Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition (STIC)

Interfaith Potluck Dinner
2023-05-12 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Islamic Association of the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition (STIC) invite you to attend our Interfaith Potluck Dinner.

All are welcome! Meal followed by Interfaith Jeopardy. Imam Zaman Marwat, host.

Friday May 12 at 6 PM.

Bring a vegetarian dish to pass.

For more information call or text 607-731-3858. Email Imam Marwat here: MZMarwat@sticinterfaith.org

Download the Flyer

Democracy Not Theocracy
2023-05-02 19:30 - 21:30 | Congregation Kol Ami, 1008 West Water Street, Elmira, New York, 14904, United States
Democracy Not Theocracy: Confronting the Threat of Christian Nationalism To Preserve Our Religiously Diverse Nation

The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president of the Interfaith Alliance, will give a special Yachad lecture on Tuesday, May 2. His topic will be “Democracy Not Theocracy: Confronting the Threat of Christian Nationalism To Preserve Our Religiously Diverse Nation,” currently a special focus of the Alliance.

Rev. Paul Raushenbush, President of the Interfaith Alliance

An ordained Baptist minister, Rev. Raushenbush is a longtime leader in the interfaith movement working to protect an inclusive vision of religious freedom for people of all faiths and none.

He is the great-grandson of the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and great-grandson of Baptist theologian Walter Rauschenbusch, a key figure in the Social Gospel movement, who taught in Rochester.

Prior to coming to Interfaith Alliance, Rev. Raushenbush served as senior vice president of the Auburn Seminary, the founding and executive editor of HuffPost Religion, associate dean of religious life and the chapel at Princeton University, and a founding editor of Beliefnet.com. Most recently, he was the senior advisor for public affairs and innovation at Interfaith America.

He also serves as host of State of Belief Radio, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast. Rev. Raushenbush previously hosted Huffington Post’s podcast “All Together” where he interviewed a diverse array of guests working at the intersection of religion and politics, including President Jimmy Carter, Patti Smith, RuPaul, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Rev. Raushenbush has spoken about religious diversity and the importance of inclusive religious liberty at colleges, churches and institutes around the country including The Chautauqua Institute, the Center for American Progress, the New America Foundation and the Aspen Institute. He is regularly invited to offer commentary on issues of religion and civil rights in national outlets including CNN, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, BBC, The Hill, Vice, and Religion News Service. He has published two books and contributed essays to several volumes on faith in public life.

He’ll speak in the sanctuary at Congregation Kol Ami at 7:30 p.m. on May 2. The Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition is a co-sponsor.

The program will also be available on Zoom, with registration at this link.

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, “Democracy Not Theocracy: Confronting the Threat of Christian Nationalism To Preserve Our Religiously Diverse Nation,” at Congregation Kol Ami, May 2, 2023

Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Worship Service
2022-11-20 15:30 - 17:00
The Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition invites you to a Community Thanksgiving Worship Service with all of our Interfaith partners.

When: Sunday, November 20, 2022 @ 3:30 PM

Where: Congregation Kol Ami, 1008 W Water Street, Elmira, NY 14905

Other details: A reception with dessert and fellowship will follow the service. A freewill offering will be collected and donations will be given to the SPCA of Chemung County.

All are Welcome!

Highlights of Muslim Culture
2022-11-06 14:00 - 17:00 | Islamic Association of the Finger Lakes Center, 499 Hickory Grove Road, Horseheads, NY, 14845, United States
The Islamic Association of the Finger Lakes in association with the ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes Presents:

Highlights of Muslim Culture

Sunday November 6, 2022 from 2PM-5PM, 499 Hickory Grove Road, Horseheads, New York 1484.

Islamic Association of the Finger Lakes Center, Horseheads, N.Y.

Cuisine

We will take you on a culinary experience of a lifetime!

Learn how to prepare and taste popular cultural food items!

Hijab

We will educate you about the significance of hijab.

Learn how to properly wear a hijab and try one on, if you would like!

Henna

We will teach you the art of applying henna on the hands!

Learn application tips and also have henna applied on you!

Tughra (Insignia) of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent, 1566, detail

Come and enjoy an afternoon filled with fun activities while also learning about various Muslim cultural artistic techniques and expressions!

This event is FREE and open for ALL. Reservation is REQUIRED.

RSVP your name and phone number to events@iaficenter.org

For Questions: Contact Imam Marwat at(607) 398-6455 or sufizaman@yahoo.com

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program, a regrant program of the New York State Counil on the Arts with support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.

Highlights-of-Muslim-Culture-FlyerDownload

Abraham Path Walk
2022-10-09 14:30 - 16:00
2022 10th Annual STIC Abraham Walk, Organized & Sponsored by the Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition (STIC)

Faiths Walking Together, Celebrating Our Faiths.

Sunday, October 9, 2022 @ 2:30 PM

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Walk (the Event) begins with gathering at the IAFL Islamic Center (499 Hickory Grove Rd., Horseheads, NY 14845)

From IAFL, we shall proceed (drive) to St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church (410 E. McCanns Blvd., Elmira Heights, NY 14903) – about 12 minutes (8.5 miles) drive.From Ukrainian Church we shall proceed (drive) to Jewish Congregation Kol Ami (1008 W. Water St., Elmira, NY 14905) – about 9 minutes (4.3 miles) drive.Next, we shall park at the Kol Ami and walk to the Hindu Temple (304 Demarest Pkwy, Elmira, NY 14905) – about 9 minutes (0.4) miles) walk.Next we shall walk back from the Hindu Temple to Kol Ami for the final program of the event and a culminating reception.

The Walk is based on the story of Abraham, a prophet common to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Contact:Imam Zaman Marwat (Islamic Center), (607) 731-3858 * sufizaman@yahoo.com

Jenny Monroe (The Park Church), (607) 738-5069 * jmonroe@stny.rr.com Rabbi Oren Steinitz (Kol Ami), (607) 333-4400 * oren.steinitz@gmail.com Fr. Teodor B. Czabala, Jr (Ukrainian Catholic Church) |

Swami Tulsida | swamitulsidas@bhaktimarga.us

The vision of the Lord directing Abraham to count the stars, woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld from a 1860 Bible in Pictures edition

Faiths and Migrants: The Role of Ithaca Welcomes Refugees
2022-09-18 15:00 - 18:00 | Park Church, 208 W. Gray St, Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition (STIC) Invites you to its 2022 Annual Meeting Sunday, September 18, 2022 @ 3:00 P.M. at The Park Church, 208 Gray St., Elmira, NY 14901

It is a hybrid program; click below to Join Zoom Meeting Link: — https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89540551673?pwd=[REDACTED]

“He is not a believer who eats his fill whilst his neighbor beside him goes hungry.” (Prophet Muhammad (صلياللهعليهوسلم) in Bukhari)

Keynote Speaker

Dr. S. Zeeshan Rizvi(IWR)

Dr. S. Zeeshan Rizvi – an Engineer by profession, working full-time at Corning Inc. – leads the Organization Development and Volunteer Onboarding at Ithaca Welcomes Refugees, Inc., (IWR) which is an Ithaca based nonprofit organization.

IWR works with State Department designated resettlement agencies to help migrants and refugees in the area settle and integrate into our communities.

At IWR, Dr. Rizvi mainly is responsible for recruiting and training volunteers and connecting them with the different functional teams within the organization so their skillsets can be best utilized to benefit the arriving families.

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees is a proud member of Welcoming America.

Those individuals are greatly praised by God Almighty “who prefer others over themselves even if they (themselves) are in greater need.” (Qur’an, 59:9)

Jack Waddell presents Mark Twain’s America with Deborah Dutcher
2022-08-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Park Church, 208 W. Gray St, Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Jack Waddell presents Mark Twain’s America with Deborah Dutcher.
Sunday Aug. 7, 2022 3 PM
The Park Church. 208 W. Gray St.. Elmira, NY.
Free Concert to the Public, Donations welcomed at the door.
A 175th Anniversary Event Sponsored by The Park Church
For Information/COVID Guidelines: www.theparkchurch.org

“Jack Waddell presents Mark Twain’s America with Deborah Dutcher” Please join us on Sunday, August 7th at 3:00 PM for this free concert at The Park Church. Souvenir fans for the first 100 audience members! House opens at 2:30 PM. The concert features music and performers from “Mark Twain the Musical” — beloved Elmira summer theatre production staged 1989 to 1996. Waddell stared as “Jim” from “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and Deborah was a Painted Post high school student who understudied as Suzy Clemens singing “The House on the Hill” – now she’s a Broadway musical star just returned from a London run of “Phantom of the Opera.” Come celebrate Twain history in Elmira and enjoy African American Spirituals, music from the Mark Twain Drama and other musical theatre classics.

Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls
2022-06-18 08:30 - 17:00 | Washington, D.C., 3rd and Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C., 20004
The Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington will be a generationally transformative and disruptive gathering of poor and lowwealth people, state leaders, faith communities, moral allies, unions and partnering organizations.

Provided

2 0 2 2 MORAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON LOCATION: 3RD & PENNSYLVANIA AVE., WASHINGTON DC

The Assembly is a pulling point of organizing from fall 2021 to summer of 2022 and will spring us toward the 2022 elections. All along the way, we will be doing MORE: Mobilizing, Organizing, Registering, Educating, Engaging and Empowering people for a movement that votes!

Provided

Poor People’s March on Washington Saturday Demands “Moral Reset” on Poverty, Voting Rights, ClimateWe speak with Bishop William Barber and Reverend Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign, about plans for Saturday’s Moral March on Washington and to the Polls to demand the government address key issues facing poor and low-income communities.

Amy Goodman and Juan Gonazalez. Poor People’s March on Washington Saturday Demands “Moral Reset” on Poverty, Voting Rights, Climate. 17 Jun 2022. Democracy Now.— https://www.democracynow.org/2022/6/17/poor_peoples_campaign_2022_washington_march

We speak with Bishop William Barber and Reverend Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign, about plans for Saturday’s Moral March on Washington and to the Polls to demand the government address key issues facing poor and low-income communities. The march will bring together thousands of people from diverse backgrounds to speak out against the country’s rising poverty rates, voter suppression in low-income communities and more. “To have this level of poverty that’s untalked about too often … is actually morally indefensible, constitutionally inconsistent, politically insensitive and economically insane,” says Barber. Theoharis says the lack of universal healthcare in the U.S. is a major source of economic insecurity and has contributed to the COVID-19 death toll. She asks how a rich country “that spends more money on healthcare than any other nation with a comparable economy still has [these] kind of poor health outcomes.”

AMY GOODMAN: Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman.

As the United States experiences its worst inflation in decades with skyrocketing food, gas and energy prices, we end today’s show in Washington, D.C., where the Poor People’s Campaign has organized a massive Moral March on Washington Saturday. The demonstration is being led by low-income people and workers demanding access to stable housing, healthcare, living wages, gun control, and reproductive and voting rights.

For more, we’re joined in Washington, D.C., by Bishop Dr. William Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, president of Repairers of the Breach. We also hope to speak with Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign.

Bishop Barber, welcome back to Democracy Now! If you can talk about what you’re doing in Washington? As inside the Capitol there is this epic historic hearing around the previous president’s attempted coup, the man who would not let go of power but was forced to in the end, I’m wondering if you could contrast what we’re seeing exposed there with what you’re doing this weekend.

BISHOP WILLIAM BARBER II: Well, thank you, Amy.

We are not the insurrection. We are the resurrection, and a resurrection of thousands, of every race and creed and color and kind and geography, who are coming nonviolently to Washington, D.C., from all across this great land, to say that the 140 million poor and low-wealth people in this country, 43% of this nation, 52% of the children, 68% — 60% of Black people, 33% of — 30% of white people, 68% of Latinos, and so forth and so on, 87 million people who are uninsured or underinsured, 32 million people that get up every morning and work jobs that do not pay a living wage, less than $15 an hour — we won’t be silent or unseen anymore.

The time has come for us to have a Third Reconstruction. We had one in the 1800s, one in the 1960s. We need one now, that’s about policy, reconstructing a moral framework, political framework in this country, because to have this level of poverty, that’s un-talked-about too often and unseen and unheard, is actually morally indefensible, constitutionally inconsistent, politically insensitive and economically insane. So people are coming. But poor people are coming to say not only do we need a moral reset — and low-wage workers are saying it — we represent 32% of the electorate now, poor people do, and 45% of the electorate in battleground states. And it’s time for that power to be organized, mobilized and felt in every election throughout this country.

Now, when we look at what you see in these hearings, we have to ask the question, I think: Why were Trumpism or Trump and his team fighting to hold onto power? Why wouldn’t McConnell and them impeach him when they had a chance? I believe, Amy, and we believe, this isn’t just about personality, but policy. We’re witnessing a crisis of democracy, because some of the people who didn’t go along with Trump in this and didn’t go along with Eastman’s scheme still took the time to see if it was right, if there was a way they could do it. They still voted 99% of the time for Trump’s policies of extremism. And they still believe in a political policy coup d’état to suppress the vote, to rob the government of its resources by giving tax cuts to the wealthiest and to the greediest and the corporate interests, that disempowers the government from doing the things it needs to do for the least and the left-out and the workers and women. They are still the group that wants to take — to have a political coup d’état and take women’s rights to their own body. They’re still the group that wants to block living wages, block healthcare, block addressing climate change, block police violence. And all of these policies produce a policy murder. And we found out just this week that the denial of universal healthcare during COVID, for instance, has cost 330,000 lives. We found out, because of Trump and his allies’ policies in the beginning of COVID, poor people died at a rate of two to five times higher than anyone else in this country.

So, we are the contrast. What you saw January 6th was the insurrection. What you see on Saturday is a resurrection. It’s a resurrection of people coming together, the Mass Poor People’s, Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March to the Polls. And we are calling on people to still join us at Third and Pennsylvania at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

AMY GOODMAN: Liz Theoharis is also with us, the Reverend Dr. Liz Theoharis, who is co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign and president — also executive director of the Kairos Center at Union Theological Seminary.

Liz, welcome back to Democracy Now! If you could talk about the significance of this march, and this coming at a time where a Yale study just came out saying that something like 338,000 people who died of COVID-19 during the pandemic in the United States — a third of the people — died unnecessarily, could have been saved if the U.S. had Medicare for All? Can you talk about how healthcare is a basic right, as one of the tenets of what people are calling for in Washington?

REV. LIZ THEOHARIS: Well, thanks so much, Amy, and it is great to be back.

And as Bishop Barber said, and as you just referenced, this study came out this week that says that, yeah, a third of the people who did not have healthcare would not have died from this pandemic. What we in the Poor People’s Campaign have been putting out, and we did a study with Jeffrey Sachs and with folks over at Columbia University that showed that between two and five times the number of poor people from poor communities died from the pandemic than richer communities and richer people. And again, this is because of these underlying issues of health inequality, of poverty, of low wages.

And so, indeed, when we gather on Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday and we hear the voices, the stories, but also the solutions coming out of poor and low-income people’s experience and lives, we will surely hear about the need for healthcare. As Bishop Barber has said, we need healthcare to be connected to people’s bodies, not to their jobs. And how is it, in this rich nation, that spends more money on healthcare than any other nation with a comparable economy, still has the kind of poor health outcomes, still has 87 million people who before the pandemic were uninsured or underinsured, and even some more who have — you know, tens of thousands who have lost their healthcare coverage in the worst public health crisis in generations?

And again, this just does not have to be. It actually — you know, we could spend less on healthcare and lead healthier lives, and everyone could have universal coverage. We need to expand Medicaid, but we also need to implement a single-payer universal healthcare system. And again, this will lift society from the bottom.

And so, this and then the cry and demand for living-wage jobs, for adequate housing, for immigration reform, for protecting this democracy, they’re all connected. And we see the interconnections, the intersections of the denial of healthcare, the destruction of our environment, the militarization of our communities, and the problems of poverty and low wages that are infecting almost half of the population, and, therefore, bringing this impoverished democracy to a real crisis.

AMY GOODMAN: Liz Theoharis, you’ve also said that declaring war is a declaration of war on the poor. Explain.

REV. LIZ THEOHARIS: So, you know, that actually comes from Dr. King and from many that have come before. But Dr. King, you know, when he comes out against the Vietnam War all those years ago, says that war, in all its form, is a war on the poor, and it’s cruel manipulation of the poor.

And we’re seeing this today. I mean, we don’t have a draft in this country, but we have a poverty draft. And 22 veterans commit suicide every day in this country because of the moral costs of war. And if we look at our military budget, 53 cents of every discretionary dollar goes to the military. We can’t even spend 15 cents on healthcare and living-wage jobs and investments in our children and in anti-poverty programs combined. You know, this disproportionately impacts poor people. And that’s poor people in the United States, and that’s poor people across the world. As Dr. King said, you know, you have poor people come together from this rich nation to go and kill poor people across the world. And we’re seeing this, you know, across the world in this moment, as well.

AMY GOODMAN: Bishop Barber, this is Pride Month, and there have been serious attacks or attempted attacks, from Coeur d’Alene to the Bay Area. You had Patriot Front in Coeur d’Alene, a small army stopped by police before they attacked a Pride march. Can you talk about the far right and the white supremacists using Christianity to justify what they’re doing?

BISHOP WILLIAM BARBER II: Well, I don’t call them “right.” I never use the term “far right” and “far left.” I think those terms are problematic. And one of the things the Poor People’s Campaign is saying is we need to have a moral conversation about right versus wrong, constitutional versus unconstitutional. And that’s part of our problem.

The reality is that that’s heresy. Any time you use religion to justify violence against gay people, against women, against the poor, against any segment of a community, when you use it to suppress the vote, when you use religion to try to block living wages and healthcare, it is exactly wrong. One of the reasons it’s wrong from a moral and a religious standpoint is because those become the policies of death. You know, every piece of regressive policy costs lives. When you deny healthcare, it costs lives. When you attack LGBT communities, you cost lives. When you allow guns to flourish in the society, people to walk around with AK-47s, you cost lives. When you block living wages and people moving up out of poverty — we knew that, even before COVID hit, poor people were dying at a rate of 700 people a day, nearly 30 people an hour per day, 250,000 a year, from the effects of poverty. That is contrary to the biblical call to life. It is contrary to the call of the ancient prophets that says, “Woe unto those who legislate evil and rob the poor of their rights and make women and children their prey” — P-R-E-Y. It’s contrary to the call of Jesus, that we’re supposed to be about life and good news to the poor. And it’s contrary to the Declaration of Independence, that we are supposed to be about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and contrary to the Constitution promise to establish justice and equal protection under the law.

We are a movement of life, though. What we are saying is — and on Saturday, we are having Black people, white people, Brown people, Asian people, Native people, gay people, straight people, Republicans, Democrats, veterans, nonveterans. These are the voices you will hear, poor and impacted people, on the stage. It’s not a march and a rally and an assembly, really, for [inaudible] —

AMY GOODMAN: We have 10 seconds.

BISHOP WILLIAM BARBER II: — for people to come and talk for people. People will talk for themselves. We are the resurrection and not the insurrection.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, we want to thank you both so much for being with us, Bishop Dr. William Barber and Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign, holding the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington on Saturday.

Oh, and, Liz, I also want to congratulate your sister Jeanne Theoharis. The film The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, based on Jeanne’s best-selling book by the same title, just premiered last night at the Tribeca Film Festival, directed by our former Democracy Now! producer Yoruba Richen, as well as Johanna Hamilton. It is fantastic, not to be missed by anyone. It was at the Tribeca Film Festival.

And that does it for our show. Democracy Now! is produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Messiah Rhodes, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena, Tami Woronoff, Camille Baker, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud, Mary Conlon.

On Monday, a Juneteenth special — don’t miss it — on Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman. Stay safe.

Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Ukraine
2022-03-04 12:00 - 13:00
Elmira Area Clergy invite you to an Interfaith Prayer VigilJoin us as we pray for peace and remember the people of Ukraine.

Friday, March 4, 2022

Noon to 1 p.m.Wisner Park

For more information, please contact Elmira Area Clergy at

607-882-4031.

Abraham Path Walk for Interfaith Understanding
2021-10-10 14:00 - 17:00
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
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
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
