Imran Khan at JUST FUTURE

We are deeply honored to announce that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has confirmed that he will address our JUST FUTURE virtual conference at 9:30 a.m. EDT (US) on Wednesday July 15 during our opening plenary. This late-breaking development is a tribute to long-standing efforts over the past ten years to build bridges of respect and understanding between the US and Pakistan. In a singular honor for me, I will offer a welcoming keynote shortly before the Prime Minister speaks.

JUST FUTURE is a result of a decade’s work with the US-Pakistan Interreligious Coalition (UPIC)—first as part of Intersections International and currently under the auspices of Seton Hall University. This is UPIC’s ninth gathering—and our first virtual conference. The Prime Minister’s presence is testimony to our consistent (and persistent) efforts to deepen relations between our two countries, despite often contentious headlines and shifting global realities. More broadly, it speaks volumes of the role that interreligious cooperation can play in healing across national borders.

When faith-affirming individuals and organizations place mutual respect and dignity at the core of their work, even parties with fraught pasts can discover pathways to peace. Indeed, lessons learned during this virtual conference have their application not only in US-Pakistan relations, but in the United States, as we seek to emerge from the twin epidemics of coronavirus and systemic racism.

I invite you to join us at JUST FUTURE. Visit our web site and see the many topics that we will address. Peruse the list of more than 30 presenters, headlined by his excellency, the Prime Minister. Be inspired by the rich diversity you see and the level of expertise evident in the collection of notables. Then, Register for JUST FUTURE and participate with us in these next several days—and in the months and years to come. Be inspired by UPIC’s distinctive model of transformational change. Form partnerships with like-minded individuals and organize to make a difference. Act to build a better world, not just in our two countries, but in conflicted settings close to home and across the globe.