYC Religious Diversity and Vaccine Survey Report: Engaging Faith Communities on COVID-19 Vaccination
- Sunshine Behavioral Health’s Black Health Matters Guide: learn about the impact of racism and discrimination on the mental health of our Black communities
- A Guide to Gender Identity Terms (from NPR News)
- Catchafire: skilled professionals volunteering their time to nonprofits
Networks Approach
- Network Weaver: During the twenty-first century, activity will increasingly take place in self-organizing, system shifting networks. The Network Weaver website offers resources and discussion space for those who want to better understand network approaches to transformation and improve their skills in facilitating this transition. They also have free and low-cost literature and documents here. You can subscribe to their e-newsletter here.
- Network Weaver Handbook: The Network Weaver Handbook is a practical guide for people interested in catalyzing a new network or enhancing an existing one. Each chapter contains a short section describing key concepts, case studies, and many activities. Following each chapter is a resource section with readings, handouts, checklists, and worksheets. You can easily duplicate these and distribute to people in your network. The handbook is 398 pages and spiral bound.
- Connecting to Change the World: Harnessing the Power of Networks for Social Impact. Island Press, 2014: Written by Peter Plastrik, John Cleveland and Madeleine Taylor, this book explores common network design issues in depth and offers practical advice on how to handle them from start up to evaluation. Successful networks are designed—they don’t just happen. Knowing a network’s essential design issues—and how to make and when to change design choices—is a crucial part of the practice of building effective social-impact networks.
- Net Gains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change: The handbook by Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor provides practical advice based on the experiences of network builders, case studies of networks small and large, local and international, and emerging scientific knowledge about “connectivity.” It is intended to join, complement, and spur other efforts to capture and make widely available what is being learned in the business, government, and civic sectors about why and how to use networks, rather than solitary organizations, to generate large-scale impact.
Support/Equip
MnMN seeks to provide access to leadership development for leaders in faith and interfaith communities and groups in Minnesota. Opportunities can be found in the following ways:
- Mutual support and sharing of best practices in convenings and communities of practice as peers connect and agree to meet periodically. See “Convenings” for currently functioning such groups, or email MnMN to express interest in meeting with others around a common interest or need.
- MnMN will continually announce through social media and regular digital communications workshops, seminars, training or consultation available as they arise. See “Events” and “Social Media Stream” for such information. Also email us with workshops or training that you become aware of that may be of interest to others.
- There are regularly a variety of workshops and training available from the following centers and organizations. Let us know if you know of others.
- From Interfaith Youth Core, We Are Each Other’s equips young people to engage in acts of interfaith cooperation, antiracism, and service with their communities.
- United Religions Initiative video – This video celebrates Memorable Moments in our global community and is really inspiring! Please consider using it as part of an internet gathering or send it to your colleagues. Dialogue questions are included.
- If you don’t see or find something that fits your need, please email us. We will see what can be found or developed.
Fundraising, Giving Money and Volunteering
- The One Fund is a partnership of Transform Minnesota, Hope United CDC, and the Pilgrim Center for Reconciliation to support the work of local African American churches and ministries. The One Fund is hosted at the National Christian Foundation – Twin Cities. The web site provides opportunities to give and it has grant guidelines for those churches or organization needing financial assistance.
- The Minneapolis Interfaith Relief Fund (MIRF) has been established by the downtown interfaith congregations in response to requests for financial support following the police killing of George Floyd. Funds will be disbursed to agencies and partners in communities of color and in the indigenous community that are working directly with those most affected. Westminster Presbyterian Church is fiscal sponsor.
- Looking for general volunteer opportunities in the community? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has created the JustServe website that connects you with local organizations primarily serving the poor.