THE GLOBAL INTERFAITH YOUTH NEWSLETTER

Inside this Volume 1, Issue 1 October 2, 2012 issue: Arab and European Youth Respond to Global Challenges EIYN Summit 1 By Daniela Malec, EIYN Egypt, and coordinator Morocco, took part in the four day long Dia- Participant Per- 2 The European interfaith spective logue Seminar, focusing youth summit brought on three subjects: dia- together European and logue for solving con- Muslim-Jewish 2 Arab youth leaders to flicts, Arab Spring and Conference respond to global chal- the global financial cri- lenges and advance sis. The seminar was Restoring Dig- 3 youth-led interreligious followed by a two day nity in Argen- cooperation long annual summit of tina the Religions for Peace The Religions for Peace European Interfaith The members of EIYN at the summit European Interfaith Restoring Dig- 4 Youth Network. nity Workshop Youth Network (EIYN) Young religious leaders committed for Teens held an European Inter- EIYN established four themselves to increased cooperation in faith Youth Summit in working groups that those four areas and to change the way Abuja Interfaith 4 Lillehammar, Norway on focused on interrelig- the media usually portrays relations Youth Forum 19th -24th of June, 2012. ious collaboration in between religions in a conflicting and 35 young leaders from Great Lakers/ 5 regards to negative light. Horn of Africa Europe, Middle East and towards peace and co- You can read more about the summit Youth Meeting North Africa, represent- existence, ecology, the on EIYN‘s website by clicking here ing the largest European economy and the mass Youth Peace 5 faith-based organizations week in Nai- media. as well as social activists and journalists from LAIYN at the 6 Rio+20 summit

EIYN Summit in Lillehammer, Norway—Participant Perspective

there is Nansen Peace Cen- though provoking. Almost three tre, which has been created months have passed after the to promote dialogue as a seminar, but every time I open tool for peace-building. The my seminar notes – new ideas professionals working there came to my mind. have unique experiences of working in inter-ethnic/ inter Finally, it was really amazing to Natalie Pylypiv is a Greek- -religious conflicts in Pales- have such a variety of people in Catholic from the Ukraine. tine-, Bosnia-Serbia, the group. The majority of par- She has been involved in etc. In 1998 the Nansen ticipants were from Europe, but Religions for Peace since Academy received Honor- also there were a number of May 2012, when she was able Mention of the participants from Middle East – elected as a member of the ―UNESCO Prize for Peace Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon. International Youth Commit- Education‖ for its achieve- This also implied great religious tee. ments. What I personally variety, which was fascinating loved about the place was indeed! For me it was the first Natalie shared with us her the special atmosphere there, time that I could personally personal experience of par- because people working speak to the representatives of ticipating at the EIYN sum- there are actually living ac- Zoroastrian, Bahai and Hindu mit. cording to the values that faith. The opportunity to share they teach. our religious views was very ―We were kindly hosted by enriching and actually provided the Nansen Humanistic Secondly, the program of a great chance to practice dia- Academy, which was the seminar was very inter- logue, based on understanding founded in 1938 as a protest esting. During this week we and acceptance.‖ against growth of totalitarian have tackled so many issues ideologies in Europe, and - conflicts, Arab spring, eco- ever since has seen its mis- nomic crisis – and all sion in the promotion of through the prism of dia- democracy and human logue. The discussions we rights. One of the structures had were very insightful and

Muslim Jewish Conference 2012: Young Jews and Muslims gathered in Bratislava to talk to each other; not about each other.

Slovakia, to break down stereo- taining Muslim-Jewish partner- types, engage in intensive com- ships. This happens through the mittee work, develop initiatives exchange of knowledge, ideas, and projects, and find friend- and experiences as well as the ship and partnership in a con- search for courses of action and ference of six days. jointly structured and planned projects. The goals of the Muslim Jew- ish Conference (MJC), an an- As a truly global grassroots By Jane Braden-Golay, RfP EIYN nual conference now in its group, 35 team members, core group member fourth year, are to provide the young academics and profes- next generation with a learning sionals from all around the In July, 80 young Muslims and experience for life and a posi- world and various faiths; living Jews from all corners of the tive outlook for establishing in 16 different countries and 4 world travelled to Bratislava, intercultural relations and sus- Page 2 different time zones, worked Volume 1, Issue 1

Muslim - Jewish Conference continued... tirelessly over the course of also a special arts track, with the year to create a confer- Muslim and Jewish artists ence that would inspire par- coming together to discuss ticipants to bring back their art‘s role in dialog, and to experiences, thoughts and hold a special exhibition. feelings to their home com- munities. The young leaders at the MJC received a formal There were six committees written greeting from former working on different topics U.S. President Bill Clinton. too often divide us.” at this year‘s MJC, they in- ―A major focus of my cluded ―Positive Narratives Presidency was the pursuit on Jewish-Muslim History―, of peaceful resolutions to For more information, click ―Faithful Citizenship―, ethnic and religious conflict here ―Sustained Community Dia- in the Middle East and log―, ―Anti-Semitism and Eastern Europe,” Clinton or write to Islamophobia―, ―Muslim wrote. ―it’s especially [email protected] and Jewish Business and wonderful to see a new Social Entrepreneurship‖ generation determined to and ―Women in Religion―. break down the barriers of For the first time there was ethnicity and religion that

Restoring Dignity workshop teaching Argentinean teens about Violence against Women

bean Interfaith Youth Net- Communities of the Provin- work (LAIYN) in the Pro- ce of Córdoba. vince of Córdoba, Argenti- Young people could take na, held a September 1st, advantage of the workshop, 2012 for a workshop with exchange ideas and took teens awareness of gender some useful tools for pre- violence, especially in the vention and awareness of the family and during courtship. problem. The workshop was held in September, 2012,Córdoba, the Parish "Divine Child Click here to visit Say No to Argentina, Jesus" our Home III and Violence Against Women counted with the participa- website. By Soher el Sukaria, tion of Ms. Adriana Domin- Click here for the English LAIYN Co– Coordinator guez Director of the Natio- version of the RfP Restoring nal Institute against Discri- Dignity toolkit. September 1, 2012, As part mination, Xenophobia and of the Religions for Peace Racism in the Province of Restoring Dignity campaign, Córdoba and Dr. Marta Lo- the Latin America & Carib- pez Guerreño Union of

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Restoring Dignity Campaign in Argentina: "Religious Youth Say No To Violence Against Women”.

The Council brings together pastors of differ- ent Christian denominations in the province. LAIYN presented the campaign to the 70 pas-

tors present and gave each pastor a copy of the

Spanish version of the Restoring Dignity tool- kit. Those present agreed to work actively to- gether to raise awareness about the issue and to try to reverse the staggering statistics of violence in the province of Cordoba. By Soher El Sukaria, IYC member For more information on RfP Restoring Dig- September, 2012, nity campaign click here

As part of the Restoring Dignity campaign, the Like the campaign on Facebook Latin American and Caribbean Interfaith Youth Network (LAIYN) attended a bi- Follow us on Twitter: @restorindignity monthly meeting of the Pastoral Council of the Province of Córdoba, Argentina.

The Abuja Interfaith Youth Forum launched the Nigeria Interfaith Youth

Abuja, Nigeria, May, 2012 Peace Nigeria national youth chapter and selected two leaders to coordinate By Nyambura Gichuki, African Inter- their interactions for the following faith Youth Network (AIYN) coordi- year. They then proceeded to work nator together in a tree planting session to The Abuja Interfaith Youth forum was symbolize their new working partner- organized by Muslim and Christian ship that will bear the fruits of inter- Youth coming together to discuss the faith collaboration and understanding. conflict situation in their country and

how to work together on effective peace building. The youth from various faith organisa- Page 4 tions decided to form a Religions for Women and Youth Leaders from the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes

August, 2012 Nairobi, nier of the Horn of Africa, Each participant was therefore Kenya participants shared peace given the mandate to prepare building experiences from their church representatives for More than sixty women and their different projects while the upcoming General Assem- youth leaders from various drawing lessons from each bly, held every five years, that churches in the Great Lakes other. mobilizes youth from churches and Horn of Africa regions, in Africa to tackle issues facing met at the All Africa Con- They articulated their differ- the continent, especially those ference of Churches ent roles in peace building of peace building. (AACC) Desmond Tutu processes as that of develop- Conference Centre in Nai- ing relevant strategies for Countries represented in the robi recently to discuss their transforming conflicts, being meeting include: Ethiopia, Dji- challenges and intervention politically engaged and so- bouti, Sudan, South Sudan, De- strategies that they can apply cially responsible, network- mocratic Republic of Congo, as women and youth leaders. ing with like-minded groups Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and positively utilizing their Uganda and Kenya. Lead by Rev. Adriano shared identity. Qulende, a Religions for Peace Executive Committee The two day meeting, spon- member of the Africa Inter- sored by AAAC was also a faith Youth Network and Dr. preparation for the tenth Agnes Abuom, ACRL—RfP AACC General Assembly to governing board member be held in Kampala, Uganda and Ecumenical Accompa- in 2013.

Youth Resolve to Promote Peace in Kenya as they Mark the Week of Peace in Nairobi

sity in Ongata Rongai, Nai- lence during the elections pe- robi, brought together over riod. two thousand participants Activities included the estab- including students and sev- lishment of a peace monument, eral youth organisations such a film show on genocide, re- as the Kenyans for Change, flections on the violence that Gumzo Mtaani, True Love took place in 2007/8 during Students of the Africa Culture, Kenya Youth Devel- presidential elections, a peace Nazarene University, with opment Trust and the Face of walk, training of peace ambas- support from the ACRL— Kenya. sadors and use of hip-hop com- RfP‘s Youth program, This was the first annual edy and debates to promote marked a week-long event aimed at promoting peace. peace campaign, with the national cohesion prior to The university‘s deputy vice theme “Embracing Peace, Kenya‘s upcoming general Love and Justice for a chancellor, Prof. Rodney Reed elections. The aim was for Better Kenya” in which and Mr. Bernard Okok, the pro- the youth to air their contri- they promised to do every- gram coordinator NPI-Africa, butions in ensuring the next thing in their capacity to later led a symbolic tree elections were held peace- planting session marking the preserve peace in Kenya. fully and to give an assurance establishment of the ‗peace The event, held at the that they will not be manipu- monument‘ in the institution. Page 5 Africa Nazarene Univer- lated to participate in vio- THE GLOBAL INTERFAITH YOUTH NEWSLETTER

Civil Society Demands a Greater Role in Democratic Governance

September 3 -7th , 2012, Montreal, Canada. Hundreds of participants from civil society and Faith Based Organi- sations (FBO) gathered in Montreal, Canada, for the annual Civicus World Assembly. Civicus is a global civil society network that connects various civil society organisations to each other. It‘s mission is to strengthen citizen action and civil society throughout the world, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. Civicus has a vision of a global community of active, engaged citizens committed to the creation of a more just and equitable world. This is premised on the belief that the health of societies exists in direct proportion to the degree of balance between the state, the private sector and civil society. The Board Vice Chair of Civicus: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Ms. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, was also the coordinator for Religions for Peace Global Women of Faith network. She believes deeply in the important role that faith based society plays in mobilizing citizens to act on challenges faced by hu- manity. The deputy Secretary General of Religions for Peace Rev. Kyoichi Sugino presented on the power of religious communities to build their society post-revolution at a workshop titled ― Civil Society in democ- ratic transition: What happens after the revolution‖. At the workshop, a young Egyptian women named Yasmin Elayat, Co- creator of the social media website ―18 days in Egypt‖ spoke about the po- tential power of social media during and after a revolution and how youth have an active role to play in advancing peace during this transitional period. She used her own experience in Egypt to launch ― 18 days in Egypt‖ where you can become a citizen journalist documenting the events on the ground as they are unfolding, and at the same time using other social media apps such as Facebook and Twitter to invite your friends to tell the story with you so that it has a multi- perspective storytelling element to its information sharing. Ala Qasem, The Executive Director of Resonate! Yemen was another inspiring youth that went back to live in Yemen after a decade living in Canada to help his country through the transitional process. His organization's aim is to work on advancing the cause of participative democracy in Yemen through bringing the voices and ideas of young Yemenis (aged 18 to 35) to Yemen's public policy discourse and through supporting youth action on issues of local and national significance. He believes that if the youth are educated about social and political issues then they are more likely to engage and contribute to the political discourse in Yemen.

The underlying lesson of the Civicus World assembly was to bear witness to the importance of including youth as citizens in redefining global governance and participating in changing their nations through civil society mechanisms.

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RELIGIONS FOR LAIYN Urges Climate Change Advocacy at Rio +20 PEACE INTERNATIONAL (LAIYN) participated in the People's Sum- 777 UN PLAZA mit in Rio +20 for Social and Environmental New York, NY 10017, USA Justice in Brazil which was held June 20-22, Tel: +1-212-687-2163 2012. Fax: +1-212-983-0098 Miss. Sukaria presented at the side event

"Ethical and Religious Perspectives on the

Rio +20 Summit Future We Want" the Spanish version of our tool kit "Action and Advocacy for Climate June, 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Change: A Resource Guide for Religious We are on the Web! Communities". Miss. Sukaria emphasized Miss Soher el Sukaria and Mr. Gustavo Ali , the common struggle of religions to protect RFP INTERNATIONAL co-coordinators of our Latin America and the environment and empower the poor. Caribbean Interfaith Youth Network There is a article in Spanish on the event that EIYN Homepage you can read here .

LAIYN Homepage

AIYN Homepage

GIYN FACEBOOK

ARMS DOWN! FACEBOOK

RESTORING DIGNITY FACEBOOK

RESTORNING DIGNITY ON Religions for Peace Global Interfaith Youth Network (GIYN) harnesses the energy and commit- ment of religious youth leaders all over the world to advance the mission of multi-religious coop- TWITTER eration for peace. Representative of the world‘s major religions across six regions - Africa, Asia GIYN ON TWITTER and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North America –GIYN builds peace by working to transform violent conflict, promote just and harmonious societies, advance development, and RFP INTERNATIONAL ON protect the earth. GIYN seeks to advance its work by mobilizing the power of religious youth, TWITTER building strategic partnerships with the , inter-governmental institutions, and civil society organization, and implementing action programs through national and regional inter- religious youth networks. Concurrently, the youth are working to mainstream youth and youth issues into Religions for Peace programming activities at the local, regional and global level. GIYN is led by the International Youth Committee (IYC), comprised of fifteen IYC members representing the world's faith traditions from the six regional interfaith youth networks. The pre- sent IYC was elected at the Religions for Peace VIII World Assembly in Kyoto, Japan in August 2006. The IYC is led by its Youth Coordinator, Ms. Stellamaris Mulaeh, who is actively engaged in grassroots multi-religious youth-led peace building in Kenya. As a global agent, the IYC is mindful to choose a location where impacts of their meeting include bringing awareness to the conflict, or initiations of service projects in the location. For more information on GIYN and if you want to share a story with us to be featured in the next newsletter ,please click here: Ms. Elida Jbeili, Program Associate for Youth and World Assem- bly;

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