On September 15, 2001, I received an email from my close friend and Stanford classmate Valarie Kaur, an email that would launch us both into a whirlwind over the subsequent decade .. A Sikh man in Arizona had just been shot. His name was Balbir Singh Sodhi, he owned a gas station in Mesa, and someone drove up and shot him because he was wearing a turban on his head and they thought that made him a terrorist. 

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.

Groundswell, a new multifaith voice for justice and social action, launched on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 7:00 p.m., with the panel, “Out of the Shadows of 9/11: Millennials, Moral Vision, and the Global Groundswell,” at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC, 44 Charlton Street, New York, NY. Watch video from this discussion.

More than 450 gathered for Auburn’s Lives of Commitment last Friday May 6th. If you couldn’t be there we don’t want you to miss a thing! Auburn has the full video and podcast of Lives of Commitment, some of our favorite moments and also video of the panel discussion from Auburn’s new Generosity and Gender Justice Initiative.

Auburn is pleased to present a three-part blog from Valarie Kaur (Director of Groundswell at Auburn ), Rabbi Justus Baird (Director of The Center for Multifaith Education at Auburn), and the Rev. J.C. Austin (Director of The Center for Christian Leadership at Auburn). Click to read their thoughts; an opportunity to comment follows.

Hear from Auburn women close at hand and further afield about what it takes to lead with passion, power and a commitment to make a positive difference in the world