New York, NY— Thousands of people across the nation honored the tenth anniversary of 9/11 with vigils, film screenings, and service projects with a shared vision to overcome fear and hatred. Through community-based events held in synagogues, churches, mosques, community centers, and public parks, people all over the U.S. joined together to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 through remembrance and renewal. Groundswell, a new multifaith voice for justice and social action, connected people across the U.S. to stand together against anti-Muslim bigotry on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Learn more at www.groundswell-movement.org.

“We are stepping out of the shadows of 9/11. There is a groundswell of people across the U.S. hungry to overcome fear and division on this ten-year anniversary,” said Valarie Kaur, Director of Groundswell. “Through launching Groundswell, we are fueling a rising movement that’s not about a single issue or political party but a shared moral vision for a better world. This campaign is a way to honor the past and envision a new era of social change.”

Groundswell hosted a panel discussion at WNYC’s Jerome L. Greene Space on September 6, 2011, that reflected on the last decade and explored the possibilities for a multifaith movement for justice this fall, in the 2012 election cycle, and through the coming decade. Four visionary thought leaders explored this topic: Valarie Kaur, Director of Groundswell and award-winning filmmaker (Divided We Fall, 2008); Ari Wallach, Co-founder, The Great Schlep, and social innovation expert; Beth Zemsky, organizational consultant and social change strategy expert; and Hussein Rashid, Professor of Religion at Hofstra University and Associate Editor at Religion Dispatches. The panel was hosted by The Rev. Dr. Katharine Rhodes Henderson, President, Auburn Seminary.

Groundswell is led by Valarie Kaur, award-winning filmmaker, Harvard-educated theologian, and social justice advocate and filmmaker of Divided We Fall (2008), the first feature-length independent documentary film on hate crimes in the aftermath September 11, 2001. The critically acclaimed film, which documents stories in the Sikh, Muslim, and Arab American communities, has inspired national grassroots dialogue about forces unleashed in national crises – racism and religion, fear and forgiveness. Groundswell’s Campaign Director, Isaac Luria, is a leader in online organizing and new media development. As Vice President and Online Director at J Street, he developed and managed traditional communications, new media, and technology strategies at both the national and local levels.

Groundswell is housed at Auburn Seminary in New York City. Auburn equips religious and secular leaders to create change in a complex, multifaith world. Auburn’s entrepreneurial approach to leadership training grows out of its 200-year history of educating leaders on the front lines of American religious and political life. Learn more about Groundswell at www.groundswell-movement.org.

Contact Claudia Gunter, (212) 870-3174 or cgunter@auburnseminary.org for more information.