The Pluralism Project at Harvard UniversityResearch Report
Online Interfaith Resource Guides (2006)
(Interfaith)
Description
The work that interfaith organizations do is vital to promoting understanding, dialogue, and cooperation among religious traditions. Numerous interfaith groups have produced training manuals, ‘how-to’ documents, and useful guidelines. We have begun compiling links to online versions of these guides on a range of subjects such as creating a local interfaith dialogue group, increasing cooperation between local governments and religious organizations, and educating students about religious diversity. We will continue to add to this list as we become aware of additional resources.
Australian Multicultural Foundation
Religion, Cultural Diversity, and Safeguarding Australia. 2004. This research report covers "the place and function of faith traditions and religious groups in an increasingly multicultural Australia operating in a world that is also increasingly globalised. It identifies current and emerging issues as a basis for policy recommendations to government, and provides a basis for informed debate and concrete action in different sectors of the Australian community." The main page for the Australian Multicultural Foundation's research on religion is http://www.amf.net.au/rsch_research_religionDiversityCohesion.shtml. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.amf.net.au/PDF/religionCulturalDiversity/Main_Report.pdf.
Muslim Australians: Their Beliefs, Practices, and Institutions. 2004. Resource manual prepared by the Australian Multicultural Foundation to "document and analyse recent occurrences of racist and bigoted attacks, both verbal and physical, on faith communities and their members, including post-September 11th, and to develop educational material about Islam, the Islamic diaspora and the history, role and contribution of Muslim Australians." Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.amf.net.au/PDF/religionCulturalDiversity/Resource_Manual.pdf.
Constructing a Local Multi-Faith Network. 2004. Resource kit developed by the Australian Multicultural Foundation to "encourage dialogue, interaction and co-operation between Australia's faith communities at local, state and national level." Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.amf.net.au/PDF/religionCulturalDiversity/Multifaith_Kit.pdf.
Achieving Harmony through Religious Understanding - a resource manual for teachers. 2000. This manual was developed through the Believing in Harmony project, which brings clergy panels to schools selected either by the Education Department or Department of Multicultural Affairs, providing students with the chance to hear first hand about traditions which may be different from their own. This manual was published so that all schools can participate in this project by hosting their own forum. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.amf.net.au/documents/amf_harmony.PDF.
Cathedral Heritage Foundation
Festival of Faiths Handbook. 2005. The Louisville Cathedral Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the City of Louisville, has held a week-long Festival of Faiths for the past ten years. This handbook provides a guide to starting a similar Festival in your own community. (Our Research Report on the 2005 Festival of Faiths provides additional information about the Louisville festival.) Retrieved 2/20/06 from http://www.cathedralheritage.org/pdf/chf_festival_handbook.pdf.
The Interfaith Alliance
STOP the HATE curriculum. 2003. The Interfaith Alliance’s STOP the HATE curriculum offers resources to develop a faith-based community response to hate violence. STOP the HATE is part of TIA’s “Faith Does Not Exclude” project to address racism and racial inequality. Retrieved 12/2/05 from http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=8dJIIWMCE&b=829121&ct=147357.
Worship Leader’s Guide. 2003. A manual for religious leaders seeking to address political issues while “maintaining the integrity of our positions as religious leaders and preserving the sanctity of our houses of worship and religious traditions.” Retrieved 12/2/05 from http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=8dJIIWMCE&b=829121&ct=147344.
Interfaith Center at the Presidio
Shared Wisdom: Growing Grassroots Interfaith Partnerships. 2004. A manual on developing and sustaining interfaith dialogue and friendship. Retrieved 12/1/05 from http://www.interfaith-presidio.org/SharedWisdom/index.htm.
Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom
Looking After One Another: The Safety and Security of Our Faith Communities. 2005. A guide for maintaining safe communities, created with over 100 member groups and in consultation with the Commission for Racial Equality, the Association of Chief Police Officers, and the Chief Fire Officers' Association. The Inter Faith Network's publications are available at http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/index.htm. Retrieved 5/21/06 from http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/lookingafteroneanother.pdf.
Connect: Different Faiths, Shared Values. 2004. An inter faith action guide for young people. The aim of Connect is to encourage young people to get involved with inter faith activity and bridge building between communities. The Inter Faith Network's publications are available at http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/index.htm. Retrieved 5/21/06 from http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/connect-web.pdf.
Partnership for the Common Good: Inter Faith Structures and Local Government. 2003. "Good Practice Guidelines" looking at some of the issues involved in working with, and helping establish, local inter faith initiatives. Published in 2003 in association with the Local Government Association, the Home Office and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Inter Faith Network's publications are available at http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/index.htm. Retrieved 5/21/06 from http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/goodpracguidelines.pdf.
Inter Faith Co-operation, Local Government and the Regions: Councils of Faith as a Resource for the 21st Century. 2000. Report on the June 2000 conference held in association with the Inner Cities Religious Council. The Inter Faith Network's publications are available at http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/index.htm. Retrieved 5/21/06 from http://www.interfaith.co.uk/lconf/lcreport.htm.
The Local Inter Faith Guide: Faith Community Co-operation in Action. 2005, second edition. A guide to setting up and running a local inter faith initiative. Published by the Inter Faith Network for the UK in association with the Inner Cities Religious Council. The Inter Faith Network's publications are available at http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/index.htm. Retrieved 5/21/06 from http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/lifg2005.pdf.
Interfaith Youth Core
National Day of Interfaith Youth Service Training Resources. 2005. This page has both the QuickStart Toolkit for starting a Day of Interfaith Youth Service in your area (http://www.ifyc.org/pdf/ndiys_quickstart.pdf) and an in-depth Organizer’s Toolkit (http://www.ifyc.org/pdf/ndiys_organizer.pdf) with more detailed information. Retrieved 12/02/05 from http://www.ifyc.org/ndiys_resources.php.
National Conference for Community and Justice
Denouncing Racism: A Resource Guide of Faith-Based Principles. 2003. “Denouncing Racism addresses how the concept of being actively anti-racist is documented in most faiths’ spiritual practices and policies. It advances the moral responsibility of each person of faith to denounce racism and provides the foundation for working together in combating the divisiveness of racism.” Retrieved 12/02/05 from http://65.214.34.18/faithbook.pdf.
“When You Are Asked to Give Public Prayer in a Diverse Society: Guidelines for Civic Occasions.” “Guidelines for inclusive public prayer as a tool for leading authentic prayer in a way that can easily be shared by listeners from different faiths and traditions.” Retrieved 12/02/05 from http://65.214.34.18/PublicPrayerBrochure.pdf.
National Council of Churches: Interfaith Relations Commission
Interfaith Relations and Christian Living: Study and Action Suggestions. 2000. A study guide based off the Interfaith Policy Statement of the National Council of Churches USA. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.ncccusa.org/interfaith/ifrguide.pdf.
Interfaith Relations and the Churches: A Policy Statement of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. 1999. The Interfaith Policy Statement from which the previous study guide was developed. Retrieved 12/6/05 from http://www.ncccusa.org/interfaith/ifr.html.
Scarboro Missions
Golden Rule Meditations. 2006. Scarboro Missions of Canada has developed several workshops and discussion-group plans based on the Golden Rule. This website offers a set of 13 meditations on various faith traditions' statements of the reciprocity in the Golden Rule, and is suitable for individual and group use. Retrieved 06/19/06 from http://www.scarboromissions.ca/Interfaith_dialogue/golden_rule_meditations.php.
Golden Rule Curriculum. This curriculum was developed as part of the same process as the meditations, as a tool "primarily for high school juniors and seniors (ages 16 to 18) to demonstrate that the Golden Rule is more than a behavioral guide for small children." Retrived 01/23/07 from http://www.scarboromissions.ca/Interfaith_dialogue/golden_rule_curriculum.php.
United Religions Initiative
Partners in Leadership: Best Practices that Exemplify URI Values and Enliven Leadership. 2005. Techniques and practices for leadership in URI and other interfaith communities. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.uri.org/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,42.html.
Creating Cooperation Circles: A Practical Guide. 2005. Information on creating a Cooperation Circle, a local organizing group and branch of the URI. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.uri.org/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,38.html.
Interfaith Home Gatherings: A Practical Guide. 2005. Information on how to initiate an Interfaith Home Gathering, to provide a local context for interfaith cooperation and dialogue. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.uri.org/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,44.html.
Women Transcending Boundaries
Tips on Starting a Group. Women Transcending Boundaries is "an egalitarian community of women coming together to respect and learn more about each others' various spiritual beliefs and common concerns." This is a set of ten tips for creating an interfaith group on the same model. Retrieved 12/8/05 from http://www.wtb.org/involved/tips.html.
World Conference of Religions for Peace
Women of Faith Transforming Conflict: A Multi-Religious Training Manual. 2004. A manual for learning "more about the controversial and often contentious role of women and religion in situations of conflict." Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.wcrp.org/RforP/womens%20program/Women_Conflict_Manual_web.pdf.
Building Peace from the Ground Up:A Call to the UN for Stronger Collaboration with Civil Society. 2002. Recommendations on ways to increase communication between grassroots peace-building efforts and UN-based and/or government-based initiatives. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.wcrp.org/RforP/Conflict/SEE/CT_buildingup.pdf.
World Council of Churches
Online issues of Current Dialogue. Published twice yearly. A periodical on interreligious dialogue. Retrieved 11/17/05 from http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/cdindex.html.
Ecumenical Considerations for Dialogue and Relations with People of Other Religions. 2002. A revision and reevaluation of the WCC's 1979 "Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies," addressing new challenges and 30 years of interreligious dialogue. The original guidelines are listed at http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/77glines-e.html. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/glines-e.html.
My Neighbour's Faith and Mine: Theological Discoveries Through Interfaith Dialogue. 1986. This guide urges Christians to reflect on the theological significance of the faith and witness of their neighbours who do not share their religion. Retrieved 11/18/05 from http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/mfm-e.html.