On October 13, 2006, The Pluralism Project and the Women’s Studies in Religion Program co-sponsored “Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision.” This event, held at Harvard Divinity School, brought together three women from Israel/Palestine to share their stories, their struggles, and their hopes. Speakers included Ghada Ageel, a Muslim Palestinian from Khan Younis Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip; Shireen Khamis, a Christian Palestinian from Beit Jala in the West Bank; and Rela Mazali, a Jewish Israeli from Herzila on... Read more about Pluralism Project Co-Sponsors "Jerusalem Women Speak" Event at HDS

On April 18, 2008, the Pluralism Project hosted a partial screening and panel discussion of Tenaz Dubash's documentary film, Crisis in Faith: Zoroastrians Today at Harvard Divinity School. Crisis in Faith is a personal journey about Tenaz's quest for the truth around the controversies facing followers of her faith today, focusing on the dwindling number of Zoroastrians worldwide and the treatment of Zoroastrians as a religious minority in Iran. The film was shot in Boston, Chicago, Iran, India, New York, and Vancouver. Tenaz was... Read more about Crisis in Faith: Zoroastrians Today Screening and Panel Discussion

On March 2, 2006, the Pluralism Project co-sponsored an event with the Kennedy School of Government's Women in Public Policy Program and the Islam in the West Project entitled, “Emerging Forms of Muslim Women’s Leadership.” The featured speakers included Sarah Eltantawi, media commentator on American Muslim affairs and Middle East policy and doctoral student in religious studies at Harvard University and Raheel Raza, author of Their Jihad...Not My Jihad!: A Muslim Canadian Woman Speaks Out. Ms. Raza was also the first Muslim woman to lead... Read more about Pluralism Project Co-Sponsors "Emerging Forms of Muslim Women’s Leadership" Event

On the afternoon of November 5, 2007, Mayor Dean Koldenhoven, former mayor of Palos Heights, Illinois spoke with a gathering of about thirty Harvard students at the Center for the Study of World Religions. He is the protagonist in the forthcoming case study, “A Mosque in Palos Heights." Many of the students who attended this event are part of Dr. Eck’s “Religion in Multicultural America: Case Studies in Religious Pluralism” course this semester, where this case study was examined. Mayor Koldenhoven brought to life his role in the mosque... Read more about Pluralism Project Case Study Protagonist Mayor Dean Koldenhoven Addresses Students at the Center for the Study of World Religions

On May 22, 2009, the Pluralism Project hosted a State Department delegation from Sweden. The group included two representatives from Swedish Muslims for Peace and Justice; a youth immigrant contact who helps new immigrants navigate issues of religious difference and assimilation in a secular Swedish society; and the chairman of the Kista Folk High School Association, an advocate for Swedish Muslim equality. A lively conversation with the diverse delegation centered on issues of interfaith relations, perceptions of Islam, and Muslim life in the United States. After their visit to Boston, the... Read more about Pluralism Project Hosts State Department Delegation from Sweden

On March 1, 2007, the Pluralism Project hosted a State Department delegation of scholars from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria at Harvard University. Their visit was a continuation of a study-tour which began last year titled, “Islam: Scholarship and Practice in the United States.” Led by Father Nabil Haddad, executive director of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center in Amman, Jordan, and sponsored by WorldBoston, the tour also made stops in DC and Philadelphia. The tour aims to convey an understanding of the role of religion in... Read more about International Participants in "Islam: Scholarship and Practice in the United States" Visit the Pluralism Project

On October 16, 2008, the Pluralism Project hosted Father Nicholas Rundle, a Senior Chaplain with Mission Australia. Father Rundle was in the United States to learn more about how Mission Australia might provide a more “faith friendly” environment for staff through programs, policies, and practices. Father Rundle then went on to Detroit, Michigan to visit the leaders of the Ford Interfaith Network at the Ford Motor Company to learn about their model.

On April 4, 2006, the Pluralism Project co-sponsored a talk by Chandra Muzaffar at Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of World Religions entitled, “Emergent Asia: Whither Religion?” Dr. Muzaffar is a leading human rights activist, author, and teacher. He is the president of the International Movement for a Just World, an NGO in Kuala Lumpur that addresses the challenges to social justice and human dignity in global politics. His latest book is Global Ethic or Global Hegemony? During his Cambridge visit, Dr. Muzaffar also... Read more about Chandra Muzaffar Lecture on “Emergent Asia: Whither Religion?”

On March 2, 2008, the Pluralism Project participated in a day-long conference at Tufts University entitled, “Religious Pluralism in a Time of Extremism: The Campus Responds.” Keynote speakers included Diana L. Eck, Mohammed Abu-Nimer, and Marc Gopin; Victor Kazanjian moderated their discussion on the topic of “The Imperative for Sustaining Dialogue in Difficult Times.” Workshops were led by students, faculty, community leaders and activists from organizations in Greater Boston and around the country, and focused on interfaith dialogue... Read more about Religious Pluralism in a Time of Extremism: The Campus Responds

On June 15-16, 2009, the Pluralism Project participated in a conference on “Educating Christian, Jewish, & Muslim Leaders in an Age of Religious Diversity,” which took place on the neighboring campuses of Andover Newton Theological School & Hebrew College. Organized by the Boston Theological Institute, Hartford Seminary, the Interreligious Center on Public Life... Read more about Pluralism Project Participates in Conference on Educating Religious Leaders

Harvard Divinity School On June 26, 2007, the Pluralism Project sponsored a day-long conference organized by Interfaith Action’s Youth Leadership Program in Sharon, Massachusetts. This day-long conference, called “Teenage Interfaith Diversity Education (TIDE): The Wave of Change Conference,” was held at Harvard Divinity School. High school youth from Sharon led workshops, activities, and dialogue sessions designed to equip other youth participants with the skills they need to engage with religious difference in their own communities. While most participants... Read more about TIDE: The Wave of Change Conference

On November 13, 2008, Assistant Director Kathryn Lohre gave an introductory presentation about the Pluralism Project to a group of freshmen students at Harvard College. The event, sponsored by the Harvard College Freshmen Dean's Office, was intended to introduce first year students to research opportunities at the Pluralism Project, as well as to provide an overview of our history, current research initiatives, and World Religions in Boston project. The event was attended by staff of the Freshmen... Read more about Introduction to the Pluralism Project, Sponsored by the Harvard College Freshmen Dean’s Office

On May 2, 2006, Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur and Sarah Eltantawi joined the Pluralism Project for a luncheon discussion. Abdul-Ghafur is the editor of LIVING ISLAM OUT LOUD: American Muslim Women Speak, a book which features 15 American Muslim women dealing with the complexities of forging their own identities while playing powerful roles in public life. Sarah Eltantawi contributed to the book and is a cofounder of the Progressive Muslim Union of North America and from 2001-2004 served as Communications Director for the ... Read more about Living Islam Out Loud: A Conversation with Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur and Sarah Eltantawi

On March 13, 2008, the Pluralism Project hosted a State Department delegation from India. The delegation, which was dedicated to exploring interfaith dialogue in the United States, made stops in Washington DC, Houston, Los Angeles, and Louisville before coming to Boston. The group included a professor of Arabic Studies; a president of a peace council that advocates for a modern, secular Islam; a director of several educational institutions that focus on public health issues; and a businessman who promotes education for Muslim children. After meeting with Diana Eck and Pluralism Project staff... Read more about Pluralism Project Hosts State Department Delegation from India

On Friday, July 31, the Pluralism Project hosted a preview launch of World Religions in Greater Boston, fifth edition. The symposium featured the work of our webmaster, Ryan Overbey, who built the new user interface, and our summer interns who provided updates for the new directory and multi-media content. The symposium was held at Harvard’s Barker Center for the Humanities, and guests included religious and lay leaders from a diverse range of communities and centers, as well as Harvard faculty, friends of the... Read more about 2009 Summer WRGB Launch and Research Symposium