The “My 52 Weeks of Worship Project” started as a way to enable healing, connection, and remembrance.

During the first year of the project, Chief Experience Officer, Pamay Bassey made a personal commitment to visit at least one place of worship per week in 2010 – from different religious traditions. As a result, although she was based in Chicago, she visited 61 churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and other places of worship in the US, the UK, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa.

This project has evolved into an ongoing exploration of faith and spirituality. Bassey wrote a book about the experience: My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons From A Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey, maintains a blog about on-going spiritual and cultural experiences: http://www.my52wow.com, delivers keynote speeches, and facilitates a series of workshops, presentations, and learning experiences focused on cultural and inter-religious diversity, inclusion, dialogue, understanding and respect.

The My52WOW methodology and approach underlies all of Bassey’s work, and comprises the following “5 E’s”, which are based on Bassey’s project experiences, and work together to increase understanding and mutual respect across communities, and maximize impact:

1.  Embark on Your Own Journey
2. Explore Your Own Beliefs, and the Source of Your Strength, Power, and Identity
3. Experience Ways of Life Other Than Those That Are Familiar to You– Cultures, Families, Communities, Organizations, and Belief Systems in Action.
4. Expand Your Horizons – Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
5. Engage in Courageous Conversations – With Like Minded Individuals, As Well As Those with Different Perspectives.