An eclectic mix: spiritual and secular communities working together

What happens when you put a Hari Krishna, a Unitarian, a Catholic Worker and a mystic all on the same workshop panel? Actually, the results are quite unpredictable, which is why we are trying it at this year’s Communities Conference.  What we do know is that this panel of representatives from spiritual communities will be presenting to a largely secular audience.  What we have asked the panelists is: how can secular and spiritual communities work together on projects of joint interest? Both sets of people are committed to making the world a better place, often through their own volunteering and other asymmetric exchanges. Where’s the overlap? How can the two groups join forces?

 

While these types of collaborations are not unheard of, they certainly seem rare.  Yet despite obvious differences, spiritual and secular communities usually have a shared commitment to fairness and justice. This panel is designed to get people thinking differently about these two branches of the Communities Movement. We want to dispel the xenophobic paradigm of “their beliefs are different from my own, so it’s best for me to keep some distance from them” and frame things in a more cooperative light.

This workshop will provide some fascinating food for thought. Come check it out!