More than ever, the world needs builders – people ready to roll up their sleeves and build solutions for the challenges we face. In this season finale episode, Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith America, speaks with four leaders already building Interfaith America. Grounded in their faith communities and ethical traditions, these panelists respond from their beliefs to provide hope and inspiration.
This panel discussion was a part of the opening plenary at the 2022 Interfaith Leadership Summit.
Guest Bios:
Panelist: Allison Josephs (she/her)
Allison Josephs is the founder and executive director of Jew in the City, a nonprofit that changes negative perceptions of religious Jews and makes engaging and meaningful Orthodox Judaism known and accessible.
She has been involved in the field of Jewish Outreach for over twenty years and is the Partner in Torah mentor to actress Mayim Bialik. Variety named her as an advocate for inclusivity in the entertainment industry in its 2022 Inclusion Impact Report. Allison has been quoted or written about in numerous publications, including Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, People Magazine, NYPost, Daily News, TMZ, The Daily Beast, and Hollywood Reporter. She has appeared on numerous television and radio networks including CBS, ABC, Fox5, TLC, Associate Press TV, and NPR; her articles have appeared in publications including The Washington Post, JTA, Jewish Week, Jerusalem Post, The Forward, and Kveller.
Panelist: Nisha Anand (she/her)
Nisha Anand is an Indian-American activist, mom of two teenagers, and leader for racial justice. Once a radical grassroots activist arrested in Burma for passing out pro-democracy leaflets, Nisha’s expansive organizing experience and work with mentors like Van Jones, solidified her belief in the power of working with unlikely partners to find real solutions. As Dream Corps’ CEO, Nisha leads a diverse group of people who are learning, like her, the value of unconventional relationships. Nisha’s journey from punk-rock protester to common ground champion is documented in her TED talk, The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground.
Panelist: Sarwang Parikh (he/they)
Sarwang Parikh is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) in CA. He was born and raised within a devotional Hindu Gujarati Indian culture from an immigrant, working-class family in the South. They have been steeped in the practices and study of Yogic sciences & Buddhism for nearly 20 years. Sarwang earned his MA from CIIS in Integral Counseling Psychology, BA in Psychology and Religious Studies from University of SC. Additionally, they have advanced training in the healing arts and have completed Spirit Rock's two-year Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP5) within the tradition of Theravāda Vipassanā. Sarwang is a long-time sangha member and community teacher at East Bay Meditation Center (STL teacher training); mentors youth with iBme; and currently serves as the Interim Director at Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Panelist: Ulysses W. Burley III (he/him)
Dr. Ulysses W. Burley III is the founder of UBtheCURE, LLC – a proprietary consulting company on the intersection of Faith, Health, and Human Rights. Ulysses served as a member of the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches as well as the United States Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) under the Obama Administration. He has been recognized by the National Minority Quality Forum as a top 40 under 40 Minority Health Leader for his work in faith and HIV in communities of color and serves on the NMQF Advisory Board. Ulysses is an internationally recognized speaker and award winning writer on topics including faith, HIV/AIDS policy, LGBTQIA, gender and racial justice, food security, and peace in the Middle East.
Registrations are now open for 2023 Interfaith Leadership Summit -- the largest gathering of students and educators with a commitment to American religious pluralism. Join the hundreds of people who care about the future of our religiously diverse society as they learn to bridge divides and forge friendships across lines of religious and worldview differences. Learn new skills and return to your campus inspired and ready to build.
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