Follow the Women Freeing Dialogue Follow the Women

Follow the Women : Freeing Dialogue

Follow the Women

Follow the Women: Freeing Dialogue v. Where are the Women? v. Women in Dialogue v. Following the Women A Working Definition: Interreligious dialogue is a praxis that fosters mutual enrichment between religions. Through the cultivation of deep listening and ongoing learning new meanings emerge in theological claims we hold and contextual realities we share.

Part I: Where are the Women ? v. Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue v. Theology of Religions

Where are the women?

Where are the women? v That of a new creation in which women and men together enjoy the wholeness that makes them partners in the stewardship of God’s creation. v In this new order of equality, justice, and peace, socio-economic and political structures are free and just, and the basic necessities of all are met. v The liberative and human aspects of our existing original cultures of our communities will be reclaimed, nurtured and preserved.

Where are the women? Feminism for Interreligious Dialogue --Women participating, women’s experience Interreligious Dialogue for Feminism --Correcting History and Models --Critical Voices --Giving FULL voice --From remote, narrow, static models to organic, fluid, dynamic

Freeing Dialogue: Post Patriarchal Theology of Religions and Dialogue Openness to Transformation Evolutionary: Not “better” caterpillars butterflies

Part II: Women in Dialogue Judith Berling Gina Hens-Piazza Rita Sherma Ghazala Anwar Amina Wadud Snjezana Akpinar Maura O’Neill Kwok Pui-Lan Aysha Hidayatullah Susan Hayward Katherine Marshall Catherine Cornille, Asma Afsaruddin Diana Eck Racelle Weiman Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier Rita George-Tvrtkovic Rosemary Ruether Radford, Jeannine Hill Fletcher Maryann Cusimano Love Mara Brecht Sue Levi Elwell,

Women in Dialogue

Women in Dialogue Kaduna State • Population: 6 million • Religion: 49% Christian, 48% Muslims, 2. 8% ATR • Educational and Commerce Center • Tensions: – Ethno-religious divides – Economic, limited resources – Islamic law

Women in Dialogue • Nigerian Interreligious Council

Women in Dialogue • Women’s Interfaith Council Hajiya Amina Kazaure • Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria Hajiya Amina Omoti

Women in Dialogue 1. To correct false ideas about Islamic law 2. To focus on the principles of Islamic law that provide a foundation for prioritizing justice, equality, and human rights for all people, 3. To highlight that Islamic law offers important protections of women’s rights, 4. To develop strategies for monitoring the implementation of Islamic law in various regions and to continue interfaith dialogue about this implementation.

Women in Dialogue v Dialogues within Program v Interfaith Dialogues – Empathic Learning

Women in Dialogue • Understanding of Community: – Islam: “that you may come to know one another” – African Traditional: Ubuntu – Christianity: Dignity of Person, Interconnection “Sisterhood is Serious Business” “Dissolution of epistemological and cognitive boundaries…”

Women in Dialogue Baatein Aman Ki v Talks of Peace v Interfaith Journeys in India v Various Dialogues

Women in Dialogue Video https: //www. youtube. com/wa tch? v=1 ZMFz. WPWRu. M --Respond to violence --Protecting freedoms --Raising all topics --Involving all groups Shabnam Hashmi

Women in Dialogue 1. People’s Movement, People’s Dialogues (Contextual) 2. Over 500 local networks. 3. Journey and Spiritual Growth 4. Dialogue as a Journey

Women in Dialogue v Compassionate Listening v. Deep Listening v. Conflict as Our Teacher v. Reconciliation and Healing

Women in Dialogue v A personal practice – to cultivate inner strength, self awareness, self regulation and wisdom v A skill set – to enhance interpersonal relations and navigate challenging conversation v A process – to bring individuals or groups together to bridge their differences and transform conflict v A healing gift – to be fully present to a person who feels marginalized.

Women in Dialogue “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity. ” Pema Chodron “…we must drop any arrogance of thinking that we know how it is for another. ” Leah Green

Women in Dialogue v Speaking from the Heart v Listening with the Heart Our Histories Our Feelings Our Values

Part III: Following the Women v Women in Nigeria --Intrinsic Motivations Virtuous-Doxastic Practices v Women in India -- Contextual, Comprehensive, Complex v Compassionate Listening Training --Intercultural Competencies

Following the Women v Women in Nigeria: Introspection -- Evaluating Reasons -- Power Relations --Whose missing? Judith Berling’s Question: -- “have we treated the religious others as a less mature version of ourselves…have we set the categories for ways to interpret another’s tradition? ”

Following the Women v Women in India: Expanding Intersecting Circles – Contextual Dialogues – Social and Political Dialogues – Engaging Complexity: What areas are needed? Center for Dharma Studies: Sustainability

Following the Women v Compassionate Listening Training -- Critical Skill: Am I Fully Attentive? -- Research, Writing, and Compassionate Listening “Compassion is a muscle, not a secretion”

Follow the Women: Freeing Dialogue

Follow the Women: Freeing Dialogue

Follow the Women : Freeing Dialogue Sister Where are You Going?