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Eboo Patel, one of America’s foremost and innovative
interfaith leaders, was appointed on Feb. 5 by President Barack Obama to the newly
formed White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships.
Patel is the founder and Executive Director of the
Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based international nonprofit working to build
mutual respect and pluralism among religiously diverse young people by
empowering them to work together to serve others.
The 25-member interfaith Advisory Council is made up of
clergy members, religion scholars and service organization leaders. It was
established by Executive Order to effectively analyze and facilitate the
implementation of programs emanating from the White House’s Office of
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
The announcement of the Advisory Council came during the
annual National Prayer Breakfast, which occurred on the morning of Feb. 5, in
which the President brings together each year religious and social leaders to
discuss issues of shared concern in order to create partnerships that address
these issues.
"Whether it's connecting groups that are training
people to do new jobs, or figuring out the role of faith-based organizations in
combating global climate change, this office creates those partnerships in a
way that's responsible, constitutional, and — bottom line — helps those in
need," said Joshua DuBois, the President’s Religious Affairs Director, who
at 25, will lead the new office to which the Advisory Council will provide advice.
Patel is the author of the acclaimed 2007 book, Acts of
Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a
Generation, released by Beacon Press. Former President Bill Clinton
praised the book and called it "A beautifully written story of discovery and hope."
He also writes a blog column called “The Faith Divide” at
the Newsweek/Washington Post blog “On Faith.”
The blog can be read at: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel
Posted on February 11, 2009
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