Mission Statement
The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado promotes justice, religious liberty, and interfaith understanding through building relationships in order to educate, advocate, and catalyze social change.
Vision
We envision a society where all people are free and supported to live the life they wish for. We imagine faith communities from many traditions and backgrounds who are committed to work grounded in our shared values, in order to engage in collaborative action to dismantle systemic oppression. We see people coming together across our many differences to build authentic “got your back” friendships, to celebrate together in moments of joy, to grieve together in times of pain, and to advocate and work together to improve people’s lives.
Values
Religious liberty (nondiscrimination)
Faith as a force for good
Equal rights & freedom
Equity & opportunity for all
Racial justice
Economic justice
Broad and intentional inclusion
Our origin story
The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado was founded in 1998 by a group of faith leaders from multiple backgrounds who were frustrated that their diverse faith voices were not being represented in the public sphere—specifically in politics or media. This group was determined that faith should be a force for good in public life, so they began to bring people together to engage in advocacy at the state capitol, to build stronger relationships, and celebrate multiple faith traditions.
Through the years, we have been a steady presence bringing people together across faith traditions in good times and bad—celebrating victories and mourning defeats.
We have been there through moments of national crisis such as the September 11th attacks to stand up to discrimination against Muslim communities. We have helped one another heal in the wake of tragedies such as the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the attack on Temple Emmanuel Church in South Carolina, the shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, and the tragic killing of Black people at the hands of police.
At all times we seek to be a force for good in our state by standing up for rights and equality for all people. That’s why we were and continue to be the faith voice standing up for LGBTQ equality and women’s reproductive rights and justice. It’s why we fight so hard for criminal justice reform at the state capitol and work to devise creative solutions to complex problems.
Our 20+ year history working for justice, religious liberty, and interfaith understanding has enabled us to engage in deep partnership with communities of faith, advocacy organizations, and government entities. We look first and foremost to affected communities to guide our thinking and the direction of our work, trusting in their wisdom and knowledge of the issues.
As we look toward our future, we are excited to see where the issues take us and the ways we can help build a more just and equitable Colorado for everyone.