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Mary Gallagher, the Amy and Alan Lowenstein Chair in Democracy, Democratization and Human Rights and director of the International Institute at the University of Michigan, has been appointed the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs by University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. Gallagher, who will also hold a tenured faculty position in the Keough School, begins her five-year term as dean on July 1.

Read More about Mary Gallagher appointed dean of the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs

"The important thing to remember is that democratic backsliding is a process, and that it is incremental. Backsliding happens piece by piece. It could be legislation that targets journalists or undermines the free speech of opposition groups. Democratic backsliding doesn't happen overnight. It is piecemeal, this is why it is so dangerous because the changes are incremental and, therefore, easy to overlook. Over time, however, democratic erosion builds until we arrive at a non-democratic system where the rules of the game have changed. These are the hybrid political systems where democratic institutions are hollowed out."

Read More about Karrie Koesel: Authoritarianism, Electoral Autocracies, and Democratic Backsliding

In his book Cathonomics, Anthony Annett argues that economics should not operate in a silo. It should be informed by consistent reference to and indeed deference to the common good. As Rambachan states, “sustainable and integral development are not just technical, but also moral, and require commitment to the common good, human dignity, and the good life for all.” Cathonomics was also the starting point for a robust series of conversations marking the second multifaith symposium held at the University of Notre Dame in February 2024.

Read More about Multifaith Symposium Discusses Neoclassical Economics and "Cathonomics"

"Even though I was studying Indigenous religious traditions in a religious studies program, one of the first things that I learned was that the category of religion was an imperfect category, in the sense that we often think of religion as attached to Western institutionalized religions. Native and Indigenous peoples don't have a word that's like religion in their own languages. That concept doesn't translate or correlate very easily. Instead, what they would say is, well, we have a life way or we have a worldview. And we have relationships with spiritual power and [we have] other than human persons that exist and are immanent in the world, and this correlates to what Westerners would call religion. And they, of course, would also say, it's “a way of life.” It's a way of ethical engagement with a greater world, with other people in your community. And so the category often has to be troubled a little bit, you know."

Read More about Natalie Avalos: Indigenous Religious Traditions Deserve to be Known and Valued

On Tuesday, March 25, 2024 the Ansari Institute hosted a screening and panel discussion of the recently released independent film "Three Chaplains." The film explores the experience of three Muslim Chaplains within the US Army who are tasked with caring for any and all members of their unit, even while they sometimes face questions of loyalty from both inside and outside the military. The film screening was co-sponsored by Campus Ministry, the Office of Military and Veteran Affairs, the Notre Dame International Security Center, the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, the Middle Eastern Law Students Association, and the Law School's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It was held on the same evening of the Law School’s traditional Interfaith Dinner, which this year falls in observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Bahai festival of Ridvan, and in the Holy Week leading up to Easter, just a few weeks prior to the Jewish celebration of Passover.

Read More about Screening of "Three Chaplains" Film Generates Constructive Conversation

On Friday, March 22, staff members from the Ansari Institute and the Center for Social Concerns joined in an interactive session with faith leaders, community members, and returning citizens for an opportunity to learn how challenging it can be for individuals returning from incarceration. Instead of a presentation or a video, this event – part of the Living Matthew 25 series – was organized to present a reasonable facsimile of what an person might experience during their re-entry. Participants were invited to navigate through the first four weeks of the journey while also attempting to comply with all the requirements of supervised release.

Read More about Simulation Utilizes Narrative Empathy and Moral Imagination to Explore Better Options for Re-Entry

Julia Warden is a senior from Ambler, PA studying Business Analytics and Film at the University of Notre Dame. The Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion is pleased to have been able to provide a grant to support her research in Montenegro. Julia submitted this eflection upon her return to Notre Dame for the Spring semester.

Read More about Montenegro's Post-war Recovery and Religion, National Identity, Sports, and Economics

On Ash Wednesday, one of the most popular and important holy days in the Catholic Church, audiences were treated to an engaging conversation between two Catholic heavy hitters as they discussed the future of the Church, which has seen a significant movement from within advocating for increased democratic freedom and greater involvement of the laity in church decisions. This was a timely conversation. In what some have called The Year of Democracy, where over half of the globe’s populations will vote for their nation’s leaders and even as many worry about democratic backsliding in the United States and abroad, many are looking to their faith communities and leaders to see how they might embrace - or reject - democratic principles.

Read More about Ansari Institute Presents Dynamic Conversation on the Future of the Catholic Church and Liberal Democracy

Garrett Pacholl was a student in Professor and Ansari Executive Director Mahan Mirza's course American Adventurism in the Muslim World. He was able to attend a portion of COP28 and generously wrote about his experiences whilst over his winter break. He submitted his reflectection to the Institute.

Read More about Building Bridges of Faith: Interfaith Climate Activism at the United Nations Climate Conference

In late October 2023, the Ansari Institute hosted over 20 scholars and practitioners from the United States and abroad to discuss political Islam in a changing world. The convening was the culmination of a multi-year project of the Hollings Center for International Dialogue funded by the Henry Luce Foundation whereby conversations were held to discuss the future of Islamism in a changing global context. With a carefully crafted agenda the two-day roundtable was developed with the intent to cover several distinct and yet related topics and included conversations around Islam in the New Geopolitics, American Islam and Culture Wars, and Reformulating Muslim Politics.

Read More about Ansari Institute Hosts Roundtable on Global Islamism

Media - whether it is traditional or social, print, radio, television, or otherwise - has an incredible influence on the way that the general public consumes information and forms opinions. Even with the rise of social media, most individuals over the age of thirty still view national news outlets as their primary source for trusted information. But what happens when those media sources come to represent interests that are not “purely journalistic?” Is it possible to get to some “unvarnished truth” that challenges authority when that same authority influences coverage through clicks, ratings, and corporate interests? These questions become even more pressing as democracies decline, authoritarianism rises, and the demarcation between facts and alternative facts, or real news from fake news, becomes elusive. Religious news is far from immune from such challenges.

Read More about Ansari Institute hosts Final Workshop in a Series for Journalists, Faith Leaders, and Scholars

The Ansari Instite for Global Engagement with Religion is pleased to partner with Religions for Peace to offer a student internship program. Notre Dame undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to apply to intern with Religions for Peace for a semester or summer internship and receive financial support from the Ansari Institute. This is a reflection from Saad Kamil, the Fall 2023 Religions for Peace intern supported by our Institute.

Read More about Bridging the Divide Between the Public Sector and Religion: My Experience at Religions for Peace

Join the Ansari Institute for Global; Engagement with Religion on Wednesday, February 14 through Friday, February 16, 2024 to celebrate the second Nasr Book Prize being awarded to Anthony Anett for Cathonomics: How Catholic Tradition Can Create a Just Economy. The award will be celebrated with a multifaith symposium representing scholars of different religious traditions. Around the symposium, the Institute will convene important conversations on the future of the Catholic Church in "a change of era," celebrate new scholarship by our faculty, and invite you to meet with guest speakers working on new paradigms for global development rooted in the great wisdom traditions of the world.

Read More about Save the Date for February 14 through February 16: Conversations on the World as it Should be

The Rome Summer Seminars on Religion and Global Politics is a two-week program for graduate students, scholars, and practitioners working at the crossroads of religion and global politics and is designed to draw on the unique religious and geopolitical resources of the city of Rome. The Ansari Instite for Global Engagement with Religion is one of the seminars' supporting institutions and Mahan Mirza, the Ansari Institute's Executive Director, is a member of the steering committee.

Read More about Applications for the 2024 Rome Summer Seminars on Religion and Global Politics Are now open!

The Ansari Institute was pleased to host Sir Jeffrey Abood for the first of two lectures planned at the University of Notre Dame in honor of Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ. Abood’s talk entitled “The Church in the Holy Land and the Quest for Human Dignity” focused on the Catholic Church’s presence in the Holy Land and the living conditions of the Catholic people, sometimes referred to as the “living stones” of the Church.

Read More about The Ansari Institute Hosts the First of Two Fr. Drew Christiansen Lectures

The Interfaith Notre Dame Initiative, a student initiative sponsored by the Ansari Institute, had the privilege of collaborating with Notre Dame Student Government and Campus Ministry for an Interfaith Prayer Service. The Service was hosted by the Student Government Department of Diversity and Inclusion: Race and Ethnicity, and it was the first event of Cultural Relations Week. This inspiring and thoughtful event took place at sunset at the World Peace Plaza where members of the Notre Dame community of different faith traditions gathered to discuss the theme of interfaith unity.

Read More about The Interfaith Notre Dame Initiative Participates in Interfaith Prayer Service as part of Notre Dame's Cultural Relations Week

The Ansari Institute grieves the loss of innocent life in Israel and Gaza. We invite our audience to read statements issued by the University of Notre Dame’s leadership and by prominent peacebuilding, human rights, and academic institutions. Click on the links below to view the complete statements.…

Read More about Statements Calling for Peace, Justice, and Understanding

How can we lean into a life of activism and resistance while maintaining a healthy and holistic lifestyle? This was the center of the book reading and talk by author Kaitlin B. Curtice, an indigenous author, poet, storyteller, and public speaker, as she read selections from her book Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Everyday. Throughout these readings Curtice shared her philosophy rooted in the indigenous spirituality of her people, the Potawatomi. She discussed how the trail of death and the colonization of the United States have led to the disembodiment and disconnection of many who live and work in this country. Moreover, she argued, a return to indigenous spirituality - including reconnection to the land and acknowledgement of the contributions of our ancestors - is central to restoring and supporting bodies, minds, and spirits for the important work of resistance.

Read More about Indigenous Author Kaitlin B. Curtice Visits the Ansari Institute

Last week, Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, & World Affairs hosted a panel discussion: Can Interreligious Engagement Be a Realistic Tool for Diplomacy and Peacemaking? The discussion centered around a dossier on Religion and Peacebuilding in Contemporary Global Crises published by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies. The dossier was released after the Rome Summer Seminars on Religion and Global Politics convened in June 2023 and includes nine commentaries that each take a look at religion and peacebuilding from an interrelated and yet unique lens.

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Recently five women sat together and reflected on South Bend’s Women’s Interfaith Dialogue as they plan for the 20th anniversary celebration in September of 2023. It’s a diverse group: Jane Pitz is a Catholic who attends Our Lady of Loretto on the campus of Saint Mary’s College. Sarah Shaikh is a member of the Islamic Society of Michiana (ISM). She and Jane have both been involved with the Dialogue for many years. Posi Tucker is a member of Temple Beth El and Bonny Hoover a member of Sinai Synagogue. Stephanie Mirza, also a member of ISM, is the most recent member of the Dialogue. Collectively they are proud of the origins of the Women’s Interfaith Dialogue and eager to discuss its future.

Read More about Women's Interfaith Dialogue to Celebrate 20 Years