The Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange :: ICCE

Religious Leaders

Faith and Community: A Dialogue

September 15, 2007 to September 15, 2009

This religious leaders exchange is the result of a partnership between the Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange and the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.  The theme of this religious leaders exchange project is:

How religious communities can cooperate with one another in order
to contribute to positive and constructive civil discourse in ways that
respect diversity, further the public good, and contribute to peacebuilding

The exchange includes Muslim religious, academic and civic leaders working in the conflict zones in the south of both Thailand and the Philippines.  Given the conflicts in both countries and the efforts in those countries to come to a peaceful resolution of the conflicts, our exchange is designed to contribute to the peace processes in Thailand and the Philippines.  Southeast Asian institutions participating in this exchange include:

Thailand

Assumption University, Yala Islamic University, Prince of Songkla University in Pattani, Payap University, Mihidol University, the Asian Muslim Action Network, and the Asian Resource Foundation, and the Islamic Center of Thailand

The Philippines

The University of the Philippines, Mindanao State University, the Department of Education in Mindanao, Pakigdait, Inc, Religions for Peace--Philippines, School for Oriental Religions, and Ateneo de Manila University

The five objectives of the exchanges include:

• Exploring how civil discourse contributes to the public good and peacebuilding
• Exploring how interfaith dialogue and cooperation contribute to the public good and peacebuilding
• Exploring Islam and the academic study of Islam in America and Southeast Asia, and ways Muslim communities participate in civil discourse for the public good and peacebuilding
• Deepening Americans’ understanding of Islam, Islamic history and cultures, and contributions today to public discourse and peacebuilding
• Creating sustainable collaborations between institutions involved in the exchange projects. 

From February 5 to 14, 2008, representatives from the ICCE and Georgetown University visited partners in Thailand and the Philippines.  Important meetings were held at the Institute for Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines, and at the Islamic Center of Thailand to prepare for the first exchange visit to the United States. 

From March 28 to April 19, 2008, 12 Muslim leaders from Thailand and the Philippines visited the United States.  In order to achieve the 5 objectives of our exchange, programs were presented and site visits were hosted by the following:

• The Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Program and International Programs at Indiana University
• The Governor’s Office in Indianapolis
• The African American Muslim community of Indianapolis
• The International Center of Indianapolis
• The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
• The Interfaith leaders and International Programs at Purdue University
• The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame
• The Mosque Foundation of Chicago
• The Archdiocese of Chicago and the First United Methodist Chicago Temple
• The Center of International Studies of the University of Chicago
• The Islamic Center of America in Dearborn Michigan
• The Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU)
• The Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
• The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)
• The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
• The National Council of Churches of Christ (NCCC)
• The World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP)
• The Union for Reform Judaism

A return exchange to Thailand and the Philippines by 10 religious, academic and civic leaders from American Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities is planed for December, 2008.  The American participants will interact with Muslim leaders and communities to learn about Islam in Southeast Asia, and to contribute directly to the peacebuilding process in both countries.  A second exchange to the Untied States by 12 Muslim leaders from Thailand and the Philippines will be planned for April, 2008. 

This initiative is funded by the participating universities, and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.