All in the Circle 2023: Council of Willow Pond

Wednesday, May 27, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.); The Main Cinema, 115 SE Main Street, Minneapolis The Niagara Foundation invites MnMN members to a special one-night screening of Gazelle in Minneapolis. Set in New York, Gazelle follows Yakup, a Turkish music teacher navigating the asylum process while trying to reunite with his family. The film is a deeply human story about exile, identity, waiting, and the cost of starting over. The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival, where it received the Vanguard Audience Award, and later screened at the Chicago International Film Festival and Dances With Films New York, where it won the Industry Choice Award. To view the trailer: https://youtu.be/bxYSDF8XoRQ?si=XctDJtvtWkIaaNgN 

Thursday, May 28, 5:50 – 7:30 p.m.; Kirk Parlor, House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Avenue, St Paul The Minnesota Multifaith Network invites you to join us to celebrate recent book publications by two of our long-standing members. Ben Connelly's book Inside the Flower Garland Sutra: Huayan Buddhism and the Modern World (Wisdom Publications, 2025) explores the teachings of an ancient Buddhist tradition that helps us to care for ourselves while working to end harms that include ecological devastation, poverty, militarism, and exploitation. Anantanand Rambachan's book, The Way of the Sant: Virtues for All Humanity (Albion-Andalus Books, 2026) is an invitation to consider the virtues of Sant, an exemplar and embodiment of goodness in many of the traditions of India. The Way of the Sant teaches how we could cultivate empathy, resist injustice without hate, honor the dignity of all beings, and become an instrument of healing in our world. Join the authors for an evening of discussion, conversation with our authors, and book signing. Hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Saturday, May 23 - Monday, May 25 This is the 6th annual festival of remembrance following the murder of George Floyd. If you want to volunteer for the rembrance, go to riseandremember.org/festival/festival-organizer .

Saturday, May 16, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.; New Branches congregation, 5011 South 31st Street, Minneapolis ICOM (Interfaith Coalition on Immigration) invites Minnesotans to its Spring Fundraiser, a space to thank the generous supporters and share stories of community resilience. The evening will include a happy hour, food and entertainment that reflects the diverse community, engaging activities, inspiring speakers and stories, and an ask for continued support of ICOM's work.

Saturday, May 16, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Casperson Park, 19720 Juno Trail, Lakeville The Together in Peace team invites interested persons and their communities to the Together In Peace festival on May 16 at Casperson Park in Lakeville. The planning team is currently accepting applications for booths and cultural performances. Booths are free of charge. For more information, contact Paula Nordhem. 

April 29, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.; Whittier Park Recreation Room, 425 West 26th Street, Minneapolis Jewish Community Action (JCA) invites clergy, lay leaders, and staff of congregations and faith communities to a special training titled “When the Trolls Come Marching In: How to Keep Your Community Safe from Disruptors.” This training is meant to share best practices and lessons learned from the numerous incidents during Operation Metro Surge in which extremist influencers came to our city with bad fai th intentions to disrupt our community to further their own political narratives. For the last six years, JCA has been working with dozens of local community organizations around developing anti-hate and bias programming and policies in the Communities Combating Hate Coalition. Participants will think about how and why today’s disruptors operate the way that they do, use examples of a variety of community responses from the last few months, and hear from subject-matter experts whose analysis and research are valuable resources when evidence of extremist influencers shows up in our community. Pre-registration is required. Presenters: Beth Gendler, Executive Director, Jewish Community Action Geri Katz, Director of Organizing and Coalitions, Jewish Community Action Kate Bitz, Senior Organizer, Western States Center Benny Witkofsky, Senior Research Specialist, Bridging Divides Initiative When and Where: Whittier Park Recreation Room, Apr 29, 2026 5-7pm 425 W 26th St. Minneapolis, MN 55405 Why: Things move quickly in times of crisis, so it’s important to build the skills in advance to handle potential complications, like an agitator targeting our communities, in a unified and agile way. Who should attend? Staff and members of community organizations in Minneapolis such as houses of worship, neighborhood organizations, and cultural institutions. RSVP is required. What do we get out of this? You will leave this event with sample action plans, deeper community connections, and contacts in national organizations that track disruptors. Who is putting this together? Jewish Community Action is hosting this event, with special guest from Western States Center and Bridging Divides Initiative

Tuesdays, April 21 and 28, May 5; Online To build a society where people of every religion — or no religion — have an equal voice in public life is essential in this moment. That's why ICJS works with educators, chaplains, nonprofit and civic leaders, and museum and library professionals. Each session will focus on a different sector where ICJS works: Congregations, Clergy, and Chaplains — April 21 Teachers and Schools — April 28 Nonprofits, Museums, and Libraries — May 5 Each event will be on Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to Noon. Come to one or all three. 

Sunday, April 26, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.; Fair Oaks Park, Minneapolis A pan-sangha Buddhist Peace Walk is scheduled for April 26 at Fair Oaks Park in Minneapolis. In the spirit of Ahimsa -- causing no harm through intention, thought, work, or action -- and in awareness of Earth Day and the rebirth of spring, Minnesota Buddhists will walk, knowing humanity's wellbeing is tied to a the web of life. A ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m., with a 45-minute Mindful Walk to follow . The event will close with sharing and a Dedication of Merit.

Wednesday, March 25, Noon keynote and 1:00 p.m. lunch; Sateren Auditorium, Augsburg University, 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis Rev. Jen Bailey will keynote this year's Interfaith Symposium. The theme is "Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves." Rev. Bailey is an ordained minister and national leader in the multi-faith movement for interfaith understanding and justice. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund, a Nashville-based philanthropic foundation investing in the leadership of young people and the vitality of the natural environment. After the keynote join us for a luncheon and panel conversation with Augsburg students and corporate leaders. Augsburg University’s Interfaith Symposium is an annual invitation to build community, foster collaboration, and create a more caring world through learning about religious/spiritual/worldview diversity, participating in enriching dialogue, and networking with exceptional interfaith leaders. As the most ethnically diverse campus in the Midwest, Augsburg University embraces students with a variety of religious beliefs and worldviews. Join us for this opportunity to learn about building partnerships across differences and how to face the future with hope and determination. Learn More or Register: augsburg.edu/interfaith26