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The 2010-2011 Abraham Youth Leadership Grants topic is “Welcoming the Stranger”. Much in today’s world makes people strangers. Many people are dislocated and made immigrants or refugees through “economic development,” ecological disasters, famine, poverty, war and violence. Displaced persons are often separated from families and face poverty. Still others, while perhaps not homeless, feel like exiles and seek a sense of home, tradition and community. The Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) have passed along wisdom on how to treat such “strangers” to our nation or community. The teachings of these faiths have been exemplified in the lives of their leaders (Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad). This year’s Youth Leadership Grants focus on what can be learned from these traditions, the lives of their leaders, and how one can apply this wisdom to our contemporary societies. The following distinguished speakers will assist you in reflecting on your essay and developing your project proposal: Distinguished Online Kick Off Speakers
David Fraccaro works as an immigration specialist with the Interfaith Youth Core (www.ifyc.org) in Chicago through IFYC’s new "Stranger to Neighbor" initiative, which seeks to build greater interfaith collaboration and friendship between diverse communities of faith and their immigrant/refugee neighbors. Fraccaro’s Suggested Resources
Arsalan Iftikharis an international human rights lawyer, global media commentator and founder of www.TheMuslimGuy.com and global managing editor of www.CrescentPost.com. Additionally, Arsalan is a regular weekly political commentator/legal analyst for the National Public Radio (NPR) show "Tell Me More" with Michel Martin and he is also a regular contributing writer for Esquire Magazine (Middle East edition) and CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 on domestic and international issues affecting our
Emily Gantz McKay is Mosaica’s (www.mosaica.org) Founding President and CEO with nearly 40 years of experience helping nonprofit organizations become sustainable and provide high-quality services. Emily gained much of her experience with community-based nonprofits during her 16 years on the senior staff of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).
Rabbi Jack Moline is the Rabbi at the Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, VA (www.agudasachim-va.org) and Chair of the Board of The Interfaith Alliance. He is the author of two books and a frequent contributor to radio, television and newspaper coverage of religious affairs.
Father Kevin O'Brien, S.J, is the Executive Director of Campus Ministry at Georgetown University (http://campusministry.georgetown.edu/) and serves as a Jesuit-in-Residence in Copley Hall. A graduate of Georgetown University (C ’88), Fr. O’Brien earned his law degree from the University of Florida and served as a corporate litigator before joining the Society of Jesus in 1996.
Dr. Eboo Patel, named by US News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders of 2009, is the founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), www.ifyc.org, a Chicago-based institution building the global interfaith youth movement. Read more about Dr. Patel.
Rabbi David Saperstein, Designated in Newsweek’s 2009 list as the most influential rabbi in the country and described in a Washington Post profile as "the quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill," Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (www.rac.org). Read more about.
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