Youth in solidarityConcrete success in mounting action programs among six regions has inspired donors to award US$200,000 to Religions for Peace youth around the world to advance their work. The Global Youth Network is developing pilot programs to confront some of our most urgent challenges—building peace, addressing environmental issues, and coping with the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The seed grant opportunities were announced on 16–18 February 2007 when fifteen members of the International Youth Committee (IYC) gathered together in New York to develop concrete strategies for the next five years and to deepen their commitment to work together.
The Global Youth Network harnesses the energy and commitment of young people all over the world to advance the mission of Religions for Peace and to build alliances with existing religious organizations and other partners.
The network’s leadership body, the IYC, consists of fifteen members representing the world’s faith traditions from six continents. This IYC was established at the Sixth World Assembly in Riva del Garde, Italy, in 1994; the Global Youth Network gained full momentum in 2006 when the six regional assemblies convened in preparation for the Youth Assembly in Hiroshima/Kyoto, Japan, in August 2006. Concurrently, the youth are working to mainstream youth and youth issues into Religions for Peace programming activities at the local, regional, and global levels. The youth are ably led by their newly elected Youth Coordinator, Ms. Stellamaris Mulaeh, who also serves as Pax Romana’s national coordinator for peacebuilding in Kenya.
In addition to the seed grants, key advancements have recently been achieved:
• Religions for Peace’s commitment to mainstream youth has taken a major step forward by the decision to hire an Associate Director for Networking. This key team member will have youth network coordination as a primary responsibility and focus and will report to Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Director of Inter-religious Council Development. A formal search is underway.
• Religions for Peace has advanced key partnerships at regional levels as well as internationally with the United Nations.
At the February convening, the youth pledged to work together, building such new partnerships as with other regional and national organizations and with local governments. They have formed committees to develop those partnerships, strengthen the Global Youth Network, and create worldwide mechanisms for communication within the network and with external publics. In addition, the six regional inter-religious youth networks have already undertaken innovative work. They have identified and mobilized local resources and have launched multi-faith youth projects.
The meeting was generously supported by Rev. Koichi Matsumoto, Director of the Youth Division of Rissho Kosei-Kai, and graciously hosted by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in Ossining, NY.
Together, let us—the entire Religions for Peace family—applaud the Global Youth Network and the IYC. May we be inspired by their vitality, joining together in the great and important work that lies before us all.
