CBS News has announced a new interfaith religion special, “Refugee Resettlement: Faith Communities Making a Difference,” to be aired on Sunday, September 25, 2011.
Given the hateful propaganda against Muslims in the U.S. these days, I am particularly interested in the interfaith partnerships. This seems like a great way to bring people together while accomplishing important work. The initiative is sponsored by the Minnesota Counsel of Churches and is called the Taking Root program. Here is an excerpt from the Taking Root website:
Imagine you are a refugee fleeing persecution, arriving in Minnesota knowing no one. You are greeted at the airport and helped in your first months by a team of Muslim and Christian volunteers working together. In your homeland you only knew people of your own religious tradition, or your experience with other religions was one of distrust and persecution. But here your interfaith sponsors help you find a home, a job and make a successful transition to self-sufficiency. Gradually you build a new life of hope, safety, peacefulness and connection. This unique team of volunteers has also given you a gift that may have been unimaginable to you – an experience of interfaith cooperation.
The CBS documentary will help spread the word about interfaith cooperation and about refugee resettlement. It sounds like a win-win.
Thank you for the blog post. The program is now available online at http://www.cbsnews.com/religionandculture .