GW’s Interfaith Week Culminates in Dinner of Dialogue and Connection

The George Washington University community gathered on Thursday night in the Grand Ballroom at the University Student Center (USC) for a night of fellowship and food at the Interfaith Dinner put on by the Division for Student Affairs' newly formed Center for Interfaith and Spiritual Life.

"Gratitude is both physical and spiritual; our bodies are nourished, and our spirits are fed by a sense of belonging, which may very well be the most vital of all nutrients," said University Chaplain Kristen Glass Perez.

The dinner capped a weeklong Interfaith Week at GW, which featured events encompassing a range of organized religion and spirituality practices aimed at broadening the understanding of and initiating conversations about the different ways the community can seek new perspectives to form a greater awareness of the religious, secular and spiritual diversity at GW. Other events included a Faith Zone training, a Chat With the Dean event to hear from the staff and learn more about the center, and an open house of the center's new space, which occupies the old Campus Store in the lower level of USC.

Thursday's dinner, facilitated by the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFC), was the week's marquee event and intermingled groups of students, faculty and staff members of all backgrounds who ate together and embraced relationship building. At each table there were faith practitioners from one of the following communities: Muslim, Baha'i, spiritual but not religious, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Hindu, Sikh and Protestant Christian. Each faith practitioner then facilitated a discussion at their respective tables about beliefs, values, practices, identity and community and opened the floor to attendees to share their perspectives while listening to others.

"At GW, we have the opportunity to engage with students across the spectrum," said Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Colette Coleman. "Whether we're watching students perform in showcases, attending plays, having dinners together or exploring the city, these activities help build a sense of community. It's in these moments that we share a bit of ourselves with one another."

At the end of facilitated conversations, the tables came together to share what they had discussed-and it was clear much had been learned and accomplished.

One table discussed creating action items on campus such as safe spaces for conversations as well as quiet ones for thought. At another table, a GW student discussed having more opportunities to come together for interfaith events to advance goals of unity within the student community.

Another student at a table that included many members of an identity-based student organization expressed gratitude for having a place to share culture and have representation on campus.

One table offered that events such as the Interfaith Dinner gave community members a learning space for having both difficult and nuanced conversations. At another, there was an appreciation for places like DSA being available to equip the community with conflict resolution skills. One student even noted how he forged a connection with one of his roommates over their shared appreciation of faith-even though they practiced two completely different religions-and that these interactions helped them to understand themselves through their own experiences.

These kinds of desires, realizations and opportunities are precisely the mission behind the creation of the center, which was announced over the summer.

"You are all gathered here tonight to share values that transcend specific faith traditions-values like justice, equality and the pursuit of peace. These shared principles form the foundation for unity and allow us to build bridges across our diverse community," shared President Ellen M. Granberg. "As a university, we have a special role in fostering these connections. By creating spaces where interfaith conversations can happen respectfully and thoughtfully, and by bringing together people from different faith communities to share a meal and engage in meaningful dialogue, we can create a stronger, more connected community.

"Tonight's dinner embodies this mission perfectly."

The Interfaith Dinner-and Interfaith Week at large, served as an unofficial opening act for the newly launched center, which aims to advance the goals of GW's "Strengthening Our Community" plan. It is part of a university-wide initiative to enhance supportive campus environments and interfaith engagement through religious, secular, spiritual identity development guided by the foundational principles of free inquiry, intellectual rigor, open dialogue, honest debate and mutual respect.

As the dinner concluded Thursday, center Director Simran Kaur-Colbert encouraged attendees to continue the work, keep fostering and building communities and to do so with empathy.

"As the holidays approach, I hope you'll take the opportunity to connect with friends from different religious, spiritual and cultural traditions," Kaur-Colbert said. "I encourage you to find a moment to share love and care with one another as we continue to shape the Center for Interfaith and Spiritual Life."

Below are photos by GW Today senior photographer William Atkins from the Interfaith Dinner, Faith Zone Training and Chat With the Dean: