Event Recordings
Links to past recorded events are below. See additional video content on our Youtube Channel
In October, 2025, we marked the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions, an official declaration of Vatican II, an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, signed in 1965. What does this old church declaration mean for us today? What does it have to do with the work of building pluralism more broadly, and what does it mean specifically for the mission of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign?
Join us for a Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign conversation with theologian, author, and professor, Jordan Denari Duffner and Mobashra Tazamal from The Bridge Initiative at Georgetown where we’ll highlight relevant themes from the 1965 declaration, name the many challenges of this current moment, explore a newly available audience-specific resource on anti-Muslim bigotry, and identify our many calls to action today.
As themes of peace, joy, and cheer often emerge at the end of the year and holiday season, many of us are holding a long list of worries, fears, and anxieties. The prospect of gathering with family and friends, some of whom may have voted differently than us, some of whom see the world in radically different ways, feels more challenging than ever before. Can taking a pause and reflecting on gratitude be of help at all, or is it a naive, neutralizing, and shallow exercise?
The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign hosted a conversation with Kaitlin Curtice, author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker, on Thursday, November 21st, to explore notions of gratitude, care, and what it means for you and me to continue building a world we long to see.
We concluded our conversation with space to give thanks to Rev. Cassandra Lawrence who will soon transition from her role at the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign and her community in Washington, D.C. to take on a new position as Associate Chaplain at Grinnell College in Iowa. Join us in wishing her all the best on this exciting new chapter and reflected on our past, present, and future work at the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign.
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Kaitlin Curtice is an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, Kaitlin writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. She also speaks on these topics to diverse audiences who are interested in truth-telling and healing. https://www.kaitlincurtice.com
How Do We Find the Words: Interfaith Engagement in Troubling Times panel discussion. American Jews and Muslims come together to discuss the moral responsibility of (inter)faith leaders in addressing the ongoing conflict in Israel-Palestine. The conversation will center on the deep trauma experienced by many, both historically and in the present, in light of the dehumanizing Anti-Muslim and Anti-Semitic rhetoric in the U.S.
The panel explored the essential role people of faith, particularly within Abrahamic traditions, play in combating hate and discrimination. It will also highlight strategies from Israeli-Palestinian and Abrahamic collaborative organizations as potential models for our communities, especially in this presidential election year. The aim is to create an open and inclusive space for discussing both faith and politics, even when differing perspectives arise.
A reading of the Shoulder to Shoulder Joint Multifaith Declaration to Counter Anti-Muslim and Anti-Jewish Hate in the United States on December 19, 2023 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
Our Coalition was intentionally established as a place for Christians, Jews, and others to work together to counter anti-Muslim discrimination. In this work, we often discuss how anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim discrimination are connected to each other in the United States. Yet, we still hear from our coalition members that for some in the Jewish community, there is a question about whether they have to choose between addressing discrimination and violence that targets Jews or the discrimination and violence that targets Muslims.
This conversation was planned back in June in response to those conversations and experiences. With recent events, this conversation is as important as ever. While this event is designed by, and for the Jewish community, it is an open space.
Recorded on November 21, 2023
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Discover how films can bring people together, spark conversations, and inspire positive change. From exploring the role of documentaries in raising awareness about social issues to discussing the influence of fictional films in shaping our perceptions, this event offers a unique opportunity to delve into the world of community building through cinema. This conversation explores the transformative power of movies!
On Wednesday, September 20th, the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign held a conversation about the power of film as a tool to support community healing, process experiences of violence, and engage new communities in the important ongoing work of building a pluralistic and inclusive country. This conversation featured Pardeep S. Kaleka, co-director of Not in Our Town, Aber Kawas, a community organizer featured in An Act of Worship, and Dr. Hussein Rashid, a professor and scholar of religion specializing in Muslims and American Popular Culture.
The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign: Standing with American Muslims, Advancing American Ideals, is a national multifaith coalition committed to building a country where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our multifaith coalition was founded on the notion that anti-Muslim discrimination is not just a “Muslim issue” but a problem that impacts us all. If religious communities and people of faith in the United States are connected, equipped, and mobilized to address, counter and prevent anti-Muslim hatred, discrimination, and violence, we will build a more inclusive and pluralistic nation where people of all faiths and cultural backgrounds are treated respectfully, fairly, and with dignity.
Speakers:
Pardeep S. Kaleka MS, LPC, is the co-director of Not In Our Town, specializing in community hate prevention and de-radicalization interventionist with Parents4Peace, assisting families & individuals entrenched in extremism offramp from hateful ideologies. He also currently serves as a professor on Peace Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Pardeep is the co-author of, “The Gifts of Our Wounds” and an award-winning columnist with Milwaukee Independent, contributing articles on community mental health concerns. As a first-generation immigrant from India, Mr. Kaleka has spent more than 25 years in law enforcement, education, social services, counseling and assisting hate crime survivors and perpetrators across the United States with recovery.With a specialization in community psychology, he has assisted in developing policies and practices to help mental health workers, social service practitioners, law enforcement agents, and educators build healthier, safer, more inclusive communities across the US.
Aber Kawas is a Palestinian-American community organizer from Brooklyn, New York. She has been working with the Arab and Muslim communities in New York City around policy issues such as immigration reform, unlawful policing, and surveillance and advocating against Islamophobic policies. Aber served as the NYC Advocacy Specialist with the Campaign to Take on Hate under the National Network of Arab American Communities, transitioning from her position as Advocacy Director at the Arab American Association of NY. Aber, who has relocated to Johannesburg South Africa to complete an MA focused on Islamic Liberation Theology, is a featured participant in the Tribeca premiered documentary An Act of Worship and has been the Impact Producer on the project since 2022.
Hussein Rashid, PhD, is Assistant Dean of Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School. His research interests include Muslims and US popular culture and Shi’i theologies of justice. He has published a chapter on Muslim representation in film, and is co-editor, with Kristian Petersen, of The Bloomsbury Handbook of Muslims and Popular Culture (2023). He is an executive producer of the award-winning NYT op-doc The Secret History of Muslims in the US, and is currently a consulting producer on a multi-hour documentary project on Muslims in the US. Hussein is part of the Pillars Fund’s inaugural Muslim Narrative Change Fellowship, which seeks to add nuance to depictions of Muslims on screen and television.
Recorded September 20, 2023
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During this virtual conversation, we dived into the People's Supper and what they have learned over the years about what works, what doesn't, and what joys await people who dare to meet someone they don't know or disagree with for an intentional conversation and meal.
In a world that seems to be dividing at alarming rates, we need more opportunities to come together across cultural, religious, and political differences. Having conversations while sharing a meal is a fundamentally human way to connect. Thankfully, many of our religious traditions have spaces built into the regular rhythms of life to make these opportunities possible. Unfortunately, our culture has deemed certain topics as taboo and, worse, has deemed certain people as unwelcome. Luckily there are many people who work against this dynamic and intentionally set a table for conversations across lines of difference to write new stories about our communities.
During the month of Ramadan, the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign hosts The United States of Love Over Hate: A Ramadan Supper Series. The primary goal of this effort is to identify, support, and connect people to Iftars open to interfaith guests across the nation, in order to help facilitate local relationship-building among Muslims and those of other faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.
We collaborated with our friends at The People’s Supper to help people make room for storytelling and building bridges between guests at interfaith Iftars. We pulled together everything you need to know to host an interfaith supper — from pointers on how to create an inviting and intimate space to how to break the ice. Check out the dialogue guides on our website.
About the People's Supper
The People’s Supper equips communities with the tools they need to build trust across lines of difference and to overcome sources of rupture and long-simmering conflicts. It is a program of The Dinner Party Labs, which designs approaches to community healing with those impacted by isolation and fragmentation.
K Scarry Director, Partnerships
K (she/her) has always been enamored with the life that can be shared around the table, and the way those spaces invite us to be fully human together. Driven by a conviction that people should have consistent space where they are welcomed in, K launched an open community meal in her hometown a few years ago that continues today. Before joining our team, she worked in a number of non-profit organizations exploring different manifestations of community: with women coming out of sex trafficking, in a fraternity house, as an associate pastor, and as a chaplain in a maximum security women's prison. She's currently finishing up her Masters of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary. As you read this, she's likely either journaling or doing the Cupid Shuffle — her two all-time favorite things.
Recorded May 3, 2023
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Shoulder to Shoulder hosted a panel discussion featuring Harman Singh from The Sikh Coalition, Taneeza Islam from South Dakota Voices for Peace, and Hussein Rashid representing the Interfaith Center of New York to learn more about what CRT is and isn’t and what we can do to create communities where all people, regardless of their faith, culture, or background are treated fairly, respectfully, and with dignity.
Dr. Amaarah DeCuir walked us through how racism and religious intolerance connects to insensitive comments, harassment, school policies, bullying, and deadly violence. She’ll share how communities across the country are leading the work to include diverse religious holidays in the school calendar and address racism and religious intolerance before it becomes harassment and violence.
Explore this question with Rabbi Burt Visotzky and Jordan Denari Duffner. Both of them shared their Jewish and Catholic perspectives and experiences addressing anti-Muslim discrimination not in spite of their faith, but because of their faith. They offered a brief historical background on the issues, shared some life experiences and faith values that drew them into joining this movement, and unpacked some of the challenges and opportunities they have faced in this work.
Children’s book authors, Hena Khan and Naaz Khan joined Shoulder to Shoulder on Wednesday, April 13th for a special Virtual Multifaith Children’s Pre-Iftar Event to connect with families and explore the themes of sharing & belonging this Ramadan.
Shoulder to Shoulder hosted this conversation with Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC) to explore and unpack what Christian nationalism is, what it has to do with anti-Muslim discrimination, and what we can do about it. As a Christian herself, Amanda shared why she believes her fellow Christians must engage on this issue and she shared insight and practical tips for educating and mobilizing faith communities on this issue, including lessons learned through her leadership of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism initiative. BJC is a national partner of the Shoulder and Shoulder campaign coalition and Amanda serves as a Shoulder to Shoulder Steering Committee member.
Three American women of faith, Hurunnessa Fariad, Dr. Sabrina Dent & Rabbi Susan Shankman who come together to discuss life, faith, and resilience in their podcast "Sister Act" will join the Shoulder to Shoulder campaign staff women in a conversation on how and why we engage in multifaith engagement work in the United States. What does it mean to lead this work as women? What happens when we build relationships with other people who are religiously, theologically, and culturally different from ourselves? In our deeply polarized society of siloed communities and echo chambers, is it even worth trying to expand our circles?
In conversation with Shoulder to Shoulder, Imam Latif shared stories and insights from his ongoing work “to carve out a much-needed space for young American Muslims to celebrate their unique identity and have their voices heard in the larger public sphere.” He reflected on the layered impacts and repercussions of 9/11, how it changed America in many ways, and how 9/11 shifted how Americans who are Muslim (and those who are perceived to be) experience life in the U.S. (even for those who weren't born yet). Imam Latif also highlighted his experiences and perspectives on building multifaith solidarity, working alongside folks of different faith and cultural backgrounds in order to advance justice and inclusion here in the U.S. Together, we explored what brings us hope, what connects us to one another across differences, and what motivates us to continue on in this work of building a society where all are treated with dignity.
Where are the fault lines and what’s at stake in building Muslim-Jewish relationships here in the United States? How can we stay in conversation when things get rough and/or why even try? How do we see each other and navigate through our pain?
As part of our monthly public conversation series, Shoulder to Shoulder is hosted an important and timely conversation in partnership with NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change on “Muslim-Jewish Relationships” featuring Aziza Hasan, Andrea Hodos, Sabeeha Rehman & Walter Ruby.
Sabeeha Rehman & Water Ruby recently co-authored a book entitled, We Refuse to Be Enemies: How Muslims and Jews Can Make Peace, One Friendship at a Time. Aziza Hasan & Andrea Hodos direct Los Angeles based organization, NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change.
Recorded June 29, 2021
For this month's public conversation, Shoulder to Shoulder's outgoing Executive Director, Dr. Catherine Orsborn and incoming Executive Director, Nina Fernando discuss how our multifaith coalition has addressed anti-Muslim discrimination and violence over the years. They reflect together on our past work and look forward to where Shoulder to Shoulder is headed.
In this special Shoulder to Shoulder conversation for Ramadan, we talk with Knafeh Queens founder, Fatmah Muhammad Williams. We discuss how Fatmah's award-winning family recipe is spreading royal happiness and unity one bite at a time.
(They also announce our special Ramadan 2021 raffle! Signup for our #WelcomeToMyTable virtual iftar matching program and you will be entered to win delicious knafeh delivered to your home.)
In celebration of Women's History Month, and as part of our monthly public conversation series, Shoulder to Shoulder hosted a conversation about "Muslim women doing cool things" featuring Sabaa Tahir (#1 New York Times bestselling Author of the 'An Ember in the Ashes' series), Lena Khan (Filmmaker, Writer, Director who recently directed for Disney's 'Flora & Ulysses' ), Malika Bilal (International News Journalist, TV and Podcast Host at Al Jazeera English), Yasmin Elhady (Comedian-Matchmaker, Attorney) and Isra Bhatty (Scholar/Attorney w/the Federal Government previously Senior Counsel to Dep. Atty General at DOJ). These women join a larger community of Muslim women who are making waves and shattering various stereotypes in the work they are doing.
Mother daughter duo, Okolo Rashid, the founder of the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, Mississippi, and Aseelah Rashid, founder of The Muslim Mix in Atlanta, Georgia explore the history and contributions of Black Muslims in American history, and the changing landscape of Black Muslim American life.
Recording Date: February 22, 2021
Deepa Iyer, Director of Movement Building at Building Movement Project, talks with our program director Nina Fernando about finding one’s place in the work of social change, using her Social Change Ecosystem framework.
Recording Date: January 27, 2021
As society feels more divided and polarized than ever, is now a time for burning bridges or building them? In a recent NYTimes piece, Wajahat Ali explains how he tried reaching out to Trump voters and it didn’t work. Founder of Millions of Conversations, Samar Ali, strongly believes that now is a time to listen to people of different opinions and views.
Eboo Patel is the Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a non-profit organization that is working to make interfaith cooperation a social norm in America. He is the author of four books and dozens of articles, has spoken on more than 150 campuses, and served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council. A key figure on issues of religious diversity and democracy, Eboo was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report in 2009. He is the author of Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation; Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America; Interfaith Leadership: A Primer; and Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise. He also publishes a regular blog for Inside Higher Ed, called ‘Conversations on Diversity’.
Valarie Kaur, seasoned civil rights activist, celebrated prophetic voice, and author of See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, shared her wisdom and insight.
Rev Bailey was named one of 15 Faith Leaders to Watch by the Center for American Progress, she is an ordained minister, public theologian, and a national leader in the multi-faith movement for justice. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Faith Matters Network and Co-Founder of The People's Supper, a project that aims to repair the breach in our interpersonal relationships across political, ideological, and identity differences over shared meals. Rev. Bailey is ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.