

Kate LaClair, Chair, Ethical Action Committee
Open bigotry and xenophobia in America, not only from private individuals but from the Executive and Legislative branches of government, have resurfaced to levels that I think we all fervently hoped never to see again. But we know that hoping for peace, stability and non-violence is not enough. We must continually participate in cultivating and sustaining these values through our own actions, and by involving our families and communities.
Many of us feel the urgency of building understanding and respect among people of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, but it can be hard to know where to begin and how to keep it going. Know Your Neighbor: Multifaith Encounters is a coalition of religious and humanist groups led by the Islamic Networks Group (ING), and created in response to rising hate and division against Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities and other minorities. It provides a shared space where individuals and communities can find and attend events of other religious and cultural groups in their neighborhoods, and can invite the interfaith community to their events in turn.
In explaining the Know Your Neighbor Campaign, ING writes,
“It is human nature to mistrust the unknown. Our communities are only as strong as the connections we have, the connections we make, and the connections we build. It is not enough to engage with others in our communities only in crisis situations when there is a need to respond to an immediate threat. Instead, we need to intentionally build the strength and capacity of our communities on an institutional and organizational level – which begins when we get to know our neighbors.”
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Religious Groups Agree: Pass The Do No Harm Act
www.au.org
The Do No Harm Act will return the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to its original purpose of protecting the free exercise of religion, especially for religious minorities, while making it clear that the legislation should never be used to exempt anyone from laws that protect other people’s basi...2 ·
docs.google.com
Join the AEU for this year's YES National Conference! On the weekend of March 5, we will gather online to share our thoughts on this year's topic: America's Public Education System2 ·
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