[Editorial for the Chicago Seminarian this week]
As I write this, I am in the midst of the 5th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, held October 28-30 downtown at the Chicago Cultural Center. I am positively, delightfully, overwhelmed.
I am overwhelmed that the first conference had 30 participants, and this year’s conference has 550. I think I talked to about a hundred new people in one afternoon, and when that got to be too much, I looked for old friends in the crowd. Or, I could’ve ducked into the quiet meditation room near the entry if I needed to get away for a little while longer.
So far I’ve been to workshops that are imminently practical, like ‘Fundraising 101,’ ‘Youth Leadership in the Interfaith Movement,’ and ‘The 6 Best Practices in Interfaith Organizing.’ Also available were service projects, sessions to meet one another directly in dialogue, and a neat idea called ‘speedfaithing’-like speed-dating, a quick but intensive introduction to a religious tradition, presented by a practitioner in that tradition, without having to spend a semester in class.
One of the most helpful things I’ve found at this conference, in addition to meeting 550 new friends and colleagues, and getting practical skills for organizing, is the emphasis on sustainability. Is campus organizing just something you do while you’re in school? Will it simply have to die when you graduate? Or can you take the steps to ensure that others will benefit from your work after you move on?
In starting this newspaper and SeminaryAction last year, I was having fun, but it was a shock to me when most of my original cohort graduated last spring--I was the junior member of our group. I also found out that there was a curiosity among a wider population, and not too many other folks doing what we were doing. It’s been a steep learning curve, trying to create something bigger that can do more good. And there hasn’t been much sleep lately. But I am encouraged by events and support like this. Hope you will find that encouragement too. Check it out: http://www.ifyc.org/.
--Le Anne
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2 comments:
Hey Le Anne,
I think that the issue of sustainability is an important one to address, particularly because no matter how strong university programs may become, it's key that individuals have the skills to continue interfaith organizing outside of the safety of a campus. I hope that these discussions will continue in the IFYC, and maybe next year there will be a workshop on integrating interfaith work into lives after university.
-Meredith
Le Anne,
This comment is not in reaction to your post, but to your sentence for crossing the line. I was with you and Shawn as part of VCNV's Occupation Project last year and was proud to hear of your latest commitment. And, if you’ll forgive the irreligious outburst, damned proud. If you are planning on posting your experiences, especially concerning your dedication in protesting against injustice, please include me on your e-mail list. I want to pass your stories on to the folks down here in the farmlands of central Illinois. I know they will appreciate them.
Again, what a beautiful thing to do.
Bob Braam
Manhattan, IL.
braamer@krausonline.com
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