Civic Engagement
America has a proud and storied tradition of collective citizen action designed to identify and address issues of public concern. The collaborative process of Americans coming together to bring about positive political and social change is enhanced when purposeful and meaningful interaction among diverse communities is created to help each community see the other as an equal partner with equal investment and equal stake in the collective success of the broader community. When diverse communities invest in each other’s success, they demonstrate they want to build and enhance together, not tear down or destroy.
This is why One Nation is committed to investing in civic engagement models that provide a platform for people of diverse communities to learn about one another, discover shared values and work together around those shared values for the benefit of everyone. One Nation believes that when American Muslims come together with their neighbors and members of their broader society to fully invest in the broader communities’ collective success (schools, jobs, healthcare, environment), prejudicial attitudes fuelled by misperceptions dissipate while trust and goodwill grow. When we build together, we grow together.
Two Strategic Aims
- Local collaboration through civic engagement to increase respect, cooperation and understanding among diverse communities
MODEL | One Chicago, One Nation: Building America Together
One Nation has partnered with The Chicago Community Trust, Interfaith Youth Core, Inner-City Muslim Action Network and Link TV to develop and implement a civic engagement initiative in Chicago called One Chicago, One Nation: Building America Together that is nationally replicable and connects diverse communities through digital storytelling, community conversations, community leadership development and community-focused philanthropy that spurs innovative interfaith and cross-cultural service projects.
- Leveraging established national organizations to build upon their work and reach to increase service learning through civic engagement
MODEL | “Under One Roof” Interfaith Home Building
One Nation is working with Habitat for Humanity to leverage the organization’s convening platform of building homes for low-income families and extensive volunteer networks. This model seeks to 1) Expand interfaith cooperation and service learning through home building, 2) Construct environmentally sustainable homes and 3) Build homes in clusters to create neighborhoods that are inhabited by diverse families that are trained to harness the power of cooperation and collaboration to be an example to communities across the country.
