About Interfaith Action

Mission

Interfaith Action provides service-learning opportunities where students can share their call to service with others from diverse cultural, religious, and non-religious backgrounds. We strive to be a safe space where students can come to the table as their whole self, sharing their religious, spiritual, or philosophical identity with others in collaborative community service and dialogue.

Interfaith Action uses the common call to service in our approach to interfaith dialogue, with the idea that by serving together we can better know one another and build upon that shared principle. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the religious/spiritual/cultural diversity on campus and in the broader community, while being mutually inspired by our similarities and growing in respect for our differences.

Objectives

• Implement unique, joint-service programs with local religious congregations, spiritual communities, and faith-based organizations to give students an opportunity to engage in community-supported service while experiencing cultural and religious diversity and gaining a window into a vibrant aspect of the non-profit sector.
• Support alternative break trips focused on highlighting multifaith cooperative efforts across a variety of fields and service areas, developing long-term partnerships with universities and non-profit organizations in cities across the central and eastern United States.
• Provide a safe-space for students to engage in dialogue across religious boundaries on any number of topics. This provides a much needed forum on campus, extending and going beyond the classroom opportunities provided by IGR.
• Bring student groups together to foster better partnerships between student organizations and create opportunities for collaboration, especially among organizations self-identified as "service/service learning" and "religious/spiritual" on Maize pages.
• Build and strengthen relationships with multifaith organizations locally, nationally, and internationally, especially acting as a model for interfaith engagement at public colleges and universities.
• Participate in larger interfaith initiatives such at the Interfaith Youth Core's Better Together campaign or the President's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge.
• Analyze program effectiveness and publish best-practices to make the University of Michigan a leader in interfaith service and learning.