To state the obvious, the past year has been challenging for interfaith cooperation and bridgebuilding in higher education. Our social fabric has been stretched and torn in many places. At this point, it seems countercultural for people who disagree to try to work together.
Yet, despite all that, this year’s Interfaith Leadership Summit will be the largest in-person Summit ever, with around 500 students and educators from colleges and universities across the country. Never before have we seen a turnout quite like this. The Summit has always focused on promoting and cultivating interfaith leadership skills and abilities. And this year, those tools are in more demand than ever. In our work, we focus on achieving respect, relationships, and joint action among diverse (and often disagreeing) groups of people. This year, our theme of The Ties That Bind recognizes that people like you can create those bonds of positive engagement in our diverse country.
The theme is not just about people coming together but about the possibilities such a unity can create. Artists know this: look at the textile portraiture of Bisa Butler (whose work partly inspired this year’s theme) that practically radiates warmth and energy while reflecting African American life, history, and liberation in the 20th century. But also think about the simple things that communicate the shared value of welcome in your life: sharing a meal, watching a musical performance, or conversing with another person about who they are and what they believe.
The theme is not just about people coming together but about the possibilities such a unity can create.
In ways big and small, we are trying to incorporate those moments into this year’s Summit. When the Summit starts on Friday, August 2, we will hear from Interfaith America’s founder and president, Eboo Patel, about what brings us together. He will lead a panel of bridgebuilders from different generations and roles in higher education — from influential administrators to an undergraduate looking for a new way of engaging complex issues — about the things that bring us together during this time. Maria Dixon-Hall, the Chief Diversity officer at Southern Methodist University, Manu Meel, the CEO of the bridgebuilding organization Bridge USA, and Shira Hoffer, a fourth-year student at Harvard University and the founder of the Institute for Multipartisan Education, will join Eboo for the discussion.
Our Closing Plenary panel will offer a unique and insightful view of the possibilities of America’s diverse democracy in 2024. As we enter into both a new school year and a presidential election in the fall, we recognize that interfaith leadership will be needed now more than ever. The training tracks at the Summit this year reflect that need; there are new trainings for student bridgebuilders, an expansive track for our Bridging the Gap program, and faculty focused tracks for educators who want to cultivate pluralism in the classroom. This is a unique opportunity for learning and growth that you won’t want to miss.
There is no other event in America quite like the Summit — a gathering place that intentionally recognizes deep differences and believes wholeheartedly that if we engage it productively and positively, we can contribute to a common good for us all. We invite every participant — whether in a plenary session, a training room, or simply in casual conversation with a new friend — to approach each other with welcome, respect, and a simple question: what is it that binds us to each other? This event is designed to be inclusive, and we value each of you. I hope you’ll think deeply about that question and the answers it can offer.
Carr Harkrader is the Interim Director of Interfaith Leadership Institute.
Before the Summit, Complete this Course
Completion of our asynchronous online course, Foundations of Interfaith Leadership, is a prerequisite for attending the Summit.
