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AROUND THE QUADS

Kraft Fund Launched To Support Interfaith, Intercultural Awareness

President Lee C. Bollinger announced the establishment of the Kraft Family Fund for Interfaith and Intercultural Awareness, made possible by a $500,000 gift from Trustee Emeritus and 2004 Alexander Hamilton Medal recipient Robert Kraft ’63 and his wife, Myra, with a matching contribution from the University. The $1 million fund will support innovative programming initiated by students and the University to foster debate and civil discourse on a range of topics, including issues of race, religion and culture.

In a letter to the Columbia community announcing the fund, Bollinger wrote, “Nothing is more important to the life of the University than having many forums for discussion and reflection on the ideas and issues of our time. The classroom is the primary place in the University for the exchange of ideas, but we all know how valuable it is to have other contexts in which to express ourselves and to hear the thoughts of others. When it comes to debating some of the most controversial, and perhaps even intractable questions of the moment, it is all the more important that we are able to do so in environments that sustain our commitment to civil discourse, critical inquiry and academic freedom.”

Kraft commented, “Myra and I know that issues that invoke passionate debate, especially those surrounding religion, culture, ethnicity and politics, for example, are often the issues that matter most.… Columbia has always been a place for this kind of exchange, and we hope and believe that the Kraft Family Fund will lead to an even stronger and healthier campus environment.”

The fund will support student-initiated programs designed to facilitate greater understanding among Columbia community members of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. These programs will build upon existing activities organized by various cultural, ethnic and religious student groups based in Earl Hall that are administered by University Chaplain Jewelnel Davis. A nine-person committee, comprising students and administrators and chaired by Davis, will administer allocation of funds to support student-initiated programs. Fund-sponsored programming initiated by the University will be developed by a committee of distinguished faculty on behalf of the Offices of the President and Provost. The committee will identify three issues each year and determine appropriate programming that has a public component, including symposia, conferences or lectures, and other events that engage students through corollary activities.

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