Community Learning

The ICEO Community Learning Initiative supports MIT’s ongoing journey as a diverse and thriving collection of individuals. We come from all 50 US states and from countries from all over the world. We represent a broad range of faiths, races, ethnicities, ages, political views, and socioeconomic backgrounds. MIT’s sense of community is defined by how much we learn about and from each other, how we treat each other, and by the culture and climate that result from our interactions. 

Fall 2024 

MIT is embarking on a series of initiatives in fall 2024 to enhance efforts to create an environment that is free of discrimination and harassment and to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (the federal statute that prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin, including shared ancestry, by entities that receive federal funding). This comes as campuses across the country experience a rise in reported incidents of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Israeli discrimination.

Please consult this page as we develop our programs and resources for the MIT community.

Resources

We offer these materials for educational purposes, not to suggest an endorsement or an official Institute position on the content. Every public resource may appear slanted to some. The resources here, made by outside groups, offer a place to begin to explore these subjects, but they do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of MIT. Any complaints will be resolved through MIT’s complaint resolution procedures.

Antisemitism

  • Video: Antisemitism in Our Midst: Past and Present (The Center for Jewish Studies, UC Berkeley)
    • This video provides the history of antisemitism from its origins until today. It tackles the hard questions about different and changing forms of antisemitism, persistent anti-Jewish stereotypes, the complex racial position of Jews in contemporary America, and the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.
  • Antisemitism and Its Impacts (Facing History and Ourselves)
    • This article outlines antisemitism and the many ways it shows up in society. It provides historical context for the centuries-long persistence of antisemitism and how this form of prejudice and discrimination continues to impact individuals and communities today, and how it can fuel hatred and violence.
  • What is Antisemitism? (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
    • An article about antisemitism’s roots and its many forms, expressions, and practices over the past several centuries.

Islamophobia

  • Video: What is Islamophobia? (Newcastle University)
    • This video explains how Islamophobia is structural, institutional, and personal, and why these forms of discrimination perpetuate anti-Muslim racism.  
  • Islamophobia: Toward a Legal Definition and Framework (Columbia Law Review)
    • This article describes the animus, suspicion, and bigotry experienced by Muslim Americans. Islamophobia is described and analyzed through a three-part framework—private, structural, and dialectical—that clarifies the complexities of Islamophobia and how to combat it.
  • Countering and Dismantling Islamophobia (Institute for Social Policy and Understanding)
    • A comprehensive toolkit to guide individuals and communities who want to challenge and dismantle Islamophobia.

Additional Resources

  • Fighting Hate: A Primer on Antisemitism and Islamophobia
    • This primer, a distillation of research developed by multiple experts, provides the history and present-day view of antisemitism and Islamophobia. The primer then dives into a (US centric) campus and business specific view, enabling the reader to better understand the implications and effects of hate on campus and in the workplace. The concluding section explores some of the best practices to counter hate.
  • Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life (ORSEL)
    • With over 20 chaplains representing many of the world’s religious, spiritual and ethical traditions, and more than 25 different student communities, ORSEL is a resource for students, faculty, and staff, of all faith traditions and belief systems.
  • MIT Libraries guide: Israel and Palestine. Understanding the Conflict
    • A curated list of books, films, bibliographies, virtual libraries, and news sources suggested by MIT faculty.
  • Dialogues Across Difference (Spring 2024 series at MIT)
    • A series of guest lectures and campus conversations to educate the MIT community, model disagreement, and elevate dialogue.

Events

Israeli, Palestinian, and American Relations: Now and in the Future

Gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in the Middle East through a mini-class series developed by MENA/MIT exclusively for the MIT community.

Taught by Professor Peter Krause, MIT PhD ‘11. Prof. Krause is associate professor of political science at Boston College and a research affiliate of the Security Studies Program at MIT’s Center for International Studies. He is an expert on Middle East politics.

  • Session 1: The 2024 U.S. Election and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: How The Outcome Here Impacts the Situation There
  • Session 2: Words Matter: Understanding how Palestinians and Israelis Define, Use, and React to “Charged” Words from Terrorism to Settler, Intifada to Peace
  • Session 3: The Struggle Over Normalization and the Future of American-Arab-Israeli Relations in the MENA Region

You must use your mit.edu or alum.mit.edu email address to register. If you no longer have access to your account, please email help@alum.mit.edu.

If you would like to stay updated on events and programs like these, please sign up for the ICEO newsletter.

Dialogue Programs

MIT has a rich inventory of programs, initiatives, and courses that invite dialogue. Some of these offerings simply bring people together, others educate and train members of our community in the practice of dialogue.

NameDescriptionPoint of contact
ICEO Community Dialogues
The ICEO Community Dialogues are a series of forums where MIT community members explore topics of belonging and inclusion. By inspiring meaningful conversations, these dialogues are a place to practice listening skills and build capacity to learn from diverse perspectives.Molly McInerney
Dialogues Across DifferenceDialogues Across Difference focuses on modeling disagreement by elevating and encouraging dialogue. The series invites internal and external speakers whose expertise can help cultivate civil discourse, critical thinking, and empathy among members of our community.ICEO
Addir Fellows Interfaith DialoguesAddir Fellows are MIT students who meet weekly to engage in dialogues to ask questions and explore ideas that build friendships and connections. The dialogues aim to build bridges between people with different beliefs, traditions, practices, and cultures.Addir Fellows
Civil Discourse in the Classroom and BeyondFour MIT faculty members launched a two-year project that provides space for the open exchange of ideas and teaches students how to have productive good-faith conversations with others with whom they disagree.Alex Byrne;
Anne McCants;
Linda R. Rabieh;
Brad Skow
The Conversation @ the MIT MuseumThe MIT Museum is partnering with The Conversation US to host lively conversations with researchers on the frontlines of science, technology, and society.MIT Museum
Dialogue & Action Panel SeriesThis series features conversations among colleagues from across nine Massachusetts universities in the spirit of tackling difficult issues and modeling constructive dialogue. It was initiated by the university presidents, and the provosts put together the organizing committee.Deb Roy
Dialogue@MITIn partnership with the Sustained Dialogue Institute, MIT students learn dialogue skills and build relationships with their peers through reflection and sharing personal experiences.Dialogue@MIT
MindHandHeart Coffee & ConversationsCommunity-wide events where people gather in small groups around tables and engage in thoughtful conversations, while enjoying coffee, tea, and snacks.MindHandHeart
RealTalk@MITA project from the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC) that uses technology developed at CCC to create opportunities for listening across groups and to foster a collective sense of shared understanding across experiences, differences, and divides.RealTalk@MIT
Octet Collaborative's DiálogosA series of events to nurture intellectual hospitality through discussion coordinated by staff at MIT dedicated to human flourishing, formed by the historic Christian faith.Octet Collaborative
RadiusAs a program dedicated to both applied and professional ethics, MIT Radius is piloting the Giving Voice to Values curriculum developed by Dr. Mary Gentile. GVV will equip MIT community members to express their ethical views in ways that are maximally effective precisely because they are also nuanced and self-aware.Nicholas Collura