Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition (STIC)

Abraham Path Walk for Interfaith Understanding
2021-10-10 14:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | NY
Our walk begins at Congregation Kol Ami, 1008 W. Water St., Elmira. After hearing about their history and faith, we will walk to Bethany Lutheran Church. Walk east on W. Water St., turn right on Walnut St. to cross the bridge, and the church will be on the right. After learning about their history and faith, return to Congregation Kol Ami to pick up your car. Then drive to The Islamic Association of the Finger Lakes Center, 499 Hickory Grove Rd., Horseheads. Head east on W. Water St., Take a sharp left on NY 17W/ I- 86 West ramp. Take I-86 to Exit 51B for Colonial Dr. Turn left onto Colonial Dr, then right onto Hickory Grove Rd. The IAFL is on the right. The congregation of the Islamic Center has prepared refreshments for you.

Celebrate Diversity – Bumper Sticker / Decal. Peace Resource Project

Coexist

For the Walk:
Choose to walk with someone you do not know.
Take turns sharing the answers to these questions with each other.
Practice deep listening for peace and understanding.

What is your name and where do you live?
What is your current faith and/or spiritual practice?
Is it the same or different than your family’s traditionwhen you were growing up?
Do you have memories to share about your childhoodfaith?
What religious holidays did your family participate in?
Were you involved in faith activities as a teen?
Was there a time when your beliefs changed?
Does your current faith practice suit your needs?
In what ways are you involved, or what things are youseeking?
Do you have friends or acquaintances of other faiths?
Have you visited their places of worship or participated indifferent religious activities?
Can you articulate your beliefs about God?
Is there a place where you feel especially close to God?
Do you have a spiritual practice? Can you describe it?
Are there rituals that you practice to connect to God?
Are you a person who prays? How does that impactyour daily life?
What do you believe happens after one dies?
Are your religious beliefs helpful tools for your decision-making?
Do you believe that people have a certain purpose toaccomplish in their life?
“As you shine your light, you provide space for others toshine theirs, as well.” What does this statement mean toyou?
What prevents people from living their full potential?
Which contemporary religious person do you mostadmire?
What does it mean to you to live in the present moment?
Do you believe that we are all connected? How does thatimpact your life?
What five things are you most grateful for?
Have you ever experienced a miracle?

Thank you for participating today.

Download the STIC – 2021 Abraham Walk – Directions and Questions bifold. PDF (437k)

For more information or to join Southern Tier Interfaith Coalitionfind us on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/SouthernTierInterfaithCoalition/

"The Problem of Polarization: "With guest speaker and scholar: Robert Talisse
2021-10-05 12:15 - 13:30 | NY
Join us for a discussion!Triangle Lounge, Commons, Corning Community College (CCC) Spencer Hill Campus. 1 Academic Dr, Corning, NY 14830
Democracy is not easy. Citizens who disagree sharply about politics must nonetheless work together as equal partners in the enterprise of collective self-government. Ideally, this work would be conducted under conditions of mutual civility, with opposed citizens nonetheless recognizing one another’s standing as political equals. But when the political stakes are high, and the opposition seems to us severely mistaken, why not drop the democratic pretences of civil partnership, and simply play to win? Why seek to uphold properly democratic relations with those who embrace political ideas that are flawed, irresponsible, and out of step with justice? Why sustain democracy with political foes?
Robert Talisse
Drawing on extensive social science research concerning political polarization and partisan identity, Robert B. Talisse argues that when we break off civil interactions with our political opponents, we imperil relations with our political allies. In the absence of engagement with our political critics, our alliances grow increasingly homogeneous, conformist, and hierarchical. Moreover, they fracture and devolve amidst internal conflicts. In the end, our political aims suffer because our coalitions shrink and grow ineffective. Why sustain democracy with our foes? Because we need them if we are going to sustain democracy with our allies and friends.

Robert B. Talisse. Sustaining Democracy: What We Owe to the Other Side

Putting Politics In Its Place | Dr. Robert Talisse | TEDxNashville. YouTube.

Witness to Injustice
2021-09-12 15:00 - 17:00 | NY
Since much of our (Native) history is minimally taught and not accurately, the Witness to Injustice Exercise is a good way to help people learn about these events and share their feelings about what occurred. Freida Jacques, Turtle Clanmother, Onondaga Nation

Witness to Injustice Exercise is a 2-3 hour interactive teaching tool. It uses participatory education to foster truth, understanding and respect between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States; especially in the territory stewarded by people of the Onondaga Nation and other Haudenosaunee peoples.
We will explore the shared history that non-native people rarely learn in school or other settings. The Exercise helps participants deepen their understanding about the European colonization of Turtle Island (North America) and the denial of indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout US history up to present time. There are opportunities to discuss feelings and learnings throughout the exercise.
Email director@sticinterfaith.org to RSVP and receive zoom link

Witness to Injustice/The KAIROS Blanket Exercise
The Witness to Injustice / KAIROS Blanket Exercise™ is a unique three-hour interactive group teaching tool. It uses participatory education to foster truth, understanding, and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States; especially in the territory stewarded by people of the Onondaga Nation and other Haundenosaunee peoples.
Through the use of meaningful quotes and blankets that represent part of Turtle Island (the Western Hemisphere), we explore this shared history that non-native people rarely learn in school or other settings. The Exercise helps participants deepen their understanding about the European colonization of Turtle Island and the denial of Indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout U.S. history up to present time. After the Witness to Injustice Exercise, participants have the opportunity to share with the group what they learned, felt, etc., and, resources are shared by facilitators to help participants continue to learn more.
We hope this program will stimulate deep discussions and reflections, and will point the way toward ongoing steps toward righting the wrongs which have been done. Join Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) and Haudenosaunee facilitators as we participate in learning and dialogue through this exercise.
Click to download the flyer (PDF 889k)
Contact person: Cindy Squillace, Coordinator WTI/KBE cindysquillace@gmail.com

Witness to Injustice is created and sponsored by

Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) is a grassroots organization of Central New Yorkers which recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the traditional government of the Onondaga Nation.

Contact information: Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) 2013 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13210 (315) 472-5478 noon@peacecouncil.net

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent | Book Talk with Rev. Connie Siefert, Part Four
2021-07-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
In August of 2020, Isabel Wilkerson published Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent. In May of 2021, I read it. It is not an easy read. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who do not want to face the reality of racism—in the past, in the present and how it moves with us into the future; unless we read this book, heed her insights and make some changes.

Isabele Wilkerson | Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent

As I read the opening chapters, I became painfully aware of the relentless nature of racism for people of color—not just here in the United States but the pervasive stigma that follows them no matter where they are in the world. Isabel explores the roots of this racism throughout world history and in American history beginning with the genocide of Native Americans, followed by the enslavement of Africans. The superiority of “white” skinned people has been woven into our every day lives since before the first colonists set foot on this continent. It is with us still in ways we rarely acknowledge and are barely aware of. The implicit bias within those of us with “white” skin makes it nearly impossible to comprehend what it is like to live with a sense of inferiority that is reinforced daily..Ms. Wilkerson counters the popular misinformation and disinformation which enables us to deny and ignore the reality of racism with deep understanding and well-researched analyses. She take us deep into the fiber and fabric of racism, if we let her.

Case in point:

Devonte Hart hugs Portland police Sergeant Bret Barnum at a rally in Portland in 2014.(AP: Johnny Huu Nguyen)

This photo went viral in 2014. Michael Brown, a young, unarmed black man (who was supposed to start college 2 days later), had been killed by a white police officer. To this day, no one knows exactly what happened—only that Michael was dead with at least seven bullets in his body. The officer who shot him was not found guilty. This set off many protests including the one pictured above where a young black man named Davonte is seen hugging a white officer.

This photo was hailed as a sign of hope in the midst of unrest and protests. Maybe we could improve race relations in the wake of Michael Brown’s death and the jury’s not guilty verdict. Unfortunately, the black boy hugging the white officer in this picture was not the hopeful and harmonious reality it appeared to be. Davonte himself would soon be dead.

He and five other children of color had been adopted by two “white” women. The children were home-schooled and often taken to public events such as Bernie Sanders’ rallies and this kind of public protest, to promote the ideal of how harmonious inter-racial relationships could be. The two white women were applauded for their parenting. The ugly truth was that these six children were virtual prisoners of the two white women who were doing it for the money. The children were physically abused, neglected and starved. Neighbors called Child Protective Services about one incident. One of the women was indicted for child abuse. But she served no time and none of the children were taken away. However, Child Protective Services was building a case and closing in to rescue the children. Before that could happen, the two women loaded everyone in a van and did a “Thelma and Louise” drive off a cliff killing all six children and themselves.

After reading this story, outrage at these “white” women stuck in my throat. Grief for those six innocent children flooded my heart. The tears I needed to cry were dammed up by shock that paralyzed my soul. How could anything like this happen—anywhere in the world, but especially here in the United States? The compassion I would like to free up and try to share with people of color for incidents like this is overwhelmed by profound sorrow and buried under shame. But we must find a way to talk about stories like this. Sorrow and shame must not prevent us from having the difficult conversations we need to have about the reality of racism and where we want to go from here.

Most white people are not intentionally racist. But the unexamined assumption that light skin is superior to dark skin affects the way we relate to each other whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not. White supremacy is at the heart of current events and notoriously alive and well in our justice system. Isabel’s insights and cutting edge thinking may help us to move toward ending racism. This is a must read for all who want to understand and end racism—as in all those who are part of the new Poor People’s Campaign. Here is a quote from Chapter 2 that sums it up.

The inspector trained his infrared lens onto a misshapen bow in the ceiling… The house had been built generations ago… the welt in the ceiling became a wave that widened and bulged despite the new roof. It had been building beyond perception for years. An old house is its own kind of devotional, a dowager aunt with a story to be coaxed out of her…With an old house, the work is never done, and you don’t expect it to be.
America is an old house. We can never declare the work over. Wind, flood, drought, and human upheavals batter a structure that is already fighting whatever flaws were left unattended in the original foundation. When you live in an old house, you may not want to go into the basement after a storm to see what the rains have wrought. Choose not to look, however, at your own peril. The owner of an old house knows that whatever you are ignoring will never go away. Whatever is lurking will fester whether you choose to look or not. Ignorance is no protection from the consequences of inaction. Whatever you are wishing away will gnaw at you until you gather the courage to face what you would rather not see.
We in the developed world are like homeowners who inherited a house on a piece of land that is beautiful on the outside, but whose soil is unstable loam and rock, heaving and contracting over generations, cracks patched but the deeper ruptures waved away for decades, centuries even. Many people may rightly say, “I had nothing to do with how this all started. I have nothing to do with the sins of the past. My ancestors never attacked indigenous people, never owned slaves.” And, yes. Not one of us was here when this house was built. Our immediate ancestors may have had nothing to do with it, but here we are the current occupants of a property with stress cracks and bowed walls and fissures built into the foundation. We are the heirs to whatever is right or wrong with it. We did not erect the uneven pillars or joists, but they are ours to deal with now.
And any further deterioration is, in fact, on our hands.

There will be an online discussion group on Wednesdays in July (7, 14, 21, 28) at 7 p.m.

Please email andrucilla3@gmail.com for the zoom link if you are interested in participating.

Group will be limited to 12 participants. It will also be repeated.

Please see the attached Study Guide.
Caste Online Book Discussion(PDF 1MB)

See also Isabel Wilkerson and Rabbi Angela Buchdahl on “Caste” from the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York:

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent | Book Talk with Rev. Connie Siefert, Part Three
2021-07-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent | Book Talk with Rev. Connie Siefert, Part Two
2021-07-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent | Book Talk with Rev. Connie Siefert, Part One
2021-07-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
In August of 2020, Isabel Wilkerson published Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent. In May of 2021, I read it. It is not an easy read. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who do not want to face the reality of racism—in the past, in the present and how it moves with us into the future; unless we read this book, heed her insights and make some changes.

Isabele Wilkerson | Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent

As I read the opening chapters, I became painfully aware of the relentless nature of racism for people of color—not just here in the United States but the pervasive stigma that follows them no matter where they are in the world. Isabel explores the roots of this racism throughout world history and in American history beginning with the genocide of Native Americans, followed by the enslavement of Africans. The superiority of “white” skinned people has been woven into our every day lives since before the first colonists set foot on this continent. It is with us still in ways we rarely acknowledge and are barely aware of. The implicit bias within those of us with “white” skin makes it nearly impossible to comprehend what it is like to live with a sense of inferiority that is reinforced daily..Ms. Wilkerson counters the popular misinformation and disinformation which enables us to deny and ignore the reality of racism with deep understanding and well-researched analyses. She take us deep into the fiber and fabric of racism, if we let her.

Case in point:

Devonte Hart hugs Portland police Sergeant Bret Barnum at a rally in Portland in 2014.(AP: Johnny Huu Nguyen)

This photo went viral in 2014. Michael Brown, a young, unarmed black man (who was supposed to start college 2 days later), had been killed by a white police officer. To this day, no one knows exactly what happened—only that Michael was dead with at least seven bullets in his body. The officer who shot him was not found guilty. This set off many protests including the one pictured above where a young black man named Davonte is seen hugging a white officer.

This photo was hailed as a sign of hope in the midst of unrest and protests. Maybe we could improve race relations in the wake of Michael Brown’s death and the jury’s not guilty verdict. Unfortunately, the black boy hugging the white officer in this picture was not the hopeful and harmonious reality it appeared to be. Davonte himself would soon be dead.

He and five other children of color had been adopted by two “white” women. The children were home-schooled and often taken to public events such as Bernie Sanders’ rallies and this kind of public protest, to promote the ideal of how harmonious inter-racial relationships could be. The two white women were applauded for their parenting. The ugly truth was that these six children were virtual prisoners of the two white women who were doing it for the money. The children were physically abused, neglected and starved. Neighbors called Child Protective Services about one incident. One of the women was indicted for child abuse. But she served no time and none of the children were taken away. However, Child Protective Services was building a case and closing in to rescue the children. Before that could happen, the two women loaded everyone in a van and did a “Thelma and Louise” drive off a cliff killing all six children and themselves.

After reading this story, outrage at these “white” women stuck in my throat. Grief for those six innocent children flooded my heart. The tears I needed to cry were dammed up by shock that paralyzed my soul. How could anything like this happen—anywhere in the world, but especially here in the United States? The compassion I would like to free up and try to share with people of color for incidents like this is overwhelmed by profound sorrow and buried under shame. But we must find a way to talk about stories like this. Sorrow and shame must not prevent us from having the difficult conversations we need to have about the reality of racism and where we want to go from here.

Most white people are not intentionally racist. But the unexamined assumption that light skin is superior to dark skin affects the way we relate to each other whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not. White supremacy is at the heart of current events and notoriously alive and well in our justice system. Isabel’s insights and cutting edge thinking may help us to move toward ending racism. This is a must read for all who want to understand and end racism—as in all those who are part of the new Poor People’s Campaign. Here is a quote from Chapter 2 that sums it up.

The inspector trained his infrared lens onto a misshapen bow in the ceiling… The house had been built generations ago… the welt in the ceiling became a wave that widened and bulged despite the new roof. It had been building beyond perception for years. An old house is its own kind of devotional, a dowager aunt with a story to be coaxed out of her…With an old house, the work is never done, and you don’t expect it to be.

There will be an online discussion group on Wednesdays in July (7, 14, 21, 28) at 7 p.m.

Please email andrucilla3@gmail.com for the zoom link if you are interested in participating.

Group will be limited to 12 participants. It will also be repeated.

Please see the attached Study Guide.
Caste Online Book Discussion(PDF 1MB)

See also Isabel Wilkerson and Rabbi Angela Buchdahl on “Caste” from the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York:

Despair and Hope in the Holy Land: What Got Us Here and How to Make It Better
2021-06-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
In the wake of yet another round of violent escalation between Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, it is time to both grieve and gather our thoughts:

What are the origins of this ongoing conflict and its recent iteration?
What are the psychological, social and political implications?
Are there promising paths for a better future?

Is Israel the world’s pariah, and if so why and what can be done about it?

Join The Ithaca Area United Jewish Community (IAUJC) in an open conversation with Uriel Abulof, Israel Institute Visiting Professor in the Department of Government at Cornell. Abulof studies the politics of fear, happiness and hope, legitimation, social movements, existentialism, nationalism and ethnic conflicts.

Senior Lecturer (US rank Associate Professor), School of Political Science, Government and International Affairs, Tel-Aviv University, 2015-present

A program of the Ithaca Area United Jewish Community

Please register here and a Zoom link will be sent to you prior to the event.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhIu6kfJ__2T8i6chrLK714xNoUAocXI0PfPn5q9skTtxCwA/viewform

Deadline to register is Friday, June 11 at 3 p.m.

For more information, contact Marjorie Hoffman at info@iaujc.org.

Interfaith Rally for Palestine: Call to Action
2021-06-08 16:45 - 18:00 | Congressman Reed’s Corning Office, 89 West Market St., Corning, NY, 14830, United States
With the increase of Israel’s ongoing persistent state and settler violence against Palestinians, it is our duty as people of faith and conscience to raise our voices and to listen to the voices of our Palestinian neighbors who have been silenced too long. We invite you to join our call for action in front of Rep. Tom Reed’s office. As his constituents, we have the right to make a demand that our tax dollars are not used for perpetuating injustice against the Palestinians.
It will be a peaceful rally where we will hear voices of Palestine speaking for all to hear.

Sponsors: Ithaca JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace), Muslims of Southern Tier (MOST), Ithaca Catholic Worker, Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition, Episcopal Palestine-Israel Network, International Veterans Fellowship of Reconciliation.

New York State Rallies for a Third Reconstruction!
2021-06-07 12:00 - 14:00 | MetroCenter Binghamton, 49 Court Street, Binghamton, 13901, United States
Join the New York State Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival on Monday, June 7th at 12:00 for our news conference and rally to demand a Third Reconstruction in America.

Binghamton and New York State will join with states around the country and Washington DC to put our US Representatives on notice. Drawing on the transformational history of the First Reconstruction following the Civil War and the Second Reconstruction of the civil rights struggles of the 20th century, today we need a Third Reconstruction to revive our moral and political commitments to democracy and the founding principles of the country. With this resolution, we

(1) acknowledge the deep harms we have suffered from systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation and the denial of health care, militarism and the false narrative of white supremacist nationalist extremism and
(2) commit to heal and transform the nation by addressing these interlocking injustices, beginning with those most impacted, with moral and just laws and policies.

Date: June 7th, Time: 12pm ET
Location: MetroCenter BinghamtonAddress: 49 Court Street
EST Region: Claudia Tenney’s office in Binghamton
Schedule :
-11:30 arrive and gather signs and assemble for the press conference.– 12:00 press conference begins– 1:00 press conference ends. Open house for partnering organizations.
Co-Hosts: Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival

Kairos Center
Repairers of the Breach
New York State Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Citizen Action of NY
Truth Pharm

For COVID safety we are asking that all participants wear double masks and remain at least 8ft apart at all times. If you are feeling at all ill, even the slightest of symptoms we ask that you stay at home and watch this program online.

We stand united with folks across the country as they too call on their US Representatives to sign-on to our Third Reconstruction Resolution.
Join us June 7th!

For more information about the 3rd Reconstruction: www.3rdreconstruction.org
For more information, contact email: newyork@poorpeoplescampaign.org
or: Eastern Southern Tier regional campaign easternstppc@gmail.com
