Rumi Forum, Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS), and Braver Angels have looked at political polarization before. However, on October 29, 2023, we’ll look at the subject through a different prism: faith. What roles does faith play in the political and cultural schisms that mar our society? Is it a cause of the problem? Or is it a potential antidote? And most importantly, what can we, as people of faith or members of faith communities, do to confront these issues?
Join Rumi Forum, JIDS, Braver Angels, and our host, Kol Ami Reconstructionist Community, in what figures to be a fascinating afternoon. It will kick off with presentations by Ibrahim Anli, Executive Director of Rumi Forum, a Braver Angels Scholars Council member, and Sofi Hersher Andorsky, V.P. of Strategy and Communications at A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy. One-on-one conversations, small group discussions, and a return to plenary session for an action-oriented conclusion to the event will follow.
Presenters
Ibrahim Anli is a civic entrepreneur with a career record that bridges nonprofit and academic experience. He was a visiting researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2007-08. Ibrahim joined the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (JWF) Ankara office as the diplomacy coordinator in 2010. In 2013, he became the secretary-general of Abant Platform, JWF’s Istanbul-based forum of intellectuals. Ibrahim Anli was a lecturer and acting chair at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Tishk International University in Erbil in 2016-17. He is currently a volunteer instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at American University, a member of the Braver Angels Scholars Council, and a member of the Public Diplomacy Council of America.
Sofi Hersher Andorsky has spent her career at the intersection of religion, technology, and creativity, working for non-profit sectors to serve greater goodwill and understanding within and across communities. She is also the founder of Grand View Strategies and a lifelong student of religion. Her portfolio includes projects for the National Council of Jewish Women, Newseum, Washington National Cathedral, Rose Community Foundation, and Together Beat Hate. Sofi also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC), works as a local interfaith organizer, and volunteers with various charities serving Afghan refugees and those seeking abortion services.