Colloquium: Muslim Philanthropy in Latin America and the Latinx U.S.

December 7-8, 2022

10/31/20221 min read

While the literatures on Muslim philanthropy and on Latinx philanthropy are continuously expanding, they lack perspectives on how Latinx Muslims and Muslims in Latin America are part of a wider matrix of generosity, volunteering, and mutual aid within, and beyond, both constituencies. On the one hand, Muslims give to organizations and participate in philanthropic activism at local, national, and global levels, hoping to make the world a better place in accordance with Islam. On the other hand, people who identify as Latinx or who live in Latin America have historically engaged in acts of solidarity and mutual assistance among vulnerable populations, addressing issues related to poverty, education, health, and culture. The presentations below -- and the resulting special edition of the Journal on Muslim Philanthropy and Civil Society -- will help move research on the intersections between these fields that much further.

Day One (December 7, 2022):
Introduction & Welcome Lecture (5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Central European Time)

  • Ken Chitwood (Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, IUPUI) - Introduction and Survey of Muslim Philanthropy in Latin America & the Latinx U.S.

Panel One (6:00 pm - 7:30 pm CET)

  • Steven James (University of Denver, Iliff School of Theology), "Cultural Identity Reconstruction, Religious De-Centering, and Rhetoric in Latinx Perspectives of Dawah"

  • Waqas Halim & Asad Ahmad Khan (IT University Lahore), "Unpacking Structuration of Identity, Worldviews and Strategies of Islamic Philanthropic Missions in the Caribbean"

  • Hazel Gómez (Rabata Org.), "Promoting Positive Cultural Change through Creative Educational Experiences, Spiritual Upbringing, and Community Care."

Day Two (December 8, 2022):
Lecture (5:00 pm - 6:00 pm CET)

  • John Tofik Karam (University of Illinois) - "Muslim Beneficence at a Hemispheric Crossroads of Authoritarian and Counterterrorist Rule."

Panel Two (6:00 pm - 7:30 pm CET)

  • Baptiste Brodard (International Islamic University Malaysia), "Islamic organizations and welfare social services in Colombia: Dawah or philanthropy?"

  • Odette Marie Yidi David (Universidad del Norte, Colombia), “Bogotá, Barranquilla, and Maicao: Living, teaching, and giving 'the Islamic way.'”

  • Diogo Bercito (Georgetown University), “Remembering al-Zikra: Early Arab Migration to Brazil and Muslim Philanthropy."