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Page 2 NCBI Newsletter Respect: Overcoming Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism together “At our Muslim Jewish events, we discover again and again how similar the two cultures are ...The experience of being targeted for oppression in similar ways.” “We are convinced that our work is more important than ever. With rising fear comes a broadened recognition that this work is needed.” NCBI Switzerland has been conducting a program called "Respect: overcoming islamophobia and anti-Semitism together" for more than 4 years. We conduct encounter workshops, Respect-Seders (Passover celebrations) and Respect-Iftars (breaking the fast at Ramadan) as well as Feast of the Sacrifice (the stories of Ishmael and Isaac), women's dinners and special workshops on thinking well about the Near East and other topics. We have held special events in connection with museum exhibitions on the Albanians who saved Jews during WW II or on the Jewish emancipation in Switzerland 150 years ago, when Jews became citizens for the first time. The current news reminds me that history comes back in many ways: Switzerland first allowed foreign Jews to travel freely in Switzerland because of pressure from France and the USA in support of their Jewish citizens and later allowed Swiss Jews to live where they wanted to, and not just in two villages (as had been the case for centuries). Maybe other countries can now press the USA to treat equally their binational citizens with roots in Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Iran and the other banned Muslim countries. We have an NCBI chapter director and an Advisory Board member, both from Iraq. Our team of Syrian "Bridge Builders” all have family and friends affected by the US Muslim immigration ban. We recently led a training for the coordination team of the Muslim Jewish Conference in Berlin and we have been actively involved in this international event each year. At our Muslim Jewish events, we discover again and again how similar the two cultures are: the shared immigrant experience (offset by a generation or two), the joint experience of being minorities, the internal divisions based on religiosity, as well as the experience of being targeted for oppression in similar ways. A few years ago, there was a Swiss debate about banning male ritual circumcision; there is currently a Swiss ban on both kosher and hallal slaughter etc.) We also notice the important differences for example, in class, education, institutional development and resources. NCBI Switzerland has a dynamic, mixed team of mostly young adults organizing and leading events throughout the year in various areas of Switzerland and a couple of times annually in neighboring countries. We are very excited that our grassroots work led to the formation of a Committee for Dialogue within the national Jewish and Muslim umbrella organizations, and the Respect team is a member group. Through this work, we are working more and more together, Muslims and Jews. NCBI Switzerland also developed a "Statement against Hate" which has been signed by organizations, individuals and most recently also by members of Parliament. The Statement calls for no hate or violence against religious minorities or in the name of a r e l i g i o n . ( w w w . n c b i . c h / statementgegenhass - in German and French). In December, a young non-Muslim man walked into a mostly Somali mosque and shot 3 people, wreaking terror on the Muslim and especially the Somali communities. The response by the authorities has been disappointing - there has not been public outpouring of support. The Jewish communities have been requesting support for their security in light of violent and deadly attacks throughout Europe on Jews and Jewish institutions. The Swiss government recently issued a report confirming the danger and the need for enhanced security - and suggesting that the Jewish community create a foundation to pay for this themselves. This report feeds on stereotypes about Jews and money and repeats the history of WW II, where all refugee assistance for fleeing Jews in Switzerland was financed by the Jewish community - not by the government! The ensuing uproar has had little effect to date - and the cantonal government in Zurich, where most of the 18,000 Jews in Switzerland live, has rejected responsibility for security costs. We are convinced that our work is more important than ever. With rising fear comes a broadened recognition that this work is needed. You can follow the work of NCBI Switzerland on our Facebook page, which is mostly in German and sometimes in English. Ron Halbright, NCBI Switzerland
2017 Issue 1 Police-Community Partnerships—We Are Mantua This yearlong project began in January 2016 to build relationships between officers and community members who live and work in the Mantua area of Philadelphia. It was funded by a grant provided by DOJ/OJP/BJA Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation in partnership with the Mt. Vernon Manor, Inc. This extensive project included on-theground outreach with community members and multiple ride-alongs with officers. NCBI consultants (Fabienne Brooks and Guillermo Lopez) worked with the 16 th Police District law enforcement leadership and officers, community leaders and BCJI stakeholders to build healthier relationships and facilitate more positive communications. In May 2016, 16 th District Philadelphia Police Department officers and Drexel campus police officers were trained in Customer Service and Diversity by Fabienne Brooks, Guillermo Lopez and our CEO Cherie Brown. The Director of Affinity Programs and leader of the Black African Heritage Caucus, Joyce Shabazz, provided support to the leadership team. In September and October, Guillermo Lopez led multiple exposure workshops that officers and community members attended. In November 2016, a three-day Train the Trainer program was held at a Mantua neighborhood church. The Train the Trainer participants included police officers and community members who learned how to lead Diversity workshops in the community. One of the activities in the Train the Trainer was learning about Listening Tables. The community-police partnership teams were trained to set up listening tables in schools and at community meetings where the team sits together as police and community activists, modeling cooperation, as they listen to folks who wander over to their table to answer a question posted. One question was: how can we improve lives for both community members and police here in Mantua. T h e p r o - gram is being evaluated at each step by Cedar Crest College for efficacy and long-lasting change. There was a year long evaluation and a “Best Practice” document completed by an independent evaluation team that demonstrated significant attitudinal change between officers and community leaders. Co-Director, Law Enforcement Programs, Fabienne Brooks, Co-Director, Law Enforcement Programs, Participants at the WAM BCJI Trainthe –Trainer workshop. Participants at the WAM BCJI Train-the-Trainer workshop.
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