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The Miami Coalition of Christians and Jews is a nonsectarian nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing understanding and respect among people of all cultures, religions and races. The organization strives for a community free from intolerance in which every person enjoys dignity and respect.
The agency was founded in 1935 as a regional chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ), which later became the National Conference for Community and Justice. [1] As part of the decentralization of NCCJ, the agency became an independent 501c3 in 2005 and — returning to its roots — changed its name to Miami Coalition of Christians and Jews.
Following the 1980 McDuffie riots, MCCJ worked with the Community Relations Board to formulate policy recommendations through a process of community hearings which resulted in the Overcoming Racial and Ethnic Isolation in Miami report.
Since its creation in 1935, the agency has served as a vital force for improving intergroup relations by creating safe havens for dialogue, training inclusive leaders, highlighting the benefits of diversity, and building bridges of understanding and respect among the different communities that call Greater Miami home.
MCCJ also worked with the Miami Dade and City of Miami Police Departments, facilitating diversity training and community conversations with law enforcement professionals.
After the Elian Gonzales controversy, MCCJ and the Miami Herald co-facilitated 9 community dialogues with different leadership sectors.
Often characterized as a human relations organization, MCCJ is also a human rights organization, advocating respect for all, working to eliminate discrimination and helping minorities gain rights, access and a greater voice. MCCJ was at the forefront of the local struggle for racial justice — organizing mixed youth groups and community events in times of segregation. [2]
Since 1935, MCCJ organizes monthly Clergy Dialogues on theological and social issues among faith leaders of all denominations, thus hosting the oldest interfaith dialogue forum in the United States.
In the area of youth development, MCCJ's Heritage Panel is a prejudice reduction program that empowers high school students to explore cultural diversity and develop self-esteem, while fostering values that support the appreciation of differences. The program reduces bullying, taunting, cliques and harassment in the classroom while allowing students to take pride in their heritage and identity. Using a peer education methodology, Heritage Panel presentations conducted by the program graduates create a ripple effect that improves the school climate, thereby enabling more students to reach their full potential.
Annually, at its Humanitarian Awards Gala, MCCJ honors community leaders who have made exceptional contributions to improving human and intergroup relations in Greater Miami.
Arab–Israeli peace projects are projects to promote peace and understanding between the Arab League and Israel in different spheres. These are part of a broader attempt at a peace process between Palestinians and Israelis. Sponsors of such projects can be found both in Israel and Palestine.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is an American Jewish nonprofit organization that advocates for progressive and liberal policies. Founded in 1944 as the umbrella organization for local Jewish advocacy arms known as community relations councils, for almost 80 years it represented approximately 125 local Jewish federations and community relations councils and was the coordinating body for 15 national Jewish organizations.
The National Civic League is an American nonpartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1894 as the "National Municipal League”; it adopted its new name in 1937. Its mission is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities. To upgrade quality and efficiency of government in cities it enlists the business and professional classes, and promotes greater involvement in government. It also sought create merit-based systems for selecting public officials. The League envisions a country where the full diversity of community members are actively and meaningfully engaged in local governance, including both decision making and implementation of activities to advance the common good. It also promotes professional management of local government through publication of "model charters" for both city and county governments.
Interfaith dialogue, also known as interreligious dialogue, refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels.
The National Conference for Community and Justice is an American social justice organization focused on fighting biases and promoting understanding between people of different races and cultures. The organization was founded in 1927 as the 'National Conference of Jews and Christians in response to anti-Semitism and anti-Catholic sentiment surrounding Al Smith's run for President.
The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) is a voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom. It is composed of Christians and Jews working together to counter anti-semitism and other forms of intolerance in Britain. Their patron was Queen Elizabeth II.
David Shlomo Rosen KSG CBE is an English-Israeli rabbi and interfaith peacemaker. He was Chief Rabbi of Ireland (1979–1985) before relocating permanently to Israel in 1985. He has taken leave from his position as AJC’s International Director of Interreligious Affairs in order to serve as Special Advisor to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. From 2005 until 2009 he headed the International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Consultations (IJCIC), the broad-based coalition of Jewish organizations and denominations that represents World Jewry in its relations with other world religions.
In psychology and other social sciences, the contact hypothesis suggests that intergroup contact under appropriate conditions can effectively reduce prejudice between majority and minority group members. Following WWII and the desegregation of the military and other public institutions, policymakers and social scientists had turned an eye towards the policy implications of interracial contact. Of them, social psychologist Gordon Allport united early research in this vein under intergroup contact theory.
Istanbul Center is non profit organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has branches in several cities in the Southeastern United States. Istanbul Center is inspired by the works and actions of scholars, thinkers and activists like, among others, Fethullah Gülen, Rumi and Martin Luther King Jr. Established to promote better understanding and closer relations among the communities in Metro Atlanta and the Southeastern United States, the center focuses on four major areas: education, culture, dialogue and humanitarian works. It is a volunteer-driven, locally funded civic organization.
MCCJ may refer to:
Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is an annual recognition and celebration of American Jews' achievements and contributions to the United States of America during the month of May.
The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) is a non-profit organization that works to reduce prejudice in schools, businesses, and communities. Its activities include workshops, retreats, and customized training and education programs. VCIC also trains leaders to promote inclusion. VCIC's programs and services have been recognized by local and national organizations.
Rabbi Steve Gutow is an American rabbi, lawyer, community activist, and Jewish leader. He is a visiting scholar at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and co-director of the Religious Leadership and Civic Engagement initiative. He formerly served as the president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that mobilizes the Jewish community of the region to advance racial and economic justice. JCUA partners with diverse community groups across the city and state to combat racism, antisemitism, poverty and other forms of systemic oppression, through grassroots community organizing, youth education programs, and community development.
The Interfaith Center of New York (ICNY) is a secular educational non-profit organization founded in 1997 by the Very Reverend James Parks Morton. ICNY programs work to connect religious leaders and their communities with civil organizations and each other.
Intergroup dialogue is a "face-to-face facilitated conversation between members of two or more social identity groups that strives to create new levels of understanding, relating, and action". This process promotes conversation around controversial issues, specifically, in order to generate new "collective visions" that uphold the dignity of all people. Intergroup dialogue is based in the philosophies of the democratic and popular education movements. It is commonly used on college campuses, but may assume different namesakes in other settings.
The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is a faith-based civic organization founded in 2010 by members of a Detroit-based interfaith group known then as the Interfaith Partners. Its headquarters are in Oak Park, Michigan.
Rachel Davis DuBois was an American educator, human rights activist and pioneer of intercultural education.
Diversity ideology refers to individual beliefs regarding the nature of intergroup relations and how to improve them in culturally diverse societies. A large amount of scientific literature in social psychology studies diversity ideologies as prejudice reduction strategies, most commonly in the context of racial groups and interracial interactions. In research studies on the effects of diversity ideology, social psychologists have either examined endorsement of a diversity ideology as individual difference or used situational priming designs to activate the mindset of a particular diversity ideology. It is consistently shown that diversity ideologies influence how individuals perceive, judge and treat cultural outgroup members. Different diversity ideologies are associated with distinct effects on intergroup relations, such as stereotyping and prejudice, intergroup equality, and intergroup interactions from the perspectives of both majority and minority group members. Beyond intergroup consequences, diversity ideology also has implications on individual outcomes, such as whether people are open to cultural fusion and foreign ideas, which in turn predict creativity.
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) is an American left-wing non-profit grassroots Jewish organization. JFREJ describes itself as a "movement to dismantle racism and economic exploitation" and is based in New York City. It operates both a 501(c)(3), also known as JFREJ Community and a 501(c)(4) known as JFREJ Action.