Save the Date for MnMN's annual Conference on November 14th, 2024!

MnMNGolf Tournament a 
Great Success!

From Our Partners

Interfaith Action Partners with Instacart to Battle Food Insecurity 

Summertime can disrupt eating patterns for children, especially those who rely on school meals as a source of nutrition. This summer, Instacart is making it easy to donate the exact food items for our Department of Indian Work food shelf through the Community Carts program, a partnership with Feeding America. In just a few taps you can help keep our children fed this summer. 

Augsburg University Seeing Things Whole:  Community Practice Cohort Applications Open!

More Events

• Somali Week in Minneapolis June 24th- June 30th . Celebrations kicked off last weekend with a Somali Cultural Festival in Plymouth in the lead up to Somali Independence Day. They wrap up June 30 with a concert. “Minneapolis is a melting pot of amazing cultures and that also includes Somali Americans who’ve contributed so much to the state and the city,” said Mohamed Farah, executive director of Ka Joog and one of the organizers of Somali Week. The weeklong Somali Week celebration drew 40,000 people across all of last year’s events with some even coming from outside of Minnesota or outside of the country, Mohamed said. Somali Week has become a platform for discussion and building relationships both within and beyond the Somali community, he said. 

• MPLI: In Person STAR Training June 25th-June 29th, Twin Cities Metro Area. The STAR Training teaches best practices to strengthen the capacity of caregivers, community activists and organizers, leaders, and organizations. It helps you understand and address psychological trauma, break cycles of victimhood and violence, and build resilience with restorative justice strategies. It is a 38-hour, multi-day evidence-based trauma awareness, resilience, and restorative justice training with a 20+ year reputation of national and international success. Learn more and register here.
• Jewish Community Action "Safety Through Solidarity" Author Panel and Discussion  June 24th, 6:00-7:00pm, Moon Palace Books, Minneapolis. Shane Burley and Ben Lorber will discuss  their book Safety Through Solidarity, presenting a progressive, intersectional approach to the vital question: What can we do about antisemitism? Using personal stories, historical deep-dives, front-line reporting, and interviews with leading change-makers, Burley and Lorber help us break the current impasse to understand how antisemitism works, what's missing in contemporary debates, and how to build true safety through solidarity. Read more here. 

Mark Your Calendars

• Friends for a Non Violent World People Camp 2024 August 11-17, 2024. Northern Pines Retreat Center in Park Rapids. Early Bird Registration ends May 31st. People Camp is a unique, one week, intergenerational community living experience open to all. Register here. Learn more about People Camp here!
• FNVW: 28th Annual Community Peace Celebration (Rescheduled) August 16th, 2024, 2-7pm  Saint Paul . Get ready to spread the love and peace at the 28th Annual Community Peace Celebration on August 16th at Western Sculpture Park! Join us for a day filled with music, dance, delicious food, and uplifting stories of peace. Save the date and let's make this year's celebration the most memorable yet! Read more and register here. 

• India Association of Minnesota: India Fest 2024 August 17th, 11:00am-9:00pm, Minnesota State Capitol Grounds. India Association of Minnesota (IAM) cordially invites you to participate in our annual signature event. This much anticipated event is a splendid opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonders of India's rich heritage, captivating traditions, and colorful diversity. Join us for a day of festivity and joy – absolutely free of charge! IndiaFest is an event for everyone, welcoming all Minnesotans to partake in the vibrant spirit of India. Whether you're familiar with Indian culture or curious to learn more, there's something for everyone to enjoy.  Learn more here.
• Transformative Family Dispute Mediation Training Program 
  August 19th -23rd, 9:00am-6:00pm, Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Minnetonka, facilitated by Dan Simon. A weekdays only opportunity that qualifies for court certification to practice in Minnesota under Minnesota Rule 114. Early bird pricing is $1,500 until June 1st, and $1,900 after. Read more about transformative meditation as an approach here. Register for the course here.
• Bakken Center Mindfulness Programs: August 21, 2024, 12:00pm, Zoom Webinar, Free of Cost. This webinar led by Bakken Center Mindfulness and Wellbeing Instructor Mariann Johnson will provide an introduction to mindfulness meditation and will be particularly relevant to those new to the practice or simply curious about the possible benefits of a mindfulness practice. Participants will have an opportunity to practice a short mindfulness meditation, to share their experiences, and to ask questions. Examples will also be provided for practicing "everyday" mindfulness, at work and at home. The webinar will conclude with an overview of the Bakken Center's mindfulness resources and programming. Register here.
• Jay Phillips Center, Co-Pilgrims on the Journey to Truth: Hinduism and Christianity in Dialogue Thursday, September 12, 12:00-1:10pm. Iverson Center for Faith, University of St. Thomas. How can dialogue across traditions deepen understanding of humanity's shared quest for truth? In this conversation between two scholar-practitioners, Fr. Yann Vagneux and Prof. Anantanand Rambachan, explore the intersections between Hindu and Christian traditions. Learn more here. 

Resources and Opportunities

Interfaith America: Religion Journalism Fellowship

RetroReport Student Opportunity: Civic Engagement Challenge 

Retro Report is launching its inaugural Civic Engagement Challenge! Students, your voice matters! Spotlight civic issues you are passionate about to a national audience by joining Retro Report’s #CivicEngagementChallenge. Retro Report is teaming up with Civics Unplugged to invite students to create essays or videos that model civil discourse while exploring issues and places that people aren’t paying attention to, but need to. Judges will select 10 winners to receive $500.

The submission portal will open on this page on August 5, 2024.

Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative: Donation Drive

We have an exciting year ahead as two more Beacon homes—Vista 44 in Hopkins and Emerson Village in North Minneapolis—near the end of construction. You can assist the families moving into these family-supportive homes by donating household items to our supply drive! 

Please contact Mohamed Jama at mjama@beaconint​erfaith.org for details on how to donate items. 

You can also invest in Vista 44 and Emerson Village residents by making a Seed of Home Gift. A donation of any amount helps Beacon welcome families to their new homes and to the stability needed to pursue their goals for career, education, and overall well-being.

In the News

• Israeli scholar says University of Minnesota rescinded Holocaust Center job offer on ‘purely political grounds’. Sahan Journal. June 12, 2024. The move came after two board members of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies resigned in protest over the offer and a local Jewish advocacy group sent out an action alert. Learn more.
• ‘Untapped market’: Rapidly growing Yemeni coffee chains set sights on Twin Cities. Sahan Journal. June 11, 2024. Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., and a second chain opening this fall, fill a need for after-hours social spaces for young Muslims — and also draw coffee connoisseurs. Read more.