Global Ministries University

Unexpected events unfolding in the Middle East and the US (Arab Spring and Occupy Movement) were a main focus for the Engaging the Other Conference at Santa Clara University jointly sponsored by the Common Bond Institute, Pacifica Institute, Global Ministries University and Santa Clara University.  

Featured speakers included Doctor Huston Smith, world renowned author on comparative religion,  Doctor Mohammad Qayoumi, President of San Jose State University, Jim Harrington, Director of the Texas Civil Rights Project and authority on international human rights issues and Marita Grudzen, Deputy Director of the Stanford University Geriatric Education Center which specializes in the needs of immigrant elders and their families.   The opening event of the conference took place at Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church in downtown San Jose and the remainder of the conference occurred at Benson Memorial Center of Santa Clara University.    The conference featured interactive panels with students from San Jose City College and San Jose State University who participated in the Soliya course, a dialogue program with students from the Middle East and Europe.   Other panels featured student leaders from Jordan who discussed efforts underway in the Middle East to develop a culture of understanding and dialogue uniting students from the monotheistic faith traditions.

Doctor Huston Smith’s address stressed the need for compassion and understanding among the diverse religions and cultures of the world.  Doctor Smith has been a pioneer in the development of interfaith understanding and his writings are among the most read of any author on the subject of comparative religious studies and interfaith dialogue.  Now well into his nineties, Doctor Smith still continues to write and speak about the issues facing humanity today and the role that faith traditions can play in resolving the various  clashes that separate human beings from one another.  

Doctor Qayoumi’s talk on the Arab Spring stressed the very positive steps that the people of the Middle East are taking to claim their basic human rights and the encouraging signs toward more democratic and just civil and governmental structures that are underway in the Middle East. 

Jim Harrington’s talk discussed the growing challenges we face in the United States to preserve and expand civil rights, particularly for immigrant groups and those traditionally excluded from the centers of power and influence.  Harrington has also worked internationally to promote human rights and  religious and cultural freedom. 

Marita Grudzen discussed the need for outreach to immigrant elders who reside now in great numbers in the Bay Area but often lack the social and linguistic skills to connect to the services they need in healthcare, transportation and linguistic and cultural literacy.   

The conference featured a number of interactive tools to highlight areas of consensus and agreement  on the issues that were discussed in the conference.   One of the highlights of the conference was the extensive use of Skype to connect participants in Egypt with the conference participants at several points during the conference.   Further summaries of the major conference presentations will be available at the Common Bond Institute’s web site and that of Global Ministries University.