Youth and Service
Milan, Italy - The first Interreligious Lunch organized by the Interfaith Youth Council of Italy took place at the UPF office in Milan Nov. 27, 2012. The event brought together believers of three different traditions and eight countries.
Vienna, Austria - In advance of the February 2013 UN Alliance of Civilizations Youth Forum in Vienna, the UPF-Austria Youth Committee organized a forum on religious pluralism on Nov. 20, 2012.
Kose, Estonia - A presentation about the UN International Day of Tolerance took place on November 16 in Kose, a small town about 40 km from Tallinn. One of the English language teachers invited UPF representatives to participate as partners on the occasion, and most of the pupils from the 10th through the 12th grades assembled in the gymnasium for the program. Including and students, more 80 people participated.
Multan, Pakistan - Youth from all provinces of Pakistan assembled in Multan Oct. 12-19, 2012, for a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural Religious Youth Service project that included service-learning activities, visits to religious sites and providing a drinking water system and toilets for Hindu slum dwellers.
Multan, Pakistan - Participants in Pakistan's first Religious Youth Service project joined other young people in the nation and other parts of the world in holding a candlelight prayer vigil for the recovery of Malala Yousufzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani student shot on October 9 as she was returning from school, defying a Taliban ban on education for girls. Participants in the October 12-19 program in central Pakistan engaged in various service-learning activities and providing safe drinking water and sanitation for Hindu slum dwellers.
Milan, Italy - Six Italian youth gathered for the first working meeting of the Interreligious Youth Council in Milan on Sept. 9, 2012 and dedicated the first hour to getting to know each other.
"After meeting three former popes and former presidents of various nations, I had an opportunity to meet with Rev. Sun Myung Moon," said Pele, the soccer hero of Brazil. "He said to me that, since football is the largest organization in the world and a very important means of propagating the message of peace, I hold a great responsibility."
Tirana, Albania - Young people from six nations took part in the first Religious Youth Service project in Tirana, Albania, Aug. 20-26, 2012, where they planted trees and learned world religions from religious leaders and scholars.
Castries, St. Lucia - A St. Lucia youth leader who hosted young Americans at a service-learning project in his district last December helped organize a Religious Youth Service project Aug. 2-13, 2012, that included times of hard work, sacrifice, fun, adventures, learning and loving.
Castries, St. Lucia - It was early, and my thoughts were whirling around in my head in the car on the way to the airport on August 2, headed for a Religious Youth Service project in the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia. My dad's voice was a distant murmur. With each passing minute my heart pounded faster and faster. I was full of anxiety when we reached the New York airport. Maybe it would be best if I just went back. But there was no turning back.
Multan, Pakistan - The Society for the Promotion of Education and Awareness along with its networking organizations commemorated UN International Youth Day in Multan, Pakistan Aug. 12, 2012.
Moscow, Russia - The track-and-field relay race dedicated to the100th anniversary of all track-and-field competitions of Russia and initiated by the International Super-Marathon Association was completed on August 3. Among the participants were athletes from the Ukraine as well as the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, and Novgorod, Russia.