Our IMAN Community Ambassadors are holding a Healthy Eats, Conscious Beats event this Saturday 4/16/11 at Garifuna Flava. All are welcome! http://www.imancentral.org/images/emails/apr5/hebc.jpg

Summer in Chicago is half over and you’ve had a blast thus far.  Your eardrums were messaged by the sounds of Omar Faruk Tekbilek at Millennium Parks’ Jay Pritzker Pavilion. You kicked-it with Mos Def at Streets 2010. And, more summer fun is sure to come as we cling to these remaining Dog days of summer.  Well, my fellow Community Ambassadors, it’s time to get to work creating the change Chicagoland desperately needs. I hope that the reflections to follow inspire you to get moving and host a community conversation.
I had the pleasure of hosting two community conversations, and the experience was an eye-opener. I realize that we represent the leadership that Chicago neighborhoods yearn for. I came to this resolve as I listened to heartfelt testimonials about violence negatively impacting Chicago communities.  I heard from Clergymen and concerned citizens in a hall of Our Lady Gate of Heaven Church. Father Mel was all too happy to offer the space. His generosity reaffirmed to me that interfaith cooperation is possible.
I cohosted community conversations with ambassadors that were of a different faith tradition than me. One was with Krystyna Soljan and the other with Kristina Bonesteel. I enjoyed working with them and we very much needed each other’s support. We talked, planned, and benefited from the talents of the others—and guess what? We became friends. But, more than anything, I can’t help but to feel a sense of pride within myself for being part of a community solution. For God knows we need everyone’s help.

Ambassadors started by holding one-on-one meetings, a crucial element of community organizing, with local clergy to understand their perspective on and commitment to anti-violence work in Chicago. After gaining some insight on the area, and the concerns of those leaders’ congregations, the Ambassadors planned a discussion that elicited incredible community-building ideas and illustrated a clear sense of commitment from local residents to providing a safe environment for everyone living in the community.

To help spur conversation, Ambassadors used two videos from the One Chicago, One Nation online film contest, “One Chicago, One Nation?” and “Violence in Schools.”

One Chicago, One Nation?

Violence in Schools

In late June a series of events were held celebrating the winners of the film contest and the confirmation of Community Ambassadors. Last week, the true on-the-ground work of One Chicago, One Nation began. Keep the conversation going by looking out for upcoming conversations in your neighborhood and by following up on these conversations with meaningful actions.

On Thursday June 17^th, One Chicago, One Nation hosted a VIP Reception for the winners of the OCON Film Contest to the backdrop of an evening concert at Millennium Park. Filmmakers and Community Ambassadors had the opportunity to share their work with influential leaders from Chicago while enjoying the music of Tinariwen and celebrating stories that demonstrate the social impact of diverse individuals and communities working together. A special congrats goes out to Anida Yoeu Ali for taking home the $20,000 Grand Prize for her film 1700% Project: Mistaken for Muslim, which blends narrative, music, and poetry to intervene against the racial profiling of Muslims in post-9/11 America. Congrats are also in order for winners from the genre categories: Chris Sato (Comedy), Ratko Momcilovic (Documentary), Mike Meyer (Drama), Elisha Hall (Mobile Digital Media), and Carmine Cervi (Under 60 Seconds), who each received a $5,000 prize. All of the films capture the common bonds shared among diverse groups and offer a call to action and engagement. You can check out the award-winners and other great submissions online by visiting the LinkTV website.

In addition to being televised on LinkTV, these films will be used by OCON Community Ambassadors to spark discussions about interfaith engagement and community collaboration. At the VIP Reception, four Community Ambassadors presented filmmakers with their awards and shed light on what motivates them to participate in One Chicago, One Nation.  Rominna Villasenor, a Catholic Filipina-American on staff with Teach for America, Jonathan St. Clair, a Spiritual performance artisit, and Dr. Gloria Needlman, a Jewish retired teacher and member of KAM Isaiah Israel’s congregation, presented the evening’s awards. Khaleelah Muhammad, who belongs to Masjid Maryam on the south side of Chicago, shared her story of interfaith dialogue, highlighting the One Chicago, One Nation values of connecting, sharing, engaging, and building strong communities.  As a result of her involvement with One Chicago, One Nation, Khaleelah connected with fellow Community Ambassador Gloria Needlman on local community gardening & pro-peace building initiatives. Khaleelah and Gloria’s mutually inspiring relationship and joint interfaith service project is one of many activities led by Community Ambassadors, including upcoming Community Conversations throughout the summer and fall. Check back here regularly for updates on OCON Community Conversations that may be happening in or around your neighborhood!

Beyond the Film Contest, One Chicago, One Nation inducted its inaugural class of Community Ambassadors on Saturday June 19^th at the Takin’ It to the Streets Festival in Marquette Park. Mayor Richard M. Daley and State Senator Jacqueline Collins both spoke at the Induction Ceremony as well as other notable Chicagoans, including Steve Edwards of WBEZ, President and CEO of the Chicago Community Trust Terry Mazany, Founder and Director of Interfaith Youth Core Eboo Patel, Executive Director of Inner-City Muslim Action Network Rami Nashashibi, and the CEO of One Nation Henry Izumizaki. Each of the speakers commended the Community Ambassadors for their willingness to serve as leaders in their communities to address the multi-faceted needs facing Chicago. Many emphasized the interconnected nature of our society, weaving in their own identities as Muslims, Christians, and Jews, etc. and stressing the need for representation of all faiths and cultures as we build a better America. Mayor Daley praised the grassroots work of the Community Ambassadors and the One Chicago, One Nation initiative for having the potential to make a significant impact on their neighborhoods and the entire city of Chicago.

The Induction Ceremony reminded all who were present of the breadth and scope of this initiative and inspired us to continue to work towards intercultural and interfaith engagement in our neighborhoods. Three Community Ambassadors, Kurt Esslinger, a Christian campus minister, Anisha Ismail Patel, a Muslim professor, and Miranda Hovemeyer, a Secular Humanist seminarian, offered reflections on their commitment to the interfaith movement. Identifying a common faith that exists between religious and secular individuals, Miranda Hovemeyer affirmed the mission of OCON, stating, “We share faith in the same goal, and that goal is getting out there and engaging with the community, both religious and secular, and working to improve Chicago, our amazing city. If we can have faith in each other, then there is no one we can’t reach.”

This has truly been an inspirational week for One Chicago, One Nation and we are thrilled to have the support of so many Chicagoans as we move forward!