RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP 2012 1 May , 2012

Sunday, June 3 through Friday, June 8

Applications now being accepted

Hartford Seminary is seeking a diverse circle of participants in its RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP, to be held Sunday evening, June 3 through Friday noon, June 8,on the Hartford Seminary campus. Made possible by generous assistance from the Shinnyo-en Foundation, this workshop will combine aspects of “training the trainers” with instruction about religious diversity and leadership per se. In addition to models and methods of leadership generally, the workshop will address such topics as leading youth in the multifaith context and in interfaith activities, formation of emerging young leaders, meeting the challenge of bullying, theologies and philosophies of religious difference, philosophies and models of dialogue, and multifaith efforts for the common good.

Guest presenters will include Janet Penn (Executive Director, Youth LEAD); Nancy Raines (Hospice Chaplain; formerly chaplain, Massachusetts General Hospital); Rev. Danny Fisher (Director, Buddhist Chaplaincy Program, University of the West); Joshua Stanton (founding editor, The Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue); and members of the Hartford Seminary faculty.

The week will include field trips to houses of worship illustrative of the changing religious landscape of Connecticut and New York. Seminar pedagogy will make use of large-group and small-group discussion, case-study method, and documentaries, guest speakers, and panel presentations. Participants will have opportunity to strategize, with input from colleagues, for their specific contexts and needs. Opportunity will also be provided for the group as a whole to share resources for multifaith education, ritual, dialogue, counseling, advocacy, and encouragement of productive dialogue and collaboration between religious groups at the intersection of religious and public life – thus improved ability to build community around common concerns.

The participation fee (which includes most meals) is $575. Applicants should email Tina Demo, Recruitment Officer (tdemo@hartsem.edu) by May 1, providing contact information and a brief description of the nature of their religious leadership or involvement in interreligious matters. Modest resources are available for financial assistance to help defray expenses (housing, transportation, tuition) for qualified applicants.

Questions about the workshop content should be addressed to Dr. Lucinda Mosher, Faculty Associate in Interfaith Studies, who will be the workshop’s coordinator and lead instructor (lmosher@hartsem.edu).

Summer Fellowship Program 2012 – Call For Applications 25 April , 2012

Last day to apply for Muslim Public Service Network (MPSN) ummer Fellowship Program 2012.

MPSN believes that the only way to make a difference in this world is by serving others – and what better way than training to be a civic leader in the nation’s capital?

For the last 18 years MPSN has been working on creating civic leaders, who have gone on to become distinguished scholars, civil rights advocates, researchers, lawyers and excelled in any profession that they have chosen.

About the MPSN Fellowship Program

Fellows participate in a rigorous eight-week curriculum taught by leading scholars and experts. The classes and workshops are designed to strengthen their understanding of the relationship between faith-based principles and the ethics of public service and civic engagement. Fellows are also paired with past program alumni, successful American Muslim leaders, as mentors to provide one-on-one support for career and personal development. Room and board are provided in Washington, D.C. by MPSN.

MPSN alumni have gone on to distinguished public service careers with many prestigious organizations, including senior positions in the Obama Administration, Bush Administration, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. House of Representatives, United Nations, Center for American Progress, NAACP, Brookings Institute, McKinsey & Co., Bain & Co. and numerous non-profit, consulting and education agencies. Several alumni have gone on to earn Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Truman and Soros fellowships.

To provide scholarships to needy students, we have an ISF-MPSN scholarship – in partnership with the Islamic Scholarship Fund.

You can apply at http://www.muslimpublicservice.org/apply

For more information, log onto: http://muslimpublicservice.org

2012: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED Conference 9 April , 2012

From April 14-15, young people are coming together to discuss US foreign policy this election
year. We’re exploring key challenges impacting our generation, including the security, jobs,
climate change, justice and hunger. We’re defining a new vision of US global engagement, and the role of youth in building a better future. And we’re bringing our ideas right to the campaigns.

Just Announced: Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns will face off on Sunday morning Presidential Elections panel with high level campaign representatives:

Foreign Policy Priorities in 2012: A Conversation with the Presidential Campaigns
—Kerry Healey, Special Adviser, Romney for President, and former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor
—Michèle Flournoy, Advisor to Obama for America Campaign on National Security, and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

New Development: Special plenary session with Daniel Maree, organizer of the Million Hoodie March and Lacy MacAuely, organizer of Occupy DC

If you care about the US and the World, join us for the 2012: Challenge Accepted Conference on April 14-15, on the campus of George Washington University. Find out more:
www.acceptthechallenge2012.org.

Sessions and speakers not to be missed:

• Foreign Policy Priorities in 2012: A Conversation with the Romney and Obama Campaigns.

• From Me to We: Harnessing the Power of the Millennial Generation Superpower in Decline or America Resurgent? The US and the Global Economy.

• Drones, Rogues and Hackers: Rethinking US Security.

• Millennial Priorities for Global Justice: Indigenous Peoples, LBGT Rights, Disabilities and Genocide.

• Investing in the Millennial Generation Worldwide: Preparing Millennials for the 21st Century Workplace.

• The Real Hunger Games: The Fight for Our Food, Our Climate and Our Future Arab Summer: Emerging Democracies, Political Islam and the Power of Youth in the Middle East and North Africa.

Find a complete list of speakers www.acceptthechallenge2012.org/the-event/sessions-and-
speakers/

Jumo GOOD Maker Challenge – Interfaith Youth in Development Action 3 April , 2012

World Faith Chapters are groups of religiously-diverse young people who build their own development projects. Understanding that peace-building and development are inseparable, Chapters tackle issues like youth education, women’s empowerment, and poverty, in the most conflicted places in the world.

To keep our Chapters ambitious work going we need your support! Give us your vote in the Jumo GOOD Maker Challenge and help us winning $2,500 for our Chapters.  The voting begins April 3 at noon PT and ends April 17 noon PT. Give us your vote and share our project on Facebook and Twitter. To the vote: http://jumo-organizations.maker.good.is/projects/worldfaith.

Opportunity for Action 28 March , 2012

IYF Spotlights Opportunity Divide among the World’s Young People:

New Paper, commissioned by Microsoft, outlines actions to better prepare  youth entering the 21st century workforce

Washington, DC – Today the International Youth Foundation (IYF) released, Opportunity for Action, a paper documenting  the growing economic and social challenges facing youth around the world and the urgent need to provide the education, skills and employment opportunities required for them to succeed in today’s rapidly changing global economy. The report, commissioned by Microsoft, was unveiled in Washington DC at the “Jobs & Economy of the Future: Educating the Next Generation to Compete” Town Hall meeting, jointly hosted by Microsoft and the Atlantic magazine.

On a global basis, according to the paper, the unemployment rate for youth is currently 12.7 percent, or more than double the six percent global average for unemployment as a whole. While some youth are prospering, many others lack access to education, skills and opportunities, and are facing growing challenges. As the global youth population of 1.2 billion — the largest in history — grows over time, this gap between those with opportunity, and those without, risks widening even further.

Opportunity for Action documents the nearly 75 million young people, worldwide who are unemployed and the varying causes for rising youth unemployment in different parts of the world. As the report shows, currently only 44 percent of youth worldwide pursue education as far as the equivalent of the high school level in the United States, and even fewer complete secondary education. This is especially concerning given the increase in jobs requiring higher levels of skill and education.

Microsoft and IYF have developed a strong partnership over the past decade, working together in countries around the world to expand opportunities for underserved youth to be successful learners, workers, and entrepreneurs.

In response to the report’s findings, Brad Smith, Microsoft executive vice president and general counsel, said, “While the reasons for the opportunity divide vary country by country, the global trend is unfortunately the same everywhere. As the International Youth Foundation reports, unemployment has been on the rise for young people worldwide. More than ever, the public and private sectors need to work together to provide youth with access to education, skills, and better job opportunities. We must move from ‘opportunity divided’ to ‘opportunity provided’ for all.”

“History has shown us that when young people thrive, society prospers” said William S. Reese, president and CEO of IYF. “The data in this paper show us that far too many young people today are struggling, and the reasons why. We must act now so that the world’s youth have the opportunities they need to succeed in the 21st century workforce. Our collective future depends upon it.”

Read the complete Opportunity for Action paper.

World Faith in Huffington Post: Youthless Churches and the Arab Spring, A Generation of Ideas, not Idealogy 29 September , 2011

Lately, while engaged in my work as an interfaith activist, I found myself engaging in another type of dialogue: a conversation of generational differences. At times, it seems that religious leaders haven’t quite wrapped their heads around the thoughts and actions of religious millennials. Whether discussing the Arab Spring, or the lack of youth in American churches, it comes down to one defining characteristic of millennials: We are not an ideological generation… READ MORE

High Level Meeting on Youth at the United Nations General Assembly 1 August , 2011

On July 25 and 26, over 500 youth representatives from all over the world came to the General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the occasion of the High Level Meeting for the International Year of Youth on Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. The meeting, which included 2 panel discussions, several plenaries and a multitude of side events, was also attended by several official delegations from member countries of the United Nations.

The International Year of Youth, which began in August of 2010, aims to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in overcoming the challenges facing humankind. Under the theme ‘Dialogue and Mutual Understanding,’ the Year aims to promote the ideals of peace as well as respect for human rights, freedoms, and solidarity. In addition, it encourages dialogue and understanding across cultures and generations.

In his remarks during the opening ceremony of the High Level Meeting, the United Nations Secretary General strongly condemned the bombing in Oslo and the shooting massacre at a Norwegian summer camp while reiterating that young people play a crucial role in creating a path of tolerance and understanding. “Young people often understand better than older generations that we can and must transcend our religious and cultural differences in order to reach our shared goals.”

Mr. Romulo Dantas, a youth representative from Brazil, called for a stronger partnership with governments and the United Nations in order to move further in the direction of trust and mutual understanding. “We all need to understand the fact that is impossible to build solutions for a diverse world once we are still lacking true partnership among all the important players in the youth field in many areas and at all levels.”

Several interventions, both from youth representatives and member countries, noted the discrepancies between the number of young people around the world – in some countries, youth represent over 60% of the population – and the resources allocated to this generation. In addition, many speakers made the case for “youth mainstreaming”, in a manner similar to what is done for gender mainstreaming. This proposal was applauded by all youth representatives present at the event.

Another intervention that was received very positively is that of the youth delegate from Germany who said that “Youth participation is not an investment; it is a value in itself”.

At the end of the High Level Meeting on Youth, an outcome document was adopted. It underlines the fact that, while the International Year of Youth is coming to a close, much still needs to be done and that youth and mutual understanding should remain a top priority for all sectors of the society.

The High Level Meeting on Youth was organized by the United Nations Intern-Agency Network on Youth Development. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is a key member of this network which adopted a statement expressing its plan to increase the effectiveness of the United Nations in advocating for and supporting national efforts to accelerate the implementation of international agreements and development goals as they relate to youth.

After the closing to of High Level Meeting on Youth, the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations held its annual meeting nearby. The Director of the UNAOC was invited to take part in a panel discussion about increasing collaboration between the United Nations and youth-led organizations. Building on the calls for partnerships made during the High Level Meeting on Youth, Mr. Scheuer underlined the fact that the UNAOC’s success and impact very much depends on collaboration with youth organizations: “We rely on the energy and innovativeness of youth organizations around the world to mobilize society at large and change the narrative about other cultures and religions. The UNAOC would not reach its goals without strong partnerships with youth organizations. We are now working on getting this great partnership to the next level.” The UNAOC Youth Program, especially through its Youth Solidarity Fund, aims to highlight and promote youth initiatives as well as support the development of partnerships with their respective governments.

For more information about the International Year of Youth, see http://social.un.org/youthyear/

Azerbaijani Youth Attends Camp in Georgia 14 July , 2011

The 30-people Azerbaijani delegation includes 13 Ireli activists and members of other youth organizations, Ireli public union press service reports.

The current theme of the camp is “Healthy lifestyle.”

The 10-day summer camp involves over 260 young people from 10 states. During this period, young people will participate in various sporting events, join training on healthy lifestyle, will exchange views on the work being done in their countries in this regard, ongoing activities and projects.

READ MORE

An Interfaith Generation Unwilling to Wait 13 July , 2011

When religious tension between Muslims and Christians rocked northern Nigeria on January 8th of this year, the refrain of religiously fueled violence sounded so much like it had before. The ‘other’ was at fault for the problems of a region, country, and world. But when the tensions boiled over and violence broke out, resulting in burning down of churches and mosques and the death over 100 people, the response was profoundly different.

This time, young volunteers from World Faith Nigeria took action. Responding to a distress call, they rescued seventy-two passengers from a bus that was set on fire by young attackers.  On both sides were young adults taking action. But this time one set of young adults was responding to save lives and, ideally, prevent future violence.

Nigeria, like many countries around the world, hosts interfaith dialogues marked by the convening of religious leaders to counter acts of violence.  While this work is groundbreaking and necessary, it alone is not enough to turn the trends of religious violence. Violence perpetrated by youth can best be countered by equally motivated youth working toward the greater good.

World Faith helps answer the challenge of engaging young people internationally who have the potential to either cause or resolve inter-religious tensions.  Mobilizing religiously diverse youth to engage in community service projects in conflict-prone regions, World Faith enables local youth leaders to address the local needs of their communities and resolve underlying sources of strife — which are often economic or social rather than religious. World Faith has chapters in nine countries and is continuing to rapidly expand.

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Muslim-Jewish Parley Seeks ‘Platform for Dialogue’ 5 July , 2011

The second annual Muslim- Jewish Conference kicked off in Kiev, Ukraine, on Sunday, with 70 students and young professionals coming from around the world to promote mutual understanding between global Jewish and Muslim communities.

The event is sponsored by the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding based in New York and the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, among others, with participants coming from Austria, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Israel, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

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