FOLLOW US
Peace Education
Service and Learning Activities in Northern Israel
Written by Hod Ben Zvi, UPF-Israel
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A variety of service and educational projects in northern Israel took place in December 2008.
We held an exciting service project in a Druze village on Mount Carmel in which the local Boy Scouts along with volunteer instructors transformed an old school wall into a beautiful mural. In Haifa, another group of young leaders from the Reali School joined Youth Federation for World Peace volunteers in a painting project at an old peoples’ home. The elderly residents were so moved that they didn’t let the young people leave without inviting them to share a meal together.
In the Beit Hagefen Theater a special awards ceremony was conducted on December 18, and 43 NGO leaders received a special service award for excellence in community service and preservation of the environment. Haifa’s City Councilor Dr. Moshe Becker commented that for him it was the greatest pleasure to be among people who make their life goal to serve others. Dr. Eliezer Glaubach, the master of ceremonies, read out loud each NGO’s mission statement while Dr. Walsh, together with Dr. Sang Jin Lee, the Regional Chair of UPF-Middle East, and Dr. Masatoshi Abe, chair of UPF-Israel, handed out the awards.
Also on December 18 two conferences were held in parallel at the Dan Panorama Hotel overlooking the beautiful Haifa Bay. The International Youth Leadership Conference gathered some 30 participants, Israelis and Palestinians among other nationalities. Mr. Omar Halasa and Mr. Alex Gabb chaired the dynamic forum exploring the theme, “Youth Leaders Spearheading the Culture of Peace.” The second session was devoted to “The Role of Service in Promoting Peace.”
In the neighboring hall some 80 religious leaders were gathered representing Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Druze among other faiths. The participants were greeted by Sheik Ali Birani, the President of the Interreligious Federation for World Peace chapter in Israel as well as by Dr. Shuki Ben Ami the well-known writer and theologian. Ms. Nurit Hirschfeld, the program organizer, guided two sessions. The first, chaired by Dr. Frank Kaufmann, dealt with the vision of “One Family under God,” and the second session, led by Mr. Taj Hamad, explored the meaning of “True Leadership.” Round-table discussions followed each presentation, and summaries of their deliberations were offered to the entire plenum. Swami Parameshananda commented “When we look at each others' religion we see differences; when we look up to God we realize that we are all His children.”
A week-long program took place under the banner of the Middle East Peace Initiative on the theme of “Religious Leaders Forging a Path for Peace.” Throughout the week, the international delegates visited religious and historical sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth, and the Sea of Galilee; in addition, they participated in dialogues, orientation sessions, and symposiums. Two important symposiums were held: one in Palestine and one in Israel. In Ramallah, the delegation met with Sheik Taysir Tamimi, head of the Sharia courts, as well as two government ministers and six parliamentarians. In Jerusalem, the delegation was hosted in the Knesset by Hon. Ran Cohen MK as well as by the deputy speaker of the house, Hon. Yitzhak Ziv. Tour leader Mr. Jeremy Jordan commented; “it is amazing that in such a short time a group of total strangers from different nations and religions can become such a close family!”
The entire set of programs was organized by a small group of volunteers and especially by a group of youngsters between the ages of 15 and 23 without much prior experience. However, their great enthusiasm and high spirits enabled the entire festival to become a huge success! The fact that such young people took ownership of the festival is the living proof that the message of “living for the sake of others” has become an integral part of their lives.
If you find this page helpful and informative please consider making donation. Your donation will help Universal Peace Federation (UPF) provide new and improved reports, analysis and publications to you and everyone around the world.
UPF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible in the United States. Receipts are automatically provided for donations of or above $250.00.
|
Donate to the Universal Peace Federation: Your donation to support the general programs of UPF. |
Donate to the Religious Youth Service (RYS): Your donation will be used for service projects around the world. |
Donate to UPF's Africa Projects: Your donation will be used for projects in Africa. |
Related Articles
Russia
UPF Teaches Russians How to Go Green
Voronezh, Russia—About 1,000 people have learned to “make green decisions” by playing a game.
United Kingdom
UPF-UK Visits Hindu Youth Summer Camp
Birmingham, United Kingdom—UPF spoke to around 120 Hindu youths about interfaith and peace activities.
Sri Lanka
UPF-Sri Lanka Commemorates UN International Youth Day
Illukkumbura, Sri Lanka—UPF and RYS, in partnership with IAYSP, organized a weeklong youth leadership project.