Introducing Interfaith Activity in a School Setting

The URI global staff in San Francisco was recently invited to organize a workshop for college educators.  To open the workshop we chose to engage the participants in conversations about their own interfaith experiences at their schools. We wanted to understand the wisdom and perspectives already present in the room before presenting more information.

Adapting a process called Appreciative Inquiry, we first asked everyone to choose a partner, then to interview each other using the questions below.  After the interview session, small groups of 6 were asked to share highlights from their interviews with each other and report the themes and common findings to the whole group.

If you are a college or a high school educator, working with parents of school children, or involved in a multi-cultural or a multi-religious educational setting, we hope that you might adapt this process to help engage your community in an inquiry about its potential for interfaith work. Common themes that emerge can help set direction for planning programs and finding additional resources.

With gratitude to Charles Gibbs and Sally Mahé, URI global staff, for providing this idea.

The Inquiry

Interview in Pairs:

Please begin by selecting a partner you don’t already know and introduce yourselves to each other. Then take turns asking each other the following questions. The interviewer should take notes of the highlights of your conversation to share in a small group following the interview. You will have 30 minutes for this interview.

Each day brings news of conflicts that are sparked or exacerbated by religious difference. What we don’t often hear are the stories of how religious difference enriches a situation. Imagine that I’m a student from a minority religion thinking about attending your school but I’m nervous about not being welcomed. To help me feel more secure, please share an experience of religious/spiritual diversity that enriched your life and your school. What was the setting? Who was involved? What made it enriching? What changed for you and/or your school because of this experience?
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1)    <!--[endif]-->Please share the most challenging experience you and/or your school have had because of religious/spiritual difference. If you could receive help from the most resourceful people around in promoting interfaith understanding and cooperation on campus, what sort of help would you want? What question would you like to ask them?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2)    <!--[endif]-->Is there anything else you would like to share about the successes your school has experienced or challenges you face in dealing with religious/spiritual diversity?

Small Group Sharing:

Find two other pairs and form a group of six. Introduce your partners and share highlights of your interviews—something that inspired you, that challenged you, that gave you a feeling of solidarity with someone who shares a common challenge.

As you listen to what others are saying, pay particular attention to common themes. Are there common characteristics of the successes people have experienced? Are there common characteristics of the challenges people face?

You might find it helpful to have someone serve as a timekeeper, someone as discussion facilitator. You will have 30 minutes for this small group sharing.