As we prepare to gather in Chicago for the 2026 Interfaith Leadership Summit, we're revisiting conversations from last year's Summit.Joey Haynes and Seedy Njie reflect on their experiences working together through the chaplain's office at Queens University of Charlotte and how friendship, service, and shared purpose helped them embrace pluralism in meaningful ways.Their story reminds us that pluralism is more than a concept. It's a practice built through relationships, curiosity, and cooperation."The most beautiful aspects of some of these programs is hearing and trying to understand our differences."Read the full story and listen to their StoryCorps conversation:

Just a couple of BRAID Fellows forming an alliance for the common good.Thank you to Cradles to Crayons for hosting our fellows for their service project today!#ilsummit26

What if one of your wisest teachers has been trying to get your attention all along?In this month’s Sacred Pause, Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque invites us to consider the signals we often ignore. The tension. The fatigue. The quiet reminders that we are carrying more than we can sustain.As a new school year begins and life settles into a faster rhythm, this reflection offers an important reminder: rest is not the reward for endurance. It is what makes endurance possible.A pause is not a failure of purpose. It is how purpose survives.

A healthy democracy requires more than tolerance. It requires a commitment to one another.In a new essay for Interfaith America, Scott Rasmussen explores the meaning of religious liberty through a story from LDS history and examines what it means to build a society where people of every faith, and those with no faith, can contribute to public life with dignity and belonging.At a time of growing polarization, he makes the case for a simple but powerful idea: everyone deserves a place at the table.Read more:

Strong communities start with civic participation.That’s why Interfaith America is proud to support National Voter Registration Day on September 15, a nationwide, nonpartisan effort helping people register to vote and update their registration ahead of upcoming elections.Check your registration, share trusted information, and help your community get #VoteReady.

Service to others has long been a cornerstone of Sikh civic engagement and community leadership.Join Interfaith America and the Sikh Coalition for The Spirit of Seva: Sikh Reflections on the Common Good at America's 250th, an evening conversation on the Sikh community's role in fostering cooperation across differences, defending religious freedom, and strengthening democratic institutions.Hear from: • Harpreet Singh Mokha • Harsimran Kaur • Jasmit SinghAugust 15, 2026 7:00 PM Saffron Indian Kitchen, Houston, TXThis event is free and open to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Registration is required. https://www.interfaithamerica.org/events/sikh-reflections-at-americas-250th/

As we make our way toward the 2026 Interfaith Leadership Summit, we're revisiting conversations from last year's gathering that continue to inspire this work.At the 2025 Summit, Dr. Kishia James and Dr. Ashante Connor participated in a StoryCorps One Small Step conversation about student support, faith, leadership, and building stronger campus communities.Drawing from their experiences in higher education, they discuss the importance of creating spaces where students feel seen, heard, respected, and understood.Their conversation is a reminder that bridgebuilding is not just valuable on college campuses. It's essential for the world we're building together.Read the full story and listen to the complete conversation in the comments.

We're proud to see Interfaith America board members contributing to important conversations at Chautauqua Institution this week.Obama Foundation Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Mike Strautmanis spoke about art, creativity, and the value of bringing diverse perspectives into public life, drawing on Interfaith America's Potluck Nation framework and Eboo Patel's vision of America as a potluck.Meanwhile, Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque served as Week Five Chaplain, helping guide the Institution's engagement with questions of faith, meaning, and public life during a week centered on Art and Artists Against the Odds.We're grateful for Mike's and Zina's leadership and for the ways they continue to contribute

Religious freedom is often discussed through a partisan lens. Chris Crawford argues it shouldn't be.In a new IA Today article, Crawford examines how recent immigration enforcement policies, government actions affecting Catholic institutions, and broader political debates are shaping the lives of Catholic communities across the country.He contends that Catholics should be willing to defend religious freedom regardless of which party is in power, including when concerns arise under the Trump administration.Read the full article: https://www.interfaithamerica.org/article/catholics-religious-freedom/#religiousfreedom #pluralism