IT'S ELECTION DAY! Do you have a plan to vote?

Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. If you’ve already voted, YAY! Help others make their plan and share why local elections are critical for our communities. Find your polling location here. In Iowa, voters can register same day at the polls.

Plan to vote YES on the bond referendum if you live in the Des Moines school district—and urge your friends and family who live in the Des Moines school district to vote YES!

VOTE! Local elections matter!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
ST. PAUL'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1340 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids

in-person and virtual options

How bad ideas spread

Allison D. Carr | Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Coe College
Drew E. Westberg | Associate Professor of Economics, Coe College

“We are burdening our children with the national debt.” “College just isn’t a good investment anymore.” “Deficits are bad!”

We have all heard such statements; they reflect commonly held understandings of subjects that are perennially relevant. Yet empirical examination suggests such statements are not always accurate. So why do we believe them and how do such sentiments become so powerfully etched in our collective psyche? In this brief presentation and discussion, Associate Professor of Rhetoric Allison Carr and Associate Professor of Economics Drew Westberg, both of Coe College, will explain how and why such ideas spread and stick. With DOGE as our case example, we will unpack the broader values and tensions that audiences connect with, how certain ideas come to powerfully shape and reinforce societal values, and how new sets of shared ideas can be created.

There are three ways to attend Intersections. Registration is required for all three:

• Attend in person (with lunch) by clicking here. Three boxed lunch options are available for $15: turkey & swiss on ciabatta, roast beef & cheddar on wheatberry, and garden veggie salad. You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 12:00 PM on Tuesday, November 4. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch will not be available.
• Attend in person (no lunch) by clicking here. There is no cost for this option, but we must have your RSVP to ensure we have enough seating.
• Watch via YouTube by clicking here. This online presentation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Intersections is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Cedar Rapids.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Plymouth Congregational Church
Waveland Hall
4126 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines

in-person and virtual options

Being Sikh in today’s world

Baljit Singh Virdi
Iowa Sikh Association

Sikhism has 25 million followers across the world with about half a million in the United States. What are the beliefs, practices, and traditions of Sikhism? How have politics in our nation and human biases impacted daily living for the Sikh community, especially right now? Baljit Singh Virdi, a leader of the Iowa Sikh Association, will share his knowledge and insights.

Join us at the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Crossroads luncheon as we offer another presentation in our Understanding Our Neighbors series focused on learning about and understanding one another.

There are three ways to attend Crossroads. Registration is required for all three:

• Attend in person (with lunch) by clicking here. Four bag lunch sandwich options are available for $15: turkey, roast beef, ham salad, and vegetarian. You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, November 19. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch will not be available.
• Attend in person (no lunch) by clicking here. There is no cost for this option, but we must have your RSVP to ensure we have enough seating.
• Watch via YouTube by clicking here. This online presentation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Understanding Our Neighbors is a project of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa intended to help each of us listen to and understand those who differ from us. After all, if we don’t take the time to understand our neighbors, how can we ever move our world to one that is less divided? Understanding Our Neighbors may appear as a speaker at one of our luncheons (Crossroads and Intersections), a Zoom gathering, or in other ways. We invite you to come ready to learn, listen, ask questions, and find a better understanding of your neighbors.

Crossroads is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Des Moines.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
3:00 PM
virtual

How Faith Communities and Librarians Can Advocate for the Freedom to Read

Across the nation, libraries have become the frontlines for a growing movement that seeks to control which stories and ideas people can access. Books are being challenged, removed, and restricted at unprecedented rates – often under the false pretext that this censorship somehow represents people of faith. 

Join the national Interfaith Alliance and American Library Association's Unite Against Book Bans to learn why book bans threaten religious freedom and how faith communities and library workers can come together to advocate for the right to read.

Courage to Act in a World Falling Apart: Ten Components of Contemplative Action

Below are ideas for how you can get in good trouble!

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES

Senator Joni Ernst
(202) 224-3254 ( https://www.ernst.senate.gov/contact)

Senator Chuck Grassley
(202) 224-3744 (https://www.grassley.senate.gov/contact) 

Representative Marianette Miller-Meeks (1st Congressional District)
(202) 225-6576 (https://millermeeks.house.gov/contact/offices) 

Representative Ashley Hinson (2nd Congressional District)
(202) 225-2911 (https://hinson.house.gov/zip_authentication?form=/contact) 

Representative Zach Nunn (3rd Congressional District)
(202) 225-5476 (https://nunn.house.gov/contact/offices/) 

Representative Randy Feenstra (4th Congressional District)
(202) 225-3193 (https://feenstra.house.gov/contact/offices)