Interfaith Photovoice

Join us on Tuesday, December 3rd from 1:00 to 2:00 PM EST for our online showcase exhibit from our Fall 2024 training group. Over the course of an hour you will hear directly from the participants of our 2024 fall training group about what a photovoice training is all about, what a project looks like, and how photovoice can be used to transform your communities. You will also get a chance to ask questions and begin to imagine what photovoice might look like in your setting!

We can tell you all about Sacred Snaps: Photovoice for Interfaith Engagement, but we thought it would be more interesting to share what others have to say about it. Celene Ibrahim, author of Women and Gender in the Qur'an, had some very kind things to say about the book and called it "an innovative study of grassroots interfaith engagement." Be sure to check out more of her thoughts in the second photo. Sacred Snaps is now available for pre-order. Direct message us for a discount code. #interfaith #photovoice #dialogue #peace #belonging #FoRB #religion #spirituality #photography https://lnkd.in/g_pq_khK

We are inspired to know we are inspiring people making real, tangible difference in the our world. John Sarrouf, the Co-Executive Director of Essential Partners and a long-time collaborator of Interfaith Photovoice, says that Sacred Snaps can help us "imagine a better future together." The book is now available for pre-order. Direct message us for a discount code. #interfaith #photovoice #dialogue #peace #belonging #FoRB #religion #spirituality #photography https://lnkd.in/g_pq_khK

"[T]hat’s where photovoice gets its name: the photograph gives someone a voice in their community." Interfaith Photovoice Founder Roman R. Williams, Ph.D. was featured on the Contexts Magazine blog with Elena G. van Stee to talk about using photovoice for interfaith engagement. Catch the full conversation at the link below.

How do your beliefs and values show up in everyday life? For Sri Rakumari Mendu, a recent graduate of the Master in Health Administration program at Grand Valley State University, they show up in prayer. Here's what Sri had to say when we asked this question as part of a recent photovoice project: "This picture captures a moment of profound personal significance as I pray to Lord Shiva during Mahashivaratri after fasting for the entire day. It symbolizes the essence of devotion and austerity that define this sacred occasion, resonating deeply with the spiritual journey it represents. Mahashivaratri holds immense importance in Hindu culture, signifying the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment and the triumph of light over darkness. Through fasting and prayer, devotees seek divine blessings and inner purification, evoking deep emotions of devotion, humility, and spiritual longing. In a world often consumed by material pursuits, this image offers an alternative perspective, reminding us of the importance of connecting with the divine and seeking spiritual fulfillment amidst the chaos of daily life."

This past Sunday we had the exciting and meaningful opportunity to visit Singh Sabha of Grand Rapids (Singh Sabha of Grand Rapids) with a group of multi-faith teenagers from Kaufman Interfaith Scholars — a multifaith high school fellowship based at Grand Valley State University — and the United Jewish School of Grand Rapids’s Mitzvah Core. We used photovoice to reflect on how they experienced hospitality at the gurdwara, as well as to reflect on their own faith traditions. The most popular response was related to langar. Many of the participants said they felt completely welcomed and even at home at langar, the Sikh community meal that serves anyone regardless of their backgrounds. What’s one thing that helps you to feel welcomed?

This past Sunday we had the exciting and meaningful opportunity to visit Singh Sabha of Grand Rapids (Singh Sabha of Grand Rapids) with a group of multi-faith teenagers from Kaufman Interfaith Scholars — a multifaith high school fellowship based at Grand Valley State University — and the United Jewish School of Grand Rapids’s Mitzvah Core. We used photovoice to reflect on how they experienced hospitality at the gurdwara, as well as to reflect on their own faith traditions. The most popular response was related to langar. Many of the participants said they felt completely welcomed and even at home at langar, the Sikh community meal that serves anyone regardless of their backgrounds. What’s one thing that helps you to feel welcomed?

We’d like to wish a joyous and meaningful Guru Nanak Gurpurab (also known as Guru Nanak Jayanti) to all celebrants! Guru Nanak Gurpurab celebrates the birthday of Guru Nanak, the first of ten Sikh Gurus, and is celebrated on the full moon day of the Indian month of Kartik. This occurs in November and this year’s celebration happens to fall on this Friday, November 15th. Born in 1469 C.E to a Hindu family in a village called Talwandi (in what is now Pakistan), Sikhs often celebrate the Guru’s birthday by decorating their home with lights, earthly lamps, and candles. Beginning three days prior, celebrants may also recite from the Guru Granth Sahib, the central religious text in the Sikh tradition that is also the final guru. Celebrations also tend to involve a langar, the special Sikh community lunch where food is lovingly prepared and all are invited. Sikhi tradition teaches that Guru Nanak, at the age of 30, almost drowned and subsequently received a revelation from God. He disappeared for three days and people thought he had died. He later clarified that he was taken to God's court and was offered a cup full of amrit (holy water) and received a blessing. When he emerged from the water, he taught that “there is neither Hindu nor Muslim,” a teaching that is often interpreted as affirming the shared humanity of people of all faiths and backgrounds. This is reflected in the company he kept. Guru Nanak traveled to many countries with his companion, Bhai Mardana, who was born to a Muslim family, in hopes of spreading his message of shared humanity from Tibet and Kashmir to Bengal and Rome.

Sacred Snaps tells the story of a new approach to interfaith engagement. It is an invitation to see and engage religion, diversity, and inclusion through the lens of the mobile phone camera. https://lnkd.in/g_pq_khK

Sacred Snaps tells the story of a new approach to interfaith engagement. It is an invitation to see and engage religion, diversity, and inclusion through the lens of the mobile phone camera. https://lnkd.in/g_pq_khK