Keston Center Fall Lecture Explores Inter/Intra-Faith Harmony and the Development of Leadership for Women Globally through Sport
The Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society presents its annual fall lecture, “Baylor in Deeds—Interfaith and Intra-Faith Harmony: Strengthening Leadership for Women Globally through Sports,” at the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. A reception catered by Saffron begins at 2:30 p.m. and the panel begins at 3:30 p.m. CDT.
Panelists include:
- Hina Abel, Dissertation Fellow in Higher Education Studies and Leadership, Baylor University
- Meredith Frey, Master of Arts in School Leadership Fellow, Baylor University
- Mar Magnusen, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership (Sports), Baylor University
- Brooke Ramsey, Local Waco School Leader
- William Sterrett, Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership, Baylor University
The panel will discuss topics related to women's leadership and sports through their experiences working with universities in Pakistan, particularly in Lahore, in an interfaith context to strengthen women's leadership and coaching skills. The conversation will be moderated by Charles Ramsey, Director for Campus Ministries & Church Connections and Associate Chaplain at Baylor.
“Baylor University is engaging in reconciliation and community development in Pakistan, a country profoundly affected by its strategic alliances with the U.S. during the Cold War and the War on Terror,” said Abel, a native of Pakistan who has served at Kinnaird College for Women and Forman Christian College in Lahore. She adds, “Affirming the ‘Baylor in Deeds’ strategic plan, which is inspired by the motto 'Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo,' Baylor is fostering healing, community empowerment, and addressing Pakistan's historical struggles.”
Keston Center Director Kathy Hillman explains that "with the 2021 changes in government in Afghanistan, women and religious minorities in the region, particularly in adjacent countries like Pakistan, have faced significant challenges due to religious, cultural, and socio-economic factors." She notes that the event is in keeping with Keston's mission to shed light on those who sometimes lack a voice.
The U.S. State Department sponsored the Innovating and Designing Engaging Applications in Sports Promoting Outreach, Responsibility, and Teamwork grant (IDEA-SPORT) that included Baylor faculty, staff, and students, along with University of North Carolina (UNCW) and several universities in Pakistan. The grant helps support women through on-the-ground sports activities, leadership workshops, and virtual professional learning communities.
The grant enabled several panelists to travel to Pakistan in December 2023. Sterrett and Magnuson built partnerships with universities in the Punjab Province to help support inclusive development of all aspects of Pakistani society by fostering diversity and inclusion in civil society, empowering women and girls, and promoting interfaith and intra-faith harmony.
In total, six universities in Pakistan and about 20 higher secondary schools were involved with “female sports and leadership.” The five Baylor and UNCW professors launched the leadership program in Lahore, Pakistan. Their success with the program allowed Baylor to move into a two-year grant that will continue the collaboration. In 2025, the grant will help cover faculty travel from Pakistan to Texas.
The Keston Fall Lecture is free and open to the public, both in-person and live-streamed via Zoom Webinar. Event sponsors include Baylor’s Center for Global Engagement, the Office of Spiritual Life, the Center for School Leadership, the Institute for Faith and Learning, Middle East Studies, International Studies, and the Baylor Libraries.
To learn more about the in-person event or to register for the Zoom Webinar visit library.web.baylor.edu/kestonfalllecture. For additional information, contact Kathy Hillman, Director of the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society, at (254) 710-6684.