Here you'll find dialogue guides, sample programs, toolkits and more to help you plan your Groundswell event.
9/11 COMMUNITY ACTION KIT
On the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, MPAC joins our fellow citizens in 
remembering the victims and renewing our commitment to work for a better, stronger America that embodies its core values. To this end, MPAC provides this community kit to ensure that members of the Muslim American community have the tools to engage in the conversation and events around the 10th anniversary. To download the kit click here.
20,000 DIALOGUES
A nationwide initiative that uses discussions about films to promote pluralism, dialogue, and civic engagement. It seeks to build greater understanding of Muslims through films and conversation. 20,000 Dialogues uses Unity Productions Foundation’s (UPF) award winning films and provides the materials people need to participate in dialogues that further the American ideals of inclusiveness and positive civic action. Check out their films and dialogue programs.
CHANGE THE STORY LESSON PLANS FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Extremists are slaves to policies, politics and power, not religion. Throughout history, people have used religion to propagate political agendas and justify grievances. Everyday stories of moderate, faithful law abiding Muslims, who try to make a living, raise families, and enjoy life, are not what typically make headlines. It is not the job of the news to educate people about others’ religions. That is a part of your role as a religious educator. If you seek to move beyond today’s headlines to understand the rich history and contributions of Islam and to change the story from one of ignorance and fear to one of compassion and respect for our Muslim neighbors, this curriculum is one place to begin that journey. Find lesson plans from Change the Story here.
CHANGE THE STORY LESSON PLANS FOR EDUCATORSThis curriculum offers a starting point for increased knowledge and understanding of Islam and the Muslim community in an effort to reduce misinformation and promote mutual respect. While it is not age specific, this four-session plan offers a primer for teachers who seek to expose some of the myths about Muslims so dominant in our culture. The curriculum introduces students to stories told by Muslims themselves as a way of humanizing Muslim Americans who may number as many as five million, or more. Each session has been designed to take approximately 40 minutes. Click here.
CHANGE THE STORY QU'RAN BIBLE TORAH COMPARISONTaken together, the adherents of Judaism, Christianity and Islam comprise over half of humanity. The grim realities of contemporary politics aside, similarities between the three religions vastly outnumber the differences. These similarities include shared perspectives on God, creation, faith, prayer, history, ethics, and contemporary concerns such as war, terrorism, ecology, and so on. The following introduces the main scriptural sources of these three religions – the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur’an – and then explores what they say on some essential themes that concern them each. Click here.
CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF WAR IN AN AGE OF TERROR(ISM)
This paper and four-part congregational study guide encourages reflection, as well as action, on the church’s movement from a debate between Just War and Pacifism toward actively working for Just Peace. Presented by the National Council of Churches. Download the guide here: Christian Understanding of War
COFFEE HOUR CONVERSATIONS
A coalition of NYC-based interfaith organizations have launched Prepare New York to help prepare the city for the ten-year anniversary of 9/11. The coalition is inviting New Yorkers to host Coffee Hour conversations in their houses of worship, or elsewhere, about the challenges and opportunities of religious diversity during a time of continued grief and healing. Check out their materials to host your own conversation, no matter where you are in the country.
If you’re looking for tailored discussion guidelines, check these out:
Houses of Worship, click here.
Educators, click here.
Students, click here.
Workplaces, click here.
FAITH SHARED
Faith Shared creates opportunities across the United States for faith communities to strengthen ties with each other. We counter the misperception that the United States is a nation defined by the widely covered images of the marginal few who would burn a Qur’an, rather than by a proud and longstanding tradition of religious freedom, tolerance and pluralism. In communities across the United States, this project not only serves as a model for tolerance and cooperation and promote local faith leaders as champions of such, but it also creates a concrete opportunity to build and strengthen working ties between faith communities moving forward. Click to find a resource kit for building an interfaith community with guidance for outreach and suggested readings.
I SPEAK FOR MYSELF
I Speak for Myself is a collection of 40 personal essays written by American Muslim
women under the age of 40, all of whom were born and raised in the US. It is a showcase of the true diversity found in American Islam. The primary goal of the book is to become a conversation tool. In this companion guide to the book (available here), you will find suggestions on building curriculum around I Speak for Myself, cultivating conversation, and creating change beyond your own circle. Help our narratives live on by sharing your own. Click here to download the guide.
THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society – an America as good as its ideals. Check out this toolkit that will provide you with the basic structure and strategies needed to plan and carry out an effective grassroots public education or advocacy campaign.
NOTES ON A 9/11 SERMON 
The tenth anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks falls on a Sunday. On a day of painful memories for many, and using the Gospel reading for the day, Trinity's rector, the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, has made a few sermon notes in advance. Click here to read Rev. Cooper's 9/11 Sermon notes and here for Trinity Wall Street's home page.
TURNING PARK51 INTO A TEACHABLE MOMENT: Curriculum Guide and Fact Sheets
Tanenbaum’s Religion and Diversity Education program specializes in multi-cultural/coexistence education that includes religion as a component of identity to be recognized and respected. We therefore tackled this divisive debate by creating resources for educators to help turn the Park51 controversy into a lesson in coexistence. Included with this Curriculum Guide are balanced materials and resources to address this contentious conflict. Click here to read more about and download Tanenbaum materials.
We're inspired by the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III's faith-based support of marriage equality and the dignity of all people.
My Catholic faith and my experience of family have taught me that God has more than enough love to go around for everyone, gay or straight.
Auburn Seminary was proud to join a coalition of religious women's organizations in congratulating Catholic nuns on their inspiring work to feed the hungry, cloth the poor, and advocate for the least among us, despite recent attacks on their views.
Musicians Include Members of the Bands Alabama Shakes, Dead Confederate, Drive-By-Truckers, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., The Civil Wars, The Roots, The Minus Five, and The Posies, as well as singers Alicia Keys, Daniel Bedingfield, Ken Stringfellow, Lera Lynn, Rosanne Cash, Scott McCaughey, and Talib Kweli.
Come out, come out whoever you are. The first hand up after the Love Free or Die screening two nights ago in South Florida was a blond woman's ...
The Rev. Dr. Katharine Rhodes Henderson, President of Auburn Seminary, appeared on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry on April 14 to discuss the issue of child sex trafficking.
