Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • “Meet a Jew,” Germany's New Scheme to Convince the Country That Jews Are People

    Through the "Meet a Jew" program launched by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Jewish volunteers visit schools, universities, sports clubs, and religious centers to share their stories with non-Jewish Germans and combat growing antisemitism. The initiative held 540 sessions in 2021 to facilitate conversations about what it means to be Jewish and how Jews fit into German society.

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  • Why Getting Vaccinated at Church Might Be the Future

    To increase vaccination rates, especially among Latino and African American communities, Harris County developed its Partner Incentive Program, which reimburses churches, mosques, and community centers for holding vaccination events. The county offers $50 for every person that gets a first vaccine dose, up to $5,000, and gives a $100 voucher to each individual for their first shot. More than 3,000 vaccinations have taken place at these events, where trusted community leaders are involved.

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  • The priests navigating Colombia's conflict zones

    Shielded by cultural deference to the Catholic church, Colombian clergy venture into conflict zones to document the clashes, provide aid, and mediate disputes between civilians and armed guerrilla groups. Their efforts have helped response organizations access difficult-to-reach areas and drawn renewed attention to the crises.

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  • ‘Preach now or mourn in the future': How Key West faith leaders are confronting climate change

    Officials are joining forces with faith leaders and churches in order to pave the way for climate resilience. In Key West, Reverend Donna Mote is making a religious case for environmental preservation, clean energy, and emissions reductions. “It would be a shame to preserve all these buildings and then have people scuba diving in them in 100 years,” Mote said.

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  • In Religiously-divided Kaduna, Muslim And Christian Women Lead Peace Talks

    The Interfaith Mediation Center trained two groups of 30 Muslim and Christian women in two areas of Kaduna as a pilot project putting women at the center of the work needed to understand and prevent religion-motivated violence. Dozens have died in these areas. Even though women often are the victims, they usually are excluded from peacemaking work. The women committed to live peacefully and then went door to door to meet others in the community for bridge-building dialogues, which some said was a unique and transformative experience for them.

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  • The Group Turning Religious Leaders into LGBTQ Rights Crusaders

    Persons Marginalized and Aggrieved in Kenya works with religious leaders over the course of many years to build empathy and understanding towards the LGBTQ community. Faith leaders are often not immediately aware of the goal, but PEMA’s continuous and carefully orchestrated engagement allows them to gradually build relationships, hear personal stories from real people, and learn to preach tolerance. PEMA has worked with 619 religious leaders, 246 of which are currently active, and runs a Training of Trainers program where “converted” religious leaders train their colleagues to increase LGBTQ acceptance.

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  • Seminary Built on Slavery and Jim Crow Labor Has Begun Paying Reparations

    The Virginia Theological Seminary is giving cash to descendants of Black Americans forced to work there during slavery and Jim Crow. Annual payments, taken from a fund set to grow at a sustainable rate, will go to the closest direct descendant of each Black worker. Fifteen descendants have received payments so far, but that number will likely grow as genealogists continue to search through records. The payments, along with efforts to build relationships with the families, are the Seminary’s way of acknowledging their role in the exploitation and recognizing the contributions of those forced to work there.

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  • Getting Vaccinated in the Holy Month

    The Neighbourhood Organization has helped organized pop-up clinics to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, including a culturally inclusive pop-up clinic in Thorncliffe Park, which has a large Muslim population. The vaccine rollout occurred during Ramadan and some had concerns over whether the vaccine was halal or if it would break one’s fast. As a workaround, organizers decided to extend the clinic until midnight so that people could come after they completed their fasting. Community ambassadors helped spread the word and the well-attended clinic ended up running until after 1:00 am.

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  • Markham, Ont., vaccine initiative shows what happens when tech and faith team up

    A community effort spearheaded by a local church and a software company is helping senior citizens in Markham, Ontario secure Covid vaccine appointments. Ahead of the vaccine rollout, a reverend and a parishioner began collecting senior's information via an online form, which allowed them to streamline the signup process. The effort's success has attracted surrounding communities who are now working with the duo to reach their seniors as well.

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  • How A U.K. Imam Countered Vaccine Hesitancy And Helped Thousands Get The 'Jab'

    Sheikh Nuru Mohammed uses weekly sermons as imam at Al-Abbas mosque to dispel false information about the COVID-19 vaccine, inspiring hundreds of skeptical congregants to get vaccinated. He also turned the mosque into a vaccination center and 50 mosques have since done the same. Mohammed’s public vaccination and his sermons, which emphasize getting information from experts not social media posts, make an impact because it is coming from a trusted source rather than government officials. The mosque also delivered over 15,000 doses to people in the area, making an important connection with the local community.

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