Two visionary leaders, one Muslim and the other Jewish, will meet for a provocative discussion about moral courage on Wednesday, October 29, 6:30-8:00 p.m., at The Great Hall at Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street, New York, NY. [Subways: #6 to Astor, N and R to 8th Street and Broadway].
The discussion will feature Edgar M. Bronfman, author of the new book Hope, Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance and the Chairman of Hillels International Board of Governors, and Irshad Manji, author of the international best-seller The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslims Call for Reform in Her Faith and Director of the Moral Courage Project, based at New York Universitys Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
In his book, Bronfman challenges North American Jews to transcend victimhood, welcome intermarriage, and embrace the creativity of outsiders. His passionate appeal for openness applies to religious, cultural, and ethnic groups everywhere. Manji, in her book, calls on fellow Muslims to embrace human rights and proposes ideas for a fresh U.S. foreign policy that can empower Muslim reformers. Named by the American Society for Muslim Advancement as a Muslim leader of tomorrow, she also created the Emmy-nominated PBS film Faith Without Fear, which follows her world journey to reconcile Islam and freedom. A winner of Oprah Winfreys first annual Chutzpah award for audacity, boldness and conviction, Manji teaches moral courage at NYU Wagner.
This event is presented by the Moral Courage Project and co-sponsored by The Bronfman Center Selma Ruben Distinguished Lecturer Series and the Research Center for Leadership in Action, both at New York University. Admission is free. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The discussion begins at 7:00 p.m. Book signings begin at 8:00 p.m. To RSVP, visit http://wagner.nyu.edu/events/leadership-10-29-2008.
About The Moral Courage Project
Launched in 2008, the Moral Courage Project (MCP) aims to develop leaders who will challenge political correctness, intellectual conformity and self-censorship. In the best spirit of liberal education, the project teaches that rights come with responsibilities, that we are citizens rather than members of mere tribes, and that meaningful diversity embraces different ideas and not just identities. Go to irshadmanji.com/moral-courage-project
The MCP is based at the Research Center for Leadership in Action (RCLA) of the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. RCLA creates collaborative learning environments that foster connections and networks and yield new and practical insights and strategies. RCLA engages the leadership of a diverse spectrum of public service organizations, from government agencies to nonprofits large and small to community-based and social change groups, across the country and around the world. Go to wagner.nyu.edu/leadership
About the Bronfman Center
Founded in 1996, the Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life engages one of the largest and most creative Jewish student populations in the United States. The Bronfman Center is home to dozens of student groups and hundreds of innovative programs and projects. In the heart of Greenwich Village, the Bronfman Center taps into the energy of New York City to create open and pluralistic communities where students learn, celebrate, and explore their identities and Jewish life. In order to engage the thousands of student at New York University, the Bronfman Center creates multiple entry points to Jewish life and multiple communities. http://www.nyu.edu/bronfman/new/