FORM AN ABRAHAM PATH GROUP IN YOUR COMMUNITY
How Can Spiritually Motivated Citizens Worldwide Get Involved?
The Association for Global New Thought has coordinated efforts and resources to make it possible for everyone to participate. Order your cd rom toolkit: pilgrimage@agnt.org
The complimentary and very comprehensive set of resources includes:
• Religious and cultural history, in the form of essays, articles, courses, websites, visual aids
• An interactive cd-rom for organizing, and a descriptive DVD suitable for presentations
• Specific instructions and materials to create local Abraham Walks
• Logistic support and training through contact with existing groups
• Conference calls and internet forums allowing groups to learn, question and collaborate in the process of planning local Walks
The Role of Local Initiatives
The primary role of the local initiative is to identify organizations and individuals that are already engaged in work promoting awareness of this issue in their community and whose efforts are motivated toward forgiveness, nonviolence, and reconciliation.
With resources provided by AGNT, local groups can explore the possibility of a Walk to promote awareness and demonstrate solutions according to the philosophy of forgiveness, compassion and mutual understanding. Once an educational foundation for interreligious and intercultural relations is laid, logistic strategies for a local Walk can be provided and discussed:
• Where will the Walk begin and end in your city? What is the route?
• Where might you create meaningful stations or places to stop?
• Are there religious sites or civic and community centers available to you?
• Including learning about the religions, what activities can be carried out at these stations?
• Can you plan a route from church to mosque to synagogue, or any portion thereof?
• How will people walk? Can people join along the way?
• Will there be opportunity to invite local press and media?
Profile of a Model Local Initiative
Cities and communities that are considering organizing teams to engage in this work would look for skills and characteristics that would optimize the ease and success of their efforts:
a. Is there interfaith based interest? An active Interfaith Council or the ability to develop one?
b. Is there an organizational core with experienced leadership in creating structure, and funding, and that holds regular forums in a meeting venue?
c. Is there a history of representation from the community based on religion, race, professional skills, gender, political orientations and levels of education?
d. Is there a history of partnership in the community?
e. Are there relationships with various sectors of the community such as businesses, schools, religious, media and civic groups?
f. Does the collective contain diverse skill sets?
1. Entrepreneurial
2. Media contacts
3. Marketing experience
4. Education and counseling background
5. Organizational skills and event planning
6. Administrative, computer, graphics
7. Program production and design
8. Process and facilitation
9. Communications and technology
10. Research capabilities
Local Interfaith Peace-building Events Beyond Abraham Walks
In addition to planning locals Walks, there are many other possibilities for participation in your community. You are encouraged to explore ways of conducting shared prayer and meditation, workshops, ceremonies and celebrations that take place at the local level to maintain the foundation of this project from a spiritual, ethical, and compassionate point of view.
HOW: Religious and Secular Examples would include:
• Religious services that are shared
• Changing pulpits
• Roundtable dialogues
• Days of prayer, meditation
• Intervention; support of local issues
• Local school programs and teaching curriculum
• Artistic and cultural events