SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES IN INTERFAITH PEACEMAKING: LESSONS FROM THE FRONT LINES OF NORTHERN NIGERIA

Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa are former members of competing Muslim and Christian militias in northern Nigeria who experienced personal transformations through their friendship and now work cooperatively to head the Inter-Faith Mediation Centre based in Kaduna. Their work has been widely hailed and is documented in the award-winning film, The Imam and the Pastor: Healing Conflict in Nigeria. This powerful documentary captures Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa at work building relationships between Muslim and Christian clergy and leading training in conflict prevention, mediation, and reconciliation. The 40-minute documentary will be shown at 7:00 p.m., prior to the Interfaith Forum, in Learning Center Room 28 (LC-28) located below the Rose Memorial Library on the Drew campus.

The Drew University Center on Religion, Culture & Conflict and the Interweave Center in Summit gratefully acknowledge the generous support of Gene Hoffman and Christ Church in Short Hills, N.J. which have made this program possible.

Individuals needing special assistance should contact the Housing, Conferences and Hospitality Office at 973.408.3103 at least five working days prior to the event to ensure appropriate arrangements.

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Originally founded in 1991, largely through the inspiration and generosity of Drew alumna and trustee, Dr. Shirley Sugerman, the Interfaith Forum was significantly expanded and renamed in her honor in 2002.  In 2007 the Shirley Sugerman Interfaith Forum was made a distinct but integral part of Drew’s new Center on Religion, Culture & Conflict (CRCC).

Dr. Sugerman’s commitment to interfaith exchange grows both out of her deep belief in the validity of each person’s faith and her own efforts to build bridges between people.  Dr. Sugerman explains: “My understanding is that we best connect with and validate other people by truly listening to them.  In fact, that is also my understanding of what lies at the center of prayer: listening.”

The Shirley Sugerman Interfaith Forum aims to promote earnest and frank dialogue among different religious traditions on issues of common concern.  We believe that meaningful and honest interfaith conversation is characterized by the following:

  • Respect for both the diversity and the integrity of religious traditions.
  • An appreciation that insights gained through exchange enhances one’s own faith.
  • Recognition that knowledge and understanding are powerful forces for peaceful coexistence.
  • Thoughtful consideration of both opportunities for and obstacles to a shared theology of religious pluralism.

In pursuit of its goals the Shirley Sugerman Interfaith Forum undertakes a variety of programs.  These include:

  • Major public lectures featuring prominent scholars and religious leaders.
  • Academic symposia and workshops on a variety of topics related to interfaith studies.
  • Organizing exchanges among local religious leaders to build better interfaith connections.
  • Hosting distinguished visitors for short-term residencies at Drew University.

The annual Shirley Sugerman Interfaith Forum lecture has been the centerpiece of the program since its inception.  Among the many internationally renowned scholars who have delivered these popular annual lectures have been:

  • Professor Diana L. Eck, Harvard Divinity School
  • Professor Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School
  • Professor David Novak, The University of Toronto
  • Professor Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School
  • Father Richard J. Neuhaus, editor, First Things
  • Professor Martin E. Marty, The University of Chicago
  • Professor Vasudha Narayanan, University of Florida
  • Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, Tikkun
  • Professor Sayyed Hossein Nasr, George Washington University
  • James P. Carroll, author and journalist
  • Professor S.Wesley Ariarajah, Drew University
  • Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg, president, The Jewish Life Network
  • Professor Tu Wei-ming, Harvard University
  • Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center
  • Peter Bergen, journalist and author