Join these interfaith youth: Pledge to take part in "Better Together Day"

Here are a few statistics that might surprise you:
- Fewer than 45% of Americans know a single Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, or Hindu
- 40% of Americans have negative attitudes toward atheists
- Globally, religious tension is at a six-year high

We can look at them and say, “Oh well.” Or we can do something about it. On college campuses all across the country, we young people young people are deciding to do something about it!

April 14th is Better Together Day, a national day to bring every American - no matter how they orient around religion - together to talk about what inspires them to make the world a better place. *Between now and 4/14, you can take part by having one conversation with someone of another religious or non-religious background and sharing your experience online.*

And science backs up our approach! Research shows that when you know just ONE person of a different religious or non-religious background it leads to a more positive view of that whole community. And once you know someone’s beliefs, you can find what values you have in common, and use that as a basis to work together to fix the problems we all share.

Imagine if a faith leader, nurse, doctor, lawyer, teacher, entrepreneur, or activist connected with just one new person. The ripple effect could help transform religion, healthcare, education, business, government and so many other systems where our lives connect.

And it starts with just one a conversation. Pledge to celebrate Better Together Day and keep an eye in your inbox for some handy materials to help you have your conversation this week.

We’ve seen firsthand that having one interfaith conversation can make a big difference.

Here’s a story from one of our champions, Wendy Low, a Jewish senior at the University of Denver.

“I was in Chicago for a weeklong interfaith leadership training with students from across the country and different religious backgrounds – including my soon-to-be friend Anusha, a Muslim. We were there to learn how to supercharge our interfaith activism back on campus. We were pumped!

But there was a problem. Half a world away, the conflict in Gaza was raging. It was a tragic and religiously-charged moment. Anusha and I disagreed on many parts of the conflict – and our different religious identities were a part of that.

What helped us get through the conflict – despite our differences, despite the media, and despite the enormous emotions of the time – was that I understood Anusha’s values because we talked about them.

I understood that, as a Muslim, Anusha believes in peace and helping others. And she’s passionate about issues that I care about too – including homelessness, hunger, and human trafficking. Our conversation gave us a common ground of shared values to build our friendship and work better together.

I hope you’re feeling as inspired as I am to take part in Better Together Day, a project of Interfaith Youth Core.”