Three Gustavus Adolphus College students and Chaplain Brian Johnson have been selected to participate in the Interfaith Leadership Institute Oct. 24-26 in Washington, D.C., hosted by the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
The Interfaith Leadership Institute will be facilitated by the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC). The experience is designed to give 200 student leaders and 100 campus staff allies from across the country the vision, knowledge, and skills necessary to lead interfaith and community service initiatives on campus. The three Gustavus students participating in the event are seniors Rebecca Rasp and Mayanthi Jayawardena, along with sophomore Claire Curran.
“We are excited to join others from colleges and universities around the country to learn from each other the best practices for encouraging inter-religious dialogue,” Johnson said. “It is an honor to be invited by the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships to participate in this event.”
The institute will train student leaders to respond to issues of religious prejudice or conflict on campus and in the news; organize interfaith action that impacts the whole campus community; and how to train new student leaders and embed interfaith cooperation into the fabric of campus life.
Gustavus aspires to be a community of persons from diverse backgrounds who respect and affirm the dignity of all people. It is a community where a mature understanding of the Christian faith and lives of service are nurtured and students are encouraged to work toward a just and peaceful world. The IFYC aims to build mutual respect and pluralism among young people from different religious traditions by empowering them to work together to serve others.
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