INTERFAITH DAY OF SERVICE

UNCLAS STATE 089406


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OIIP SCUL
SUBJECT: INTERFAITH DAY OF SERVICE

REF: 09 STATE 77580



1. This is an action request (Para 4). The Department
encourages posts to consider organizing an Interfaith Day
of Service in their host countries as a way to commemorate
the anniversary of the tragic events of September 11,

2001.


2. President Obama called for interfaith service to foster
collaboration between people across the world in his Cairo
speech: "Indeed, faith should bring us together. And
that's why we're forging service projects in America to
bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Around the
world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service, so
bridges between peoples lead to action -- whether it is
combating malaria in Africa, or promoting relief after a
natural disaster."


3. Interfaith service has been an inextricable part of
Americans' dedication to serving others, which as early as
1831 was identified as a distinctive American
characteristic by Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville. In
State 77580, Secretary Clinton specifically encouraged
Department of State employees to support President Obama's
domestic United We Serve campaign that embraces this
tradition of community service. By participating in an
Interfaith Day of Service, posts have the unique
opportunity to expand the domestic commemoration of 9/11
as the National Day of Service and Remembrance -- as
signed into law by President Obama on April 21, 2009 --
into a global initiative.


4. ACTION REQUEST: Posts are encouraged to plan an
Interfaith Day of Service to commemorate 9/11 that would
send a message of goodwill, cooperation, and shared
interest to their host countries and their religious
communities. To accommodate posts in countries where
Muslims may be observing Ramadan until/about September 19,
posts are requested to plan an Interfaith Day of Service
between September 11 and October 18, 2009. We encourage
you to bring together leaders of different religious
backgrounds and identify jointly a priority project. Those
leaders would encourage their members to join mission
employees and resident Americans in working together on a
community project. We request that posts keep their
regional bureaus informed of their 9/11 commemoration
plans so that the information can be made available to
interested USG officials and agencies.


5. Sustainability is a key theme of President Obama's
United We Serve campaign and Secretary Clinton's remarks
at the Global Philanthropy Forum where she announced the
appointment of the Special Representative for Global
Partnerships (S/GPI) and described the Department's role
as a convener, catalyst, and collaborator by fostering
public-private partnerships with groups such as
faith-based organizations. The Interfaith Day of Service
is an opportunity for posts to expand their contact bases,
initiate long-term partnerships with civil society, and
spread goodwill in observing September 11, 2001. Some
programming ideas and suggestions are listed in paragraph
six, however posts are encouraged to be creative based on
the needs, religions/sects, and opportunities in their
country.


6. Programming Ideas
- Meet with interfaith leaders or an interfaith
organization before the Interfaith Day of Service to
identify a local development issue. For example,
Interfaith Youth Core and Tony Blair's Faith Foundation
collaboratively identified malaria as a problem in Africa
and supported a service project for youth to raise funds
and show the film "The Story of a Bed Net" in their faith
communities.
- Form local partnerships:
- Organize a food-drive for the end of Ramadan with
religious leaders and citizens in Muslim communities to
donate to a local mosque or community, such as this
activity in Dubai in 2008:
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?id=28354#/ group.php?gid=
5998096393&ref=search.
- Partner with universities or secondary schools to
organize a day of awareness-raising, school clean-up, park
rehabilitation, or a donation drive that includes students
from different faith traditions.
- Work with the Red Cross/Red Crescent or a local hospital
to promote the giving of blood and partner with different
religious leaders to involve their congregations.
- Organize a free music workshop for a neighborhood where
musicians from different faiths can share their
traditions. This event could be a good way to promote a
longer term arts education project, for example.
- Set up an interfaith sports competition for youth that
includes interfaith teams and incorporates skill-building
activities.
- Organize a writing competition at a local school on
respect for people of all faiths.


7. Resources
- Communities@State's new Religion and Global Affairs
Community can be a resource for posts to submit service
ideas. Washington can help connect posts to an interfaith
and/or youth organization active in their host countries.
Posts can participate in the Community at:
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/edi plomacy/archiv
es/new_community_r.html
- The Global Partnership Initiative (S/GPI) has developed
new tools and talking points for the Department's efforts
at the nexus of faith and foreign policy. These can be
accessed on the intranet at http://gpi.state.gov, on the
internet at http://www.state.gov/partnerships/, or by
contacting Rob Lalka (lalkart@state.gov).
- The Office of the Special Representative for Muslim
Communities (S/SRMC) can be a resource. Contact
information: tel. 202-647-7710 or via email SSRMC
- INFOCENTRAL is a repository of information that all
posts can use for outreach. A list of Ramadan 2009
outreach materials for Muslim communities can be found
at:
https://infocentral.state.gov/info-topics/dem ocracy--human-
rights/democracy--human-rights/archive/ramada n
- America.gov focuses on the theme of American Giving in
several articles:
http://search.state.gov/search?oe=utf8&ie=utf 8&q=American+G
iving&filter=0&entqr=3&ud=1&sort=date%3AD%3AL %3Ad1&output=x
ml_no_dtd&lr=lang_en&client=americagov&proxys tylesheet=amer
icagov&getfields=*&site=americagov&Submit.x=4 0&Submit.y=14
- Serve.gov, the United We Serve website, lists service
opportunities in the U.S. that could provide ideas for
similar activities at posts.


8. Reporting
IIP would appreciate a brief description of any plans for
an interfaith service activity sent to your IIP policy
officer in advance of the event. Following the event, IIP
could potentially use photos and text about the activity
on the English or language versions of America.gov and/or
a social networking platform. Photos should be e-mailed
to state61per@photos.flickr.com. The subject line will
become the title of the photo. The body of the e-mail
should include:

A description of the photo which will become the caption
A photo credit in parentheses at the end of the description
A carriage return followed by: tags: #service

If you have any questions about uploading photos, please
contact Jason Katz (katzjx@state.gov).
Please report your activities on Mission Activity Tracker
and to your regional bureaus.


9. This is an exciting opportunity to answer the
President's call to interfaith service and the Secretary's
commitment to partnerships. We hope posts will find the
Interfaith Day of Service a beneficial way to commemorate
September 11 abroad and to promote goodwill in their host
countries.


10. Minimize considered.


CLINTON