Due to rising religious violence and communal tensions in India, Hindu and Muslim communities have become polarized here in the United States. This polarization and isolation has carried over to college campuses, resulting in little to no collaboration between most Hindu and Muslim student groups. In order to address this crisis, Hindus for Human Rights and Muslim and interfaith partners are launching a one-year fellowship for 10 undergraduate student fellows (5 Hindus and 5 Muslims, one each from across 5 college campuses).
In August 2023, Hindus for Human Rights will hold a Summer Institute in Chicago, IL, during which students will attend Interfaith America’s Interfaith Leadership Summit along with two additional days of specialized programming. Following this Summer Institute, Hindus for Human Rights will support the student fellows in conceptualizing and executing interfaith bridge-building activities between their Hindu and Muslim campus student groups during the 2023-24 academic year. Through this initiative, they will actively cultivate a cohort of young Hindu and Muslim interfaith leaders committed to intentionally building community with each other, while also forging relationships between Hindu and Muslim student groups on US college campuses.