SCIC Interfaith Speakers Bureau

The Interfaith Speakers Bureau is an initiative by SCIC to expand its outreach efforts to promote religious literacy and mutual respect and understanding. The Interfaith Speakers Bureau panelists/ speakers will represent the various faith traditions such as the Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Hindu religions. The program furthers the practice of religious pluralism and mutual respect by modeling civil dialogues with diverse faith communities in the South Bay area.

Audience
SCIC offers Interfaith Speakers/ Panels to educators and their students at K-12 public and private secondary schools, colleges and universities at no charge, however donations are accepted and greatly appreciated. Additionally, faith-based organizations, religious congregations, civic centers, law enforcement agencies, healthcare facilities and other public and private institutions are welcome to request a panel.

Request an Interfaith Speakers Panel
The Interfaith Speakers Bureau will offer a “five-faith” panel.  The Five Faith Panel will start with a brief description by each speaker of their faith, then each panelist will address one of the following topics and answer questions:

• Shared Values
• Living the Faith
• Role of Spirituality in our Life
• Death and Dying
• Contemporary Issues

You may also choose from five contemporary issues:

• Modernity
• Environment
• Pluralism
• Extremism
• Fundamentalism
• Separation of Church and State

These panels would be 90-120 minutes long, with plenty of time for questions and answers.

Five Faith Panels require a minimum of 50 participants. If you are an academic institution, consider hosting a panel in an assembly for your entire student body or combining several classes so that the greatest number of students can benefit by learning from multiple speakers who authentically represent their own faith. If you are a faith-based congregation, please advertise the event well in advance so as to ensure greater participation. SCIC will not be responsible for on-site logistical details.  SCIC will, however, provide the speakers and help in advertisement of the program.

To request an Interfaith Speakers panel, complete and submit this form. In most cases, you will receive a response within 24 hours. There is no fee for this service. Donations and honorariums are welcomed and greatly appreciated. We will try our best to accommodate your requests with interfaith speaker volunteers who are professional and offer education insight. Faiths represented on the panels are based on speaker availability and we will do our best to meet your choice of panelists but cannot guarantee all requests.

Request an Interfaith Speaker

Individual speakers are also available to bring a hopeful, fresh perspective based on real experiences that demonstrate how dialogue can be a remarkable agent to build trust, increase vital understanding and reach peace building reconciliation.

If you would like more information on requesting an individual speaker to come speak to your faith community or organization, please email Individual Speaker Information.

To ensure the success of the SCIC Interfaith Speakers Bureau, it is imperative the speakers we provide exhibit great ability in delivering a good speech and/or participating on a panel.  It is important that they both exhibit good oral communication skills as well as a passion for they topic they are speaking on. 
Individuals interested on being on the bureau are asked to please submit the following information to SCIC:

• Three references of groups you have spoken to within the last year;
• Biography;
• Speech topics;
• Faith tradition you represent; and
• A list of prior speaking engagements/ panel participation.