Biography Narrative

Elyse Brazel’s work focuses on increasing interreligious literacy of university students and staff to help shape a more religion-positive, pluralistic campus. Her undergraduate studies were in fine arts: figurative painting and sculpture. Her graduate work was in public and pastoral leadership with a focus on indigenous and interreligious studies. Elyse has worked with refugee claimant and newcomer youth populations and has done interreligious community building on several higher-education campuses. She started her interreligious work as a member of the Faiths Act Fellowship, as one of 30 young international leaders who spent 10 months engaging young adults from a variety of faith/philosophical traditions in interfaith social action to help achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals and work together on service projects in Ottawa and across Canada. She was a co-founder of Faith House Ottawa, an interfaith community for students and young professionals working together for social justice and offering radical hospitality. She has also been a member of the Community of Living Traditions, a multi-religious community dedicated to promoting peace, nonviolence, social/economic/ecological justice and sustainable living that runs the Stony Point Conference and Retreat Centre/Farm in New York. She recently spent a year in Rome as a Russell Berrie Fellow studying ecumenism and interreligious engagement. A motto she identifies with is “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

Interreligious Activities and Initiatives

Kaleidoscope Project Alumni Weekend