September 21, 2007

Purdue cultural center leads exchange program for Muslim leaders

"The theme of the exchange is how diverse religious communities can cooperate in order to contribute to positive and constructive civil discourse in ways that respect diversity and further the public good,'" said Donald W. Mitchell, a Purdue professor of philosophy and director of the Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange. "This is an example of intercultural exchange and interreligious dialogue supporting peace-building efforts in Southeast Asia."

The first group, from Thailand and the Philippines, will visit the United States in spring 2008, and the second group will arrive in fall 2008.

"Participants will visit religious, academic and civic leaders in Indiana, Chicago, Detroit and Washington, D.C., to discuss ways in which diverse religious communities in the United States contribute to civil discourse and interfaith collaboration," Mitchell said. "A select group of American leaders from our partner institutions will visit Thailand and the Philippines to broaden their understanding of the minority Muslim communities and institutions and their interfaith relations with the majority Buddhist and Christian communities and institutions."

These partner institutions include Indiana University, the University of Chicago, Columbia University and Georgetown University.

"In 2005 the Philippines presented a resolution to the General Assembly of the United Nations entitled 'Promotion of Interfaith Cooperation for Peace' that was adopted by consensus," Mitchell said. "With the full support of the U.S. Department of State, the Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange will be assisting the Philippines, as well as Thailand, in this type of international interfaith peace-building effort. We are very pleased to participate in this significant and timely international public diplomacy initiative."

To assist in this effort, Gerald Shively, a Purdue professor of agricultural economics, is serving as the project's associate director. He is a specialist in Southeast Asian economic development.

"Our collaborating universities are looking forward to pursuing sustained and substantive linkages and finding concrete projects to enhance economic development in Thailand and the Philippines," Shively said.

The Indiana Center for Cultural Exchange has received grants from the State Department for projects in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and now Southeast Asia. In Southeast Asia, the exchange program will involve six colleges or universities in Thailand and the Philippines.

The two groups coming to the United States will be in Lafayette for about five days. They will meet with Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders to discuss how local religious leaders contribute to the dialogue on important community issues. They also will meet with Purdue International Programs administrators to explore formal relationships and collaborative projects for the future. The Southeast Asian participants will be in the United States for three weeks, and the American participants will visit Southeast Asia for two weeks.

Twenty-four Muslim leaders from Southeast Asia will participate in exchanges to the United States, and 12 American non-Muslim leaders will visit Southeastern Asia in return exchanges.

"In these and other ways, we are supporting moderate Muslim leaders and organizations in conflict areas of Thailand and the Philippines who are seeking peaceful ways of addressing and solving problems facing the minority Muslim communities in those countries, rather than resorting to violence and war," Mitchell said.

The Department of State is funding the exchange program with a $400,000 two-year grant.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Sources: Donald Mitchell, (765) 494-8221, dmitch@purdue.edu

Gerald Shively, (765) 494-4218, shivelyg@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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