Pictures from the Day of Interfaith Youth Service 24 April , 2013

For this year’s Day of Interfaith Youth Service, World Faith teamed up with local students to volunteer with Harlem Grown. If you’re in NY, volunteer hours are every Saturday until June, 10-4– swing by and get your hands dirty doing something fun!

(You don’t actually have to get your hands dirty- there are gloves.)

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WF Burkina Faso’s Feast of Potatoes 20 April , 2013

For a regional celebration, WF Burkina Faso served 1060 people. Potato-laden pictures below:

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Interfaith Appalacia – The First Jew I Met 18 April , 2013

The First Jew I Met

Excerpt from a story by Chad McKnight, Outdoor Education Coordinator 

 

Read the complete story in the upcoming Interfaith Appalachia Journal, a collection of testimonies, stories, and art from participants and IA community members.

“…[David's] views were so much different than mine. Not just his religion, but everything. I eat every kind of meat there is, he is a vegan. I am a very conservative republican, he is a liberal democrat. I carry a gun in the woods; he has never shot a gun, and spends most of his time on concrete. I am an orthodox Christian, he is a liberal Jew. How in the world can we get along with each other much less how could I help him bring about world peace?

“Even though it sounds like we would have nothing in common, we quickly became very good friends, and my reservations were eased. I also realized that religion is not worth having, if you don’t share it. Working with IA has given me the opportunity to share what I believe with people I would have never even met otherwise. It also has given me a chance to dispel some of the negative stereotypes about us hillbillies. I have been working with IA from day one, and recently became the Outdoor Education Coordinator, which allows me to show off the beauty of Harlan County to many more people.”

Pictures from the Mango Tree Nursery School 16 April , 2013

While it’s always work to get funding, WF Gambia’s Mango Tree Nursery School is still going strong!

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Fighting Unemployment with WF Cameroon 14 April , 2013

In February, WF Cameroon worked on educating local youth about entrepreneurship. 75 people learned how to come up with a business plan and proposal, about sources of raising capital, and things to consider when deciding where to locate a business. Many of them are now aware of available sources of government funding to support them, like the National Employment Fund and Ministry of Youth Affairs. The event also raised awareness on the importance of youth participation in the fight against unemployment.

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WF Burkina Faso Pilgrimages to Ouagadougou 12 April , 2013

Members of WF Burkina Faso joined local Christians as they walked from Yagma village to Ouagadougou, a 20 km journey.

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Interfaith Harmony Week with World Faith 10 April , 2013

Six chapters of World Faith participated in the UNAOC’s World Interfaith Harmony Week this year! Here are some pictures of  two of the amazing events:

WF Indonesia organized two events: a discussion of religious perspectives in peacebuilding, and a Peace Dance. The discussion brought Muslims, Christians, and Hindus from the Interfaith Women’s School together to talk about the peace-building process in post-conflict areas. Many participants were able to express their thoughts as victims and survivors of the Poso conflict, and together, participants brainstormed how they could use religion to counteract political conflicts in their communities. The women who gathered hope to talk with 100 houses of worship in 2013 in order to show the Poso community that religions can work together to build peace.

Later in the week, a Peace Dance invited over 100 women and children from 24 villages in Poso to come together and dance for an hour. The dance not only brought together an interfaith group to campaign against violence on women and children, but was the first movement in a public space in Poso where women and children could campaign against violence.

WF Pakistan also organized two events. The first was a panel discussion on the scope of interfaith dialogues in Pakistan, which had over 75 attendees. The second was the “Diversity Tour to Worship Places”, a model which seeks to bridge gaps between youth of different faith and backgrounds. 25 young people visited Muslim mosques, Hindu mandirs, Sikh temples, and Protestant and Catholic churches. At each location, participants were given a tour by the hosting faith’s youth, and then given the chance to hold a dialogue with hosting faith leaders  about the site and the traditions, symbols, history, and commonalities of the particular faith.