Interfaith leader Eboo Patel to speak at WFU on Oct. 5

Eboo Patel, a leading voice for interfaith cooperation, will participate in an open dialogue on leadership with Wake Forest President Nathan O. Hatch on Wednesday, Oct. 5 as part of The Leadership Project series.

The Leadership Project is an initiative designed to engage members of the Wake Forest community with inspiring stories from leaders who represent a variety of professional paths, span a range of age groups and embrace diverse worldviews.

The keynote conversation will take place from 6 – 7:15 p.m. in Broyhill Auditorium in the lower level of Farrell Hall.

“At Wake Forest, we emphasize the idea of building community in all aspects of our students’ lives, across the spectrum of cultural, political, racial and social boundaries,” said Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch. “Eboo Patel is recognized around the world for helping people of different faiths to consider others’ perspectives and build bridges.”

Patel is the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a national nonprofit working to make interfaith cooperation a social norm. In 2015, Wake Forest partnered with IFYC as part of its ongoing efforts to support meaningful connections between people of different faiths. He has also served as Wake Forest’s commencement speaker and is a past Voices of Our Time speaker.

Patel, who served on President Barack Obama’s inaugural Faith Council, is the author of “Acts of Faith,” “Sacred Ground,” and the forthcoming “Interfaith Leadership.” He is a regular contributor to the public conversation around religion in America and a frequent speaker on the topic of religious pluralism. He holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.

Construction foreman Bentley McClure

Peace pole installation

The Peace Pole dedication is going to take place Wednesday, Sept. 28th as part of the Noon Prayers of the People service on the 4th floor of the Sutton Center Gymnasium. Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend to affirm their commitment to justice and peace through personal reflections, music and poetry. The Peace Pole is going to be mobile and stationed at different places on campus leading up to Patel’s Leadership Project visit on Oct. 5.

“Peace poles are a visual expression of feeling and provide a place and opportunity for people to gather in celebration or mourning or reflection – a place to come together as a community,” said Wake Forest’s chaplain Tim Auman.

Bentley McClure, a general foreman in the construction department at Wake Forest, made the peace pole from reclaimed wood as part of a sustainability program.

View photos from the Peace Pole installation on Sept. 28 here.