Blog

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

I spent much of my twenties living out of my suitcase, touring with Divided We Fall, crisscrossing the country listening to peoples’ stories about their experience in the ongoing aftermath of 9/11.  I blogged about many of them, but there were too many for one person to capture.  I wished that one site where people could submit their own untold stories — a kind of open-source epilogue to the film.  Today, it exists.… Continue Reading

Oslo is everywhere.

As we see bodies recovered and hear stories of young people who survived the massacre, our hearts ache.  But in the last few days, we’ve learned that we are closer to the tragedy than we can imagine.

The killer is not a “Muslim terrorist,” as many conservatives in this country were quick to conclude.  Anders Breivik is a right-wing Christian directly influenced by a small group of anti-Muslim American bloggers and… Continue Reading

On June 22, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon at the White House at the invitation of the President. A typical work day.  I was invited as one of 150 community leaders across the country for a briefing and reception in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage.

The invitation came as a surprise — and a long-held dream come true.  To shake the President’s hand and say… what?  Once… Continue Reading

I’ve just received an invitation from President Obama to the White House on Wednesday for a briefing and reception in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage.  The shock is not wearing off.

I’ve asked Sharat to come with me, and both of us are brainstorming about how to make this visit useful.  There’s so much on our minds –preparing for the 9/11 anniversary, supporting multifaith movement building, mobilizing Millennials, standing up for… Continue Reading

I’m deeply inspired by this story: Rais Bhuiyan making a courageous stand to end cycles of violence flowing from 9/11…

Days after the 9/11 terror attacks, 31-year old laborer Mark Stroman went on a shooting spree in the Dallas area. In a drug-fueled mission of revenge, he killed two South Asian immigrants and shot another — Rais Bhuiyan — in the face at close range, blinding him in one eye.

Shortly after his arrest,… Continue Reading

Earlier this month, I was honored to share a few words at Auburn Theological Seminary’s stunning annual event Lives of Commitment.  The result?  Troubling the waters and healing the world, one blue marble at a time…

Groundswell Director Valarie Kaur calls for a groundswell of compassion and mobilization to bridge religious divides at Auburn’s Lives of Commitment held on May 6th in New York City. Groundswell is a new multifaith initiative that… Continue Reading