It will be a collaboration of the Campus Ministries Association, Office of the Vice-President for Student Affairs, Campus Church ConneXtion, Newman Center, Student Health Center and Living Well Center, all at UB, and the Presbytery of Western New York. Moore encourages students, faculty, staff and members of the community to participate in this special event and is asking faculty members to try to incorporate it into their course curriculums. We want people to move from an attitude of indifference toward religious issues to at least tolerance, if not affirmation.
Indifference is the greatest form of hostility.
It is not just religious issues but cultural traditions that need to be addressed, explained Moore. Everyone needs to realize that many people in this world still identify with spiritual tradition and ritual as part of their culture. Donna Rice, associate vice president for student affairs, heads the universitywide Committee for the Promotion of Tolerance and Diversity that is involved in the planning and support for Soul Solidarity Day. It is important for students to explore the spiritual aspect of their lives, especially how it relates to academic progress. She added that Soul Solidarity Day is in accordance with the broad definition of diversity embraced by the university, which acknowledges racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and intellectual differences.