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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Comparison Project
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250713T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250713T170000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250708T162245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T162245Z
UID:13450-1752420600-1752426000@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:2025 Interfaith Youth Leadership Camp: Digitalstory Screening
DESCRIPTION:This year marks the ninth consecutive year of our interfaith youth leadership camp. From July 9-13\, youth campers of various religious traditions will be learning about the religions of the world and visiting seven different religious communities in the metro area. Also\, they will each be writing\, recording\, and producing a digital-story about an impactful personal faith- or meaning-experience. These stories will be screened for the public on Sunday\, July 13 at 3:30 pm in Meredith Hall 101 on Drake’s campus. Free and open to the public!\n\n \n\nTo watch digital stories from the last eight camps\, visit here: https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/camp-archive/.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/2025-interfaith-youth-leadership-camp-digitalstory-screening/
LOCATION:Drake University (Meredith Hall)\, 2805 University Ave\, Des Moines\, IA\, 50311\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250420T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250420T140000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T014211Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250414T164712Z
UID:11886-1745150400-1745157600@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Vaisakhi Service and Celebration
DESCRIPTION:On Sunday\, April 20\, we will celebrate the annual holiday of Vaisakhi from roughly 12:00 to 2:00 pm with the Sikh gurdwara in West Des Moines\, the Iowa Sikh Association (1115 Walnut St.). \n\n\n\nThe service will include many of the elements of a typical Sunday worship service: the signing of hymns (kirtan)\, reading from sacred scripture (Guru Granth Sahib)\, community prayers (aardas)\, and the sharing of the sacred sacrament (karah prashad\, the so-called “holy pudding”)\, after which a free vegetarian meal will be served (langar). Dress modestly\, remove shoes at door\, and don a head scarf (available at the door for both women and men). Also\, refrain from pointing outstretched legs toward the holy book/altar. \n\n\n\nThis event is part of the “Meet My Religious Neighbor” series\, which is co-programmed with CultureALL\, the Des Moines Area Religious Council\, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/vaisakhi-service-and-celebration/
LOCATION:Iowa Sikh Association\, 1115 Walnut Street\, West Des Moines\, Iowa\, 50265\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250417T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250417T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T014603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T172923Z
UID:11889-1744912800-1744918200@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Max Thornton\, "Getting What We Deserve: Theologies at the Intersection of Disability and Work"
DESCRIPTION:On Thursday\, April 17\, at 6:00 pm\, in Drake’s Sussman Theater (lower level of Olmsted Center)\, Dr. Max Thornton\, independent scholar\, will deliver a lecture on “Getting What We Deserve: Theologies at the Intersection of Disability and Work.” \n\n\n\nDr. Thornton’s lecture will think through some of the connections between disability\, work\, and the theological ideas that shape popular views on both in the US. Concepts of punishment for sin\, redemptive suffering\, and character formation are embedded in the ways we think about both disability and work; the place where they meet is shaped by racialized ideas about labor\, poverty\, and salvation\, as well as the belief that God materially rewards the faithful. Yet disability theology offers an alternative to these habits of thought\, asking us to rethink both our definition and our valorization of “work”; to withhold judgments about sin\, punishment\, redemption\, and other metaphorical readings of disability; and to take seriously our shared human vulnerability.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/max-thornton-getting-what-we-deserve-theologies-at-the-intersection-of-disability-and-work/
LOCATION:Drake University\, Olmstead Center (Sussman Theater)\, 2875 University Ave\, Des Moines\, IA\, 50311\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250410T073000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250410T210000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T015132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T015132Z
UID:11893-1744270200-1744318800@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Iowa Religious Freedom Day
DESCRIPTION:7:30-9:30: Interfaith Breakfast and Prayer\n-State Capitol Rotunda \n6:00–9:00 pm: Evening Symposium on the Role of Religion in Peacemaking\n-World Food Prize Building \nPlease see link for more information.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/iowa-religious-freedom-day/
LOCATION:IA
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250405T140000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250405T153000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T010051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250403T170032Z
UID:11855-1743861600-1743867000@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Islam in Iowa: A Celebration of Historical Roots and Contemporary Realities -- NOW ONLINE
DESCRIPTION:Due to unforeseen circumstances\, this event is now being held on Zoom from 2:00-3:30pm. To register for the event\, go here: https://drake-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/r2IkhO0vRnGanQ_YgnCwhw. (Note that you will need to have an active zoom account to register\, but that if you don’t\, you can sign up for a free zoom account here: zoom.us/signup.)  \nOn Saturday\, April 5\, from 2:00–3:30 pm\, Drake University’s Comparison Project\, in conjunction with the Abdelkader Education Project\, hosts “”Islam in Iowa: A Celebration of Historical Roots and Contemporary Realities”  online (Zoom). The event\, which is free and open to the public\, features interactive sessions about Islam in Iowa\, the awarding of the Abdelkader Education Project’s 2025 essay-competition winners\, and a keynote by Dr. William Lawrence\, Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence and Director of the North African Area Studies Program at the Council on US-Arab Relations. \nLocal and regional Islamic experts will lead two blocks of concurrent sessions about topics including Islam in Iowa\, Women in Islam\, and Mystical Islam. Special attention will be given to the nineteenth-century Algerian leader Emir Abdelkader\, after whom the town of Elkader was named in 1846\, as well as the “Mother Mosque of America” in Cedar Rapids\, the oldest standing purpose-built mosque in the U.S. (1934). \nAt the conclusion of the sessions\, the Abdelkader Education Project will award the high-school and college recipients of this year’s essay competition\, whose essays take inspiration from the ethical leadership of Emir Abdelkader. The event concludes with a short keynote by Dr. William Lawrence.  \nThe Comparison Project engages in the practice of comparative philosophy of religion\, fosters understanding of local-lived religion\, and cultivates interfaith literacy and leadership. It is supported by Drake’s Center for the Humanities\, Drake’s Slay Fund for Social Justice\, Interfaith America\, and Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/a-celebration-of-islam-in-des-moines-in-conjunction-with-the-annual-forum-of-the-abdelkader-education-project/
LOCATION:IA
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250327T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250327T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T013706Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T172059Z
UID:11882-1743098400-1743103800@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Julia Watts Belser\, "Radical Rest: Jewish Sabbath Practice as Resistance to Ableism"
DESCRIPTION:On Thursday\, March 27\, at 6:00 pm\, in Drake’s Sussman Theater (lower level of Olmsted Center)\, Dr. Julia Watts Belser\, Professor of Jewish Studies at Georgetown University\, will deliver a lecture on “Radical Rest: Jewish Sabbath Practice as Resistance to Ableism.” \n\n\n\nWe live in a world pitched toward productivity\, where we often face intense pressure to measure our worth on the basis of our work. In this talk\, Julia Watts Belser brings the insights of disability culture into conversation with Jewish wisdom about Shabbat and Sabbath practice to explore how traditions of radical rest can counter productivity culture. How might Sabbath practice and other forms of intentional slowness offer resources for challenging ableism? How might reimagining religious practice to take seriously disabled people’s experiences of living with limits spur us to build a world that better honors the needs and the yearnings of all our bodies and minds?
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/julia-watts-belser-radical-rest-jewish-sabbath-practice-as-resistance-to-ableism/
LOCATION:Drake University\, Olmstead Center (Sussman Theater)\, 2875 University Ave\, Des Moines\, IA\, 50311\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250316T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250316T170000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T013429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T170527Z
UID:11878-1742112000-1742144400@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Holi Service and Celebration
DESCRIPTION:On Sunday\, March 16 from 11:00am–1:00pm (roughly)\, we will join the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (33916 155th Lane\, Madrid) in the annual celebration of Holi. Guests will be able to tour the temple\, observe the Holi fire ritual (Holika Dahan)\, throw colored powered at one another\, and dance. \n\n\n\nPlease dress accordingly if you are going to participate in the throwing of colors. \n\n\n\nLunch is available for purchase from the temple. \n\n\n\nThis event is part of the “Meet My Religious Neighbor” series\, which is co-programmed with CultureALL\, the Des Moines Area Religious Council\, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/holi-service-and-celebration/
LOCATION:Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa\, 33916 155th Ln\, Madrid\, IA\, 50156\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250308T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250308T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T012535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250224T165809Z
UID:11870-1741456800-1741462200@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Ramadan Prayer and Iftar Meal
DESCRIPTION:On March 8th\, from 6:00–7:30 pm\, we will attend a Ramadan prayer and Iftar meal at Masjid an-Noor (1117 42nd St\, Des Moines). The event includes the sunset (maghrib) prayer\, the breaking of the fast\, and an iftar meal. \n\n\n\nPlease dress appropriately: women should be covered below the elbows and knees and should cover their head/hair with a scarf. Men should wear long pants.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/ramadan-prayer-and-iftar-meal/
LOCATION:Masjid an-Noor\, 1117 42nd St\, Des Moines\, IA\, 50311\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250306T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250306T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T011915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250304T214501Z
UID:11863-1741284000-1741289400@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Amy Donahue\, “The Bhagavad Gītā’s Yoga Model of Disability”
DESCRIPTION:On Thursday\, March 6\, at 6:00 pm\, in Drake’s Sussman Theater (lower level of Olmsted Center)\, Dr. Amy Donahue\, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Kennesaw State University\, will deliver a lecture on “The Bhagavad Gītā’s Yoga Model of Disability.” \n\n\n\nContemporary medical models of disability assume notions of “normal” human embodiment and functioning that South Asia’s Hindu philosophical and religious traditions largely do not share and in many cases implicitly challenge. Rather than assuming normalcy and ability as default human conditions\, Hindu traditions generally assume that human experience begins with ignorance and dysfunction. All persons\, in other words\, are in some state of “disability\,” and overcoming our traumas takes work that no one initially wants to start. According to the Gītā\, this work involves yoking reflexive tendencies\, including deep-rooted habits of (mis)identification that distort a person’s authentic nature (svabhāva). Realization of our true selves requires\, first\, replacing attachments that lead to torpor\, confusion\, and conflict with habits leading to clarity and joy\, and second\, uprooting even these habits for the sake of a perfect harmony of all beings. This yoga model of disability found in the Gītā therefore contests contemporary medical accounts while offering critical guidance for contemporary cultural disability theorists.
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/amy-donahue-the-bhagavad-gitas-yoga-model-of-disability/
LOCATION:Drake University\, Olmstead Center (Sussman Theater)\, 2875 University Ave\, Des Moines\, IA\, 50311\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250223T150000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250223T170000
DTSTAMP:20260421T175427
CREATED:20250218T002835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250326T205809Z
UID:12296-1740322800-1740330000@comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu
SUMMARY:Roads to Religion
DESCRIPTION:On Sunday\, February 23\, from 3:00–5:00 pm\, Drake University’s The Comparison Project\, in conjunction with the “Iowa Interfaith Exchange\,” hosts “Roads to Religion” in the Olmsted Center (Parents Hall) on Drake’s campus. The event\, which is free and open to the public\, features dozens of local religious communities\, collectively representing at least a dozen religious traditions. These communities will be arranged throughout the hall as if on a map of the metro area. Visitors will receive a map to guide them in their exploration of them. Refreshments will be provided by Drake’s catering service\, Sodexo. \n\n\n\nThe Comparison Project engages in the practice of comparative philosophy of religion\, increases understanding of local-lived religion\, and cultivates interfaith literacy and leadership. It is supported by Drake’s Center for the Humanities\, Drake’s Slay Fund for Social Justice\, Drake’s Stringfellow and Hay Lectureships\, Humanities Iowa\, and Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation. \n\n\n\nThe ”Iowa Interfaith Exchange” includes Drake’s The Comparison Project and three other local nonprofits: CultureALL\, the Des Moines Area Religious Council\, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. \nRoads to Religion 2025 Photos – The Comparison Project
URL:https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/event/roads-to-religion/
LOCATION:Drake University\, Olmsted Center (Parents Hall)\, 2875 University Ave\, Des Moines\, IA\, 50311\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="The Comparison Project":MAILTO:comparisonproject@drake.edu
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