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Eboo Patel, the founder and president of the nonprofit Interfaith America, thinks of America as a potluck nation: a country that thrives when diverse individuals come together, make connections and contribute to the greater good. For a long time (since the 1780s, in fact), we’ve used the metaphor “melting pot” to describe America; to Patel, it implies that everyone must give up their distinctive identities to achieve a shared ideal. The whole point of a potluck, he says, is the diversity of dishes.
Patel has been chosen by the National Conflict Resolution Center as our 2024 National Peacemaker Award winner. He is the author of the book “We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy.” In it, Patel describes the potluck supper as a “civic space” that embodies and celebrates pluralism: a political philosophy that envisions the peaceful coexistence of people with different interests, beliefs and lifestyles, who engage one another with what Patel calls a “respect/relate/cooperate ethos.” They govern together and share power.
Patel is part of a movement called the New Pluralists that believes America is on a precipice. There are people in communities across the country working together to tackle our most vexing issues, yet we are more divided than ever, “with many forces at work to exploit our differences, stoke anxiety, and fuel our worst impulses.” Most of us, the New Pluralists believe, are exhausted by the prevailing “us versus them” culture and long for a better path forward.
NCRC’s process for choosing a National Peacemaker honoree is painstaking. We look for a person or organization that is working to build bridges, who recognizes that disagreement (and even conflict) can provide opportunities for greater insight and compassion. We also look for a spirit of optimism – a belief that America’s brightest days are ahead.
In Eboo Patel, we found someone who checks these boxes – a builder whose work is grounded in proactive and positive engagement across difference. But Patel wasn’t always a builder, as he describes in his book. As a student at the University of Illinois, he was an activist who believed that positive change could only occur by tearing down institutions on behalf of the oppressed.
Through a series of lessons, Patel learned about the importance of creating rather than condemning.
I recently had a chance to speak with our honoree as he was waiting to catch a flight at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. I asked him about the present moment and how it differs from 25 years ago. Patel believes our divisions are sharper today, more pronounced. Whereas in years past it was easy for us to focus on conflict “over there” – Northern Ireland, the Balkans, East Timor, Somalia – today, Americans need to focus our attention on the divisiveness and conflict here at home.
Patel has written extensively about discord on college campuses. It’s a space that NCRC knows well: For nearly two decades, we have worked with student leaders, faculty and administrators, giving them skills and strategies to deal with conflict by embracing difference, communicating with respect, and working collaboratively toward a common goal.
In a recent post that appeared on insidehighered.com, Patel shared his vision: that campuses become laboratories and launching pads for pluralism. He said, “Even if your campus is not coming apart regarding the Middle East conflict, it may well do so around the politics of abortion or gun control, or events related to the upcoming election. Truth be told, a diverse democracy will have no shortage of issues that divide people.”
Patel continued, “We need leaders with the knowledge and skills to make sure that people can disagree on some fundamental things while working together on other fundamental things. We want students to be protesting respectfully on the quad, but we also need them to be working together to find cures for cancer in our laboratories and collaborating on new technologies in our engineering schools. The urgent need is cooperation across difference.”
The dishes these student leaders, innovators and civic leaders bring to the potluck may be unique and some flavors may clash at times, but we all need to come to the supper and have space at the table. Patel’s words reflect the spirit of a true Potluck Peacemaker.
The potluck supper: A model of diversity in America
If you grew up in the Midwest, like I did, you know the appeal of a potluck supper. Beyond the scrumptious food, there is a sense of community as people come together to share a meal. Usually, there’s someone in charge, lest there be too many Jell-O salads or tater tot hot dishes (both Midwestern favorites).Eboo Patel, the founder and president of the nonprofit Interfaith America, thinks of America as a potluck nation: a country that thrives when diverse individuals come together, make connections and contribute to the greater good. For a long time (since the 1780s, in fact), we’ve used the metaphor “melting pot” to describe America; to Patel, it implies that everyone must give up their distinctive identities to achieve a shared ideal. The whole point of a potluck, he says, is the diversity of dishes.
Patel has been chosen by the National Conflict Resolution Center as our 2024 National Peacemaker Award winner. He is the author of the book “We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy.” In it, Patel describes the potluck supper as a “civic space” that embodies and celebrates pluralism: a political philosophy that envisions the peaceful coexistence of people with different interests, beliefs and lifestyles, who engage one another with what Patel calls a “respect/relate/cooperate ethos.” They govern together and share power.
Patel is part of a movement called the New Pluralists that believes America is on a precipice. There are people in communities across the country working together to tackle our most vexing issues, yet we are more divided than ever, “with many forces at work to exploit our differences, stoke anxiety, and fuel our worst impulses.” Most of us, the New Pluralists believe, are exhausted by the prevailing “us versus them” culture and long for a better path forward.
NCRC’s process for choosing a National Peacemaker honoree is painstaking. We look for a person or organization that is working to build bridges, who recognizes that disagreement (and even conflict) can provide opportunities for greater insight and compassion. We also look for a spirit of optimism – a belief that America’s brightest days are ahead.
In Eboo Patel, we found someone who checks these boxes – a builder whose work is grounded in proactive and positive engagement across difference. But Patel wasn’t always a builder, as he describes in his book. As a student at the University of Illinois, he was an activist who believed that positive change could only occur by tearing down institutions on behalf of the oppressed.
Through a series of lessons, Patel learned about the importance of creating rather than condemning.
I recently had a chance to speak with our honoree as he was waiting to catch a flight at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. I asked him about the present moment and how it differs from 25 years ago. Patel believes our divisions are sharper today, more pronounced. Whereas in years past it was easy for us to focus on conflict “over there” – Northern Ireland, the Balkans, East Timor, Somalia – today, Americans need to focus our attention on the divisiveness and conflict here at home.
Patel has written extensively about discord on college campuses. It’s a space that NCRC knows well: For nearly two decades, we have worked with student leaders, faculty and administrators, giving them skills and strategies to deal with conflict by embracing difference, communicating with respect, and working collaboratively toward a common goal.
In a recent post that appeared on insidehighered.com, Patel shared his vision: that campuses become laboratories and launching pads for pluralism. He said, “Even if your campus is not coming apart regarding the Middle East conflict, it may well do so around the politics of abortion or gun control, or events related to the upcoming election. Truth be told, a diverse democracy will have no shortage of issues that divide people.”
Patel continued, “We need leaders with the knowledge and skills to make sure that people can disagree on some fundamental things while working together on other fundamental things. We want students to be protesting respectfully on the quad, but we also need them to be working together to find cures for cancer in our laboratories and collaborating on new technologies in our engineering schools. The urgent need is cooperation across difference.”
The dishes these student leaders, innovators and civic leaders bring to the potluck may be unique and some flavors may clash at times, but we all need to come to the supper and have space at the table. Patel’s words reflect the spirit of a true Potluck Peacemaker.
