New York, NY — What modern issue affects the global family of humanity more than the rise of violent extremism and the roots and outlets of its ideologies? After the Boston Marathon bombing, we find ourselves asking again, what can we do to prevent it?
The International Center for Religion & Diplomacy (www.icrd.org) is holding a free screening of a documentary called Back from the Brink: Combating Violent Extremism. The film follows three diverse communities around the world who look closely at the indoctrination of their often under-employed and under-educated youth with violent ideologies of terror, and then explores how they have used indigenous, commonly-held religious principles to reconcile communities endangered by identity-based conflict.
The event will take place Tuesday, June 25 from 6:30-8:30pm in James Chapel at Union Theological Seminary (3041 Broadway at 121st Street, NYC). The discussion after the film will include Dr. Douglas Johnston, President of ICRD, and Azi Hussein, who will discuss our de-radicalization work with imams in the madrasas of Pakistan, as well as the implications of faith-based diplomacy for US national security and stabilization of the global economy. There will be time for Q&A.
About the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy
Since its inception in 1999, ICRD has been using commonly-shared religious values to bridge differences between adversaries. Among its accomplishments, it (1) helped end the 21-year civil war in Sudan, (2) eased religious tensions between the Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist regions of Kashmir, (3) opened back-channel communications to promote improved relations with Iran, (4) played an instrumental role in securing the release of 21 Korean missionaries held hostage by the Afghan Taliban in 2007, and (5) over the past 7 years, has engaged more than 2,700 Pakistani madrasa leaders in reforming the curriculums and pedagogy of their religious schools to develop critical thinking skills among the students and to inspire greater adherence to the principles of religious tolerance and human rights. The Center is also working with Syrian opposition leaders (at their request) to help them resolve their differences through a process of faith-based reconciliation.
