Building Civility and Unity During 9/11 Observation

City Library to Host Series of Events on Building Civility and Unity During 9/11 Observation

September 7, 2011, Salt Lake City – As we mark 10 years since the September 11 attacks, the Salt Lake City Library is hosting a series of lectures and events discussing civility and unity in a multi-cultural, pluralistic society.

Cultural and Religious Pluralism Today: Building Civility and Unity, from September 8–11, 2011 invites everyone to participate in dialogue that explores and compares traditions and cultures, recognizes commonalities between faiths, affirms the right to express cultural outlooks and religious faith freely, fosters a respectful and peaceful society, and explores opportunities for cooperation between members of different cultures and faiths.

A full schedule of events can be found at www.slcpl.org/pluralism, including:

September 8:

·      Yong local leaders will share their ideas about how different groups of youth can respectfully coexist in a community while maintaining their individual ethnic and religious identities. Their personal stories will explore how to create an inclusive and just community.

September 9:

·      Enjoy a free screening of Out of Cordoba, a feature-length documentary exploring issues important to religious pluralism, and stay for an intimate discussion with director Jacob Bender.

September 10:

·      A keynote address by Dr. Robert Hefner on the Challenge of Religious Pluralism and Democratic Citizenship Today will include a discussion on the best political arrangements that promote democratic citizenship in a world both deeply pluralistic and vibrantly religious.

·      The City Library will host an Eid al-Fitr celebration, marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.

·      YouTube sensation Baba Ali will touches up on the differences between men and women and provides insight on how understand, respect and appreciate their differences in a marriage.

·      Representatives from a variety of religious traditions will discuss Pluralism and Civility: The Role of Religion in Building Ethical Unity, addressing the important role of civility from the perspective of various respective religious traditions.

September 11:

·      In a discussion titled Lessons of Tolerance: How to Build Ethical Unity, a panel will address the important role of our respected community leaders, scholars, rabbis, pastors, monks and imams have in providing ethical guidance to our future inventors, scientists, venture capitalists, and political leadership.

·      Dr. Charles Payne will provide a keynote address titled “Strong People Don’t Need Strong Leaders: Building Movements from the Bottom-Up.” Dr. Payne will examine American Civil Rights leaders’ commitment to the principle that pluralistic values are most likely to thrive in societies where everyday citizens are deeply involved in civic life rather than depending on leaders, even democratically elected ones.