Responding to an archdiocesan Synod call to promote ongoing formation and leadership training for all generations, the annual "Building Inclusive Communities" immersion institute next month will add an intergenerational component to its program.

The five-day immersion experience, scheduled Aug. 3-7 at (for the first time) the University of the West in Rosemead, will feature talks on effective cross-cultural communication with youth and young adults in addition to workshops on building intercultural, interreligious and interfaith bridges.

"Slowly, BIC has been challenged to look at inclusivity with broader strokes --- not focusing solely on ethnicity, but including such things as intergenerational issues, interreligious/interfaith issues and accessibility for the disabled," said Fe Musgrave, BIC coordinator.

With a theme of promoting inclusion "through mindful cross-cultural interaction," BIC 2005 organizers hope the institute will aid participants in "moving beyond simple 'awareness' of diversity to providing a framework on which to build skills towards building inclusive communities," Musgrave added.

For the first time this year, all of the expected 100 participants will gather together for the morning keynote, instead of attending separate topic tracks. They will have the opportunity to hear a different guest speaker each day describe cross-cultural encounter dimensions in the following diverse cultures: American, Asian-Pacific, Black and Hispanic. On Aug. 5, tours will be conducted to the Buddhist Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, the Islamic Center in Los Angeles and the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles.

"The monastics at Hsi Lai Temple and the Muslims at the Islamic Center are very enthusiastic about sharing faith and culture with us," said Father Alexei Smith, BIC interreligious/interfaith moderator.

"The sharing that goes on in-between the talks is fabulous," agreed Sheryl Lange, a coordinator of catechesis in the Black perspective in the archdiocesan religious education department co-sponsoring the event with University of the West's graduate program in religious studies. Lange said she is still telling friends about Sikh Simran Kaur Khalsa's enthusiastic participation in a recent interfaith prayer service.

And, according to Father Smith, Khalsa has also shared with her friends how happy she was to be asked by a Catholic to participate. "It's exciting to immerse people in other religious experiences," added Father Smith, the archdiocesan officer for ecumenical and interreligious affairs.

New speakers to BIC this year include Jesuit Father Edgardo Fernandez, PhD, an associate professor of pastoral theology and ministry at the Jesuit School and expert in Latino theology; Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern Califonia; and Carmen Morgan, director of Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations, a program helping to equip multi ethnic, multicultural communities with skills to foster positive intergroup relations.

BIC participants may select from three tracks: Track A, Developing Skills in Intercultural Communication (recommended for first time participants); Track B, Engaging Faith and Culture, Interfaith/Interreligious Experience; or Track C, Fé y Cultura for Spanish-speakers.

A limited number of scholarships are available by calling Fe Musgrave at (213) 637-7669; fmusgrave@la-archdiocese.org. Housing at Uwest (shared room) is offered at $40/night. One-day BIC tuition is $60; those attending all five days receive a $50 discount or more for group registration. Teachers attending BIC can receive credit through the catechetical Ministry Ongoing Formation of Teachers Program.

For more information, contact Musgrave or Veronica Reyes at (213) 637-7653; vreyes@la-archdiocese.org.