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The Islamic Speakers Bureau plans to hold its annual training session for new speakers on Saturday, April 25th, at Georgia Tech.  To learn about or register for the training, click here.

“The Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB) of Atlanta envisions a world in which people of diverse backgrounds are understood and respected and their contributions valued, and in which American Muslim communities play a vital role in promoting values of inclusion and coexistence,” the organization said.

Since 2001, the ISB has engaged volunteers to provide thousands of presentations, training seminars, workshops, and panel discussions at various schools, colleges and universities, law enforcement agencies, healthcare facilities, and community organizations as part of cultural diversity curricula and programs. The organization has reached hundreds of groups and thousands of individuals each year, building relationships across communities.

For example, in 2014, the ISB led a workshop at the Anti-Bullying Summit sponsored by Auburn University. This workshop discussed stereotypes of Muslims, Muslim reports of bullying and their attitudes, and suggested best practices to deal with instances of bullying. In addition, the ISB trained Fayette County social studies teachers on how to foster an inclusive learning environment for Muslim students.

The ISB has worked with various organizations to promote religious understanding. Members of the ISB participated in events with Young Harris College, Temple Kol Emeth, Georgia State University MSA, Al Farooq Masjid, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Anti-Defamation League, Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia, among many others.

In April of 2014, the ISB in collaboration with the Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta launched the Interfaith Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, which serves a vehicle for training and certifying speakers for interfaith events.

For more information about ISB, visit their website at www.isbatl.org. For a full list of presentations offered, visit the page here.

You can also follow along with the ISB on Facebook and Twitter!

Aisha Yaqoob is a member of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta and writer for AtlantaMuslim.com - follow her @yaqooberz

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