Local representatives of various faiths will participate including Roi Qualls of the Baha’i Community of Yellow Springs; Rabbi Cary Kozberg of Temple Sholom; Lillian White of St. Bernard Catholic Church; Samina Ahmed of the Masjid Al-Madina Mosque; Rev. Dale DeGroat of Second Baptist Church; and representatives of the Sikh tradition and Hindu Community of Springfield.
The speakers will give brief presentations teasing what their individual programs will cover. These will be followed by a discussion in which visitors can participate. Programs run about 90 minutes.
“We are all struggling due to the pandemic across our lives,” said series leader Nancy Flinchbaugh. “We want to listen to how people of different faiths are responding and continuing their traditions.”
Future programs will be at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month, all on Zoom. Flinchbaugh said some of the speakers will also offer virtual tours of their buildings as part of their program.
To get access to call into the program or to access the meetings on Zoom, contact Flinchbaugh at nflinchbaugh@springfieldohio.gov or Cheryl Dover at cdover@springfieldohio.gov or call 937-324-7380.
As CultureFest has been canceled due to the pandemic, an alternate program will be offered October through December. More details with dates and times will be released in late September.
The season will end on June 19 with the annual “Peace Connections and Juneteenth: Walking Together for Peace” event. Flinchbaugh said the group hopes it can do this live instead of virtually by that time.
The group’s annual calendar with information on multicultural events, religious holidays and dates for the speakers series is now available online only at springfieldohio.gov/global-education.
Formed after the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy, the Peace Network aims to bring people of various cultures and backgrounds together to build a stronger community.
“We hope people can connect and learn about each other,” said Finchbaugh. “It’s a chance to grow, meet new friends and build understanding across cultures.”
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