commUNITY unCONFERENCE
January 13 – 15, 2018
The Global Training Initiative at NC State partnered with the Better Together Interfaith Club to host a 3-day coalition-building retreat for faith, religion and worldview student leaders to kick off the Spring 2018 semester. The NC State Interfaith commUNITY unCONFERENCE Worldview Diversity and Interfaith Retreat was funded through a grant by the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) and the Fetzer Institute.
For the purpose of sharing our successful retreat structure with other institutions and parties interested in fostering more inclusive worldview and interfaith communities, we are sharing our resources below:
Retreat Agenda — Sessions and Resources
Saturday, January 13 | Respect for Identity
NC State University’s chapter of National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) facilitators led commUNITY participants through the following identity exploration activities: Up-Downs, Pairs, Principles, First Thoughts, Caucuses, Speak Outs and Role Play. The group also worked through the Controversial Issues exercise which focuses on building coalition among diverse preferences for real-world issues.
Sunday, January 14 | Relationships between Different Communities
After a focus on intersectionality between and among many identities through the activities of the NCBI, Day 2 of the unCONFERENCE focused on exploring Worldview Diversity. Using resources available though the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) website, commUNITY participants shared and explored the unique aspects of their faith and worldview traditions and discussed the significance to meaningful exchanges across differences. Additionally, particpants discussed various approaches to providing interfaith cooperation through IFYC Case Studies Activities and through Action Planning focused on the NC State University community.
Established campus and community interfaith practitioners and supporters joined the commUNITY for an Interfaith Banquet with the Triangle Interfaith Alliance to encourage networking and identifying all resources available for worldview diversity work.
Day 2 Resources: BRIDGE_Glossary Module 3.1_Personal Reflection Exercise – Identity Gears Module 4.1_Worldview Engagement Activity – Concentric Circles Dialogue SMART Goal Worksheet
Monday, January 15 | MLK Jr Day | Commitment to the Common Good
CommUNITY participants started Day 3 with a reflective exercise about Martin Luther King Jr Day and the role of social justice in interfaith work. The group volunteered as a part of United Way of the Triangle’s 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Our assigned project was to support Boys & Girls Club of Raleigh members on woodworking projects. Finally, the commUNITY shared a lunch during which they talked about some action items and next steps for supporting interfaith cooperation at NC State University.
Day 3 Resources: Repair-the-World-MLK-Day-2016-Service-Reflections
For more information about the Worldview Diversity and Interfaith commUNITY unCONFERENCE, please contact Becky Cibulskis, rcibuls@ncsu.edu.