Monthly Archives: September 2011

My letter to the editor of the New York Times, defending the moral vision of the Millennial generation, was published today. I’m thrilled to be given this chance to speak out for all of us working so hard toward our vision of a more just world.

You can find the letter on the NYT website, and read it below.

Re “If It Feels Right…” (column,… Continue Reading

I’m writing tonight from Mesa, Arizona, where a family friend was murdered ten years ago.  His name was Balbir Singh Sodhi.He was a turbaned Sikh man who owned his own gas station and was well-loved for his generosity and broad smile.

On Sept. 15, 2001, he visited Costco to buy flowers and emptied his pocket to make a donation to the 9/11 relief efforts in the check out line.  A few hours later, he was

… Continue Reading

On Sunday night, when I got off the train near Ground Zero to attend a 9/11 multifaith ceremony, I walked right into an anti-Muslim protest.

Two hundred people cheered on speakers who warned of sharia law and the Muslim invasion.  Their signs read: “Mohammad was a terrorist.”

A moment later, their eyes were on us — we looked like their enemies — and my throat caught.  I cried, and walked away.

But when I finally… Continue Reading

We have been collecting Ribbons of Hope from across the country and around the world to mark the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. Our partners at Prepare New York are weaving these ribbons into a colorful tapestry that to me, represents a groundswell of people ready to overcome fear and divisiveness on this anniversary.  Send your Ribbon of Hope to Ground Zero today (easy and free).  Continue Reading

On Tuesday night, hundreds of people gathered together at Groundswell’s kick-off teach-in in NYC and imagined how a movement based on compassion and community could emerge from the shadows this tenth anniversary of 9/11.

I can still feel the electricity in the room — and the excitement about what we could build. We envisioned a movement that’s not about a single issue, political party or particular tradition — but a shared moral vision of… Continue Reading

“We need to have an ‘American spring’… nonviolent change where people from the grassroots get involved again.”  – Former Vice President Al Gore, August 2011

We’re hungry for a movement. Faith and moral communities around the globe are tired of politics that maintain the status quo. Here in the U.S., a rising generation is finding brave new ways to channel moral vision into action: we’re marching in the streets for immigration reform, holding the banner… Continue Reading

As many of you know, for the last decade, I’ve had the opportunity to tour with Divided We Fall, leading dialogues on campuses and communities in 200 cities across the country. And I began to notice something — a rising generation of people like me were tired of partisan politics and hungry for meaningful social action. Many of us found it in the campaign of President Obama. And while I’m proud to have… Continue Reading