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RYS Helps Create Peace Among Religions in India
Written by RYS-India
Sunday, December 14, 2003
| Participants: 30 | Religions Represented: 9 | Nations Represented: 9 |
New Delhi, India—
Duration: December 5 - 14, 2003
Central Work: Hosted by Chetanalaya, a social action NGO of the Catholic Diocese of New Delhi our volunteers offered their labor in building a community center which served both the Muslim and Hindu Residents of Janta Colony in Jaffarabad. The efforts drew the cooperation from both communities in laying the foundation stones and stimulated further work together for community improvements. Interfaith teams visited homes in the community to listen to concerns and share their vision of peace among religions. Volunteers gave time to hear the stories of and serve refugees from Myanmar at the Tribal Welfare Society.
The RYS began in India with a project in New Delhi in 1989 and has completed projects in various cities throughout the nation with support from a wide range of institutions. This project was accomplished through the cooperation of Peace Works and linked the service component with the larger.
Peace Summit being held in New Delhi as part of the preparation for the Parliament of World Religions. Organizing Staff of the RYS, Mr. Eric Wenzel and Mr. Koru Omer helped coordinate a meeting on Youth and the Culture of Peace at the summit. Participants could take part in the large interfaith event and contribute. Attending the conference were: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Honorable President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
The work service was given in Jaffarabad, an East Delhi community plagued by a history of communal violence between Hindus and Muslims. The example of interreligious service and cooperation the RYS offered is a very important and practical example of how to heal division.
The group visits included the famous Sis Ganj Gurudwara, the Jama Masjid, the Laxmi Narayan Hindu Temple, the Sisters of Charity and The Bahá’í House of Worship (the Lotus Temple). Special visits with the Imam of India’s second largest mosque; Dharma Master Hsin Tao of the Museum of World Religions; Baba Virsa Singh Ji of Gobind Sadan; Peace Activist Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi; Dilip Kolhatkar of the Everest Peace Project; caretakers of a community Gurudwara; members of the Central Baptist Church; and devotees from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation enhanced the interfaith learning experience.
At the end of the program was a day of reflection at Gobind Sadan, a beautiful religious retreat center welcoming all faiths. On the final day, a small group traveled to Vrindaban, the holy city of Lord Krishna and Aggra, home of the Taj Mahal, to complete their journey discovering India and its people.
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