With the natural beauty of the peoples and culture of Pakistan as the backdrop, UPIC delegates share their thoughts about the need to dispel the fears and misconceptions Americans have of Pakistan and to continue efforts to build relations between our two countries. Reflecting on the importance of this vital goal are; Rev. Dr. Dick Hamm, Former General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Rabbi Dr. Reuven Firestone, Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, CA; Kelly McGrath, a George Mason University, PhD Student, Rabbi Amy Joy Small, Director of Deborah’s Palm Center for Jewish Learning and Experiences in Morristown, NJ; Riaz Siddiqi, Founder and Managing Partner of Denham Capital and Board Chairman of the American Pakistan Foundation and Fred Johnson, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Intersections International.

Facilitated by Intersections International — in collaboration with the International Islamic University in Islamabad (IIU), the US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium (UPIC) spent March 11-14, 2014 in Pakistan. UPIC is an initiative undertaken by Intersections that seeks to bring together religious leaders from the US and Pakistan to build relationships, shatter stereotypes, and create an action agenda that will help build bridges of mutual respect and understanding between our two countries.

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This is one in a series of videos I produced for Intersections International in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 10-15, 2014. Dr. Munazza Yaqoob from the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan heads the Critical Thinking Forum, a kind of interdisciplinary think-tank for young Pakistani women.

The US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium seeks to cooperatively set an action agenda toward policy change and build bridges of faith-based understanding and respect between our two countries.

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Building Bridges of Faith with Pakistan is a 30-minute television documentary produced by for Greater Chicago Broadcast Ministries with Intersections International. The program will air on ABC7 Chicago, December 29, 2013.

Come with me to Pakistan and watch this compelling eyewitness documentary on the testimonies of key Pakistani and American religious leaders, who met in Islamabad and Lahore to explore faith-based dialogue, policy change on both sides, and building bridges of understanding and respect between our two countries.

For those outside the Chicago market or for those who miss the broadcast, you may view the full program at www.gcbm.org or www.frakesproductions.com following the broadcast.

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This is an excerpt from a new documentary from Greater Chicago Broadcast Ministries which will air on Sunday, December 29 at 11:00 a.m. on ABC7 Chicago.

Professor Sabir Hussain from Edwards College Peshawar, Pakistan, engaged in inter-faith dialogue and peace-making long before a group of American scholars and theologians visited Pakistan in April 2013. The US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium (UPIC), helped Hussain to know that he is not alone in his efforts to build bridges.

Facilitated by Intersections International, and in collaboration with the International Islamic University in Islamabad (IIU) and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the visit was part of the
US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium (UPIC), an effort to cooperatively set an action agenda toward policy change on both sides and building bridges of understanding and respect between Pakistan and the United States.

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This image was taken while recording footage for a documentary about the US-Pakistani Interreligious Consortium. Facilitated by Intersections International, and in collaboration with the International Islamic University in Islamabad (IIU) and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the visit was part of the US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium (UPIC), an effort to cooperatively set an action agenda toward policy change on both sides and building bridges of understanding and respect between Pakistan and the United States.

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Facilitated by Intersections International, and in collaboration with the International Islamic University in Islamabad (IIU) and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), UPIC addressed these issues by creating an interreligious consortium consisting of key leaders of Pakistani and American religious organizations.

The Objectives of UPIC are to

1. Create personal and institutional relationships between delegates’ communities and organizations.

2. Develop delegates’ capacity to substantively advance peace in their communities.

3. Facilitate collaboration on initiatives addressing issues of mutual concern—these issues will be decided by the delegates and likely involve intercultural understanding, peace and security, education, youth, women’s rights, US-Pakistan relations or other areas.

4. Influence policymakers on both sides to improve US-Pakistan relations and advance delegates’ collaborative initiatives and goals at the national and state levels.

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