An interfaith Queens group in Little Neck invites the public to join in on an evening of open conversations.
On Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m., the Interfaith Action Committee of Eastern Queens and Western Nassau County will host “A Gathering of Concerned Citizens: People of Faith Rally for Compassion and Justice” at the Samuel Field Y, located at 58-20 Little Neck Pkwy.
Organizers invited activists, professional and clergy members to discuss topics that concern people of faith including U.S. Immigration, climate change and gun violence.
“We are looking to provide a space for the expression of views that must be heard if we are to overcome current efforts to weaken our nation’s response to such threats as global warming and climate change, gun violence, destructive immigration policies and bias in policing,” said Kay MacDermott, chair of the organization’s Promoting Tolerance Sub-Committee.
Doctor Eve Krief, founder of a Huntington group called L.I. Inclusive Communities Against Hate, will speak on U.S. Immigration policies. The pediatrician and activist has been vocal about issues surrounding immigration, including the rash of family separations that are still happening in the United States.
Mary Beth Baxter, the Long Island staff person for New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, will talk about the need for common-sense gun legislation to reduce the loss of life in the U.S.
A talk on climate change will be given by Doctor Stephen Pekar, a geology professor at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Queens College. Pekar is slated to speak on his research on climate change in order to increase awareness of environmental concerns.
Also on the panel is Reverend Doctor William E. Thomas of St. John’s Baptist Church in Long Island. The retired NYPD Police Sergeant will speak about the bias present in policing, having been on both sides of the issue.
A Q&A session will follow the panel, and attendees will be given the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals in the community who may be interested in following up with action. In conjunction with the event’s co-sponsor Flushing Interfaith Council, there will also be a voter registration drive to get people ready for the general elections on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
For more information on this free event, email WeCareNassauAndQueens@gmail.com or call 516-725-1906. Check out the event’s flyer below.
