Lahore, Pakistan—UPF organized a Religious Youth Service (RYS) project in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province and the second largest city in Pakistan, from October 2 to 6, 2016, on the theme, "Creating Unity: Breaking Barriers."
Twenty-five young people from different faiths participated in the project, the fifth RYS project UPF has held to date in the country.
In the opening session, Mr. Binod Dangi, secretary general of UPF-Nepal, said that we can build religious harmony by creating unity among young religious leaders and breaking down barriers, centering on one God. In addition, different faith leaders spoke about RYS; Mr. Binod Paudel, secretary general of UPF-Pakistan, explained UPF Founder Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon’s vision for peace; and Mr. Piya Ratna Maharjan, South Asia coordinator of RYS, gave a presentation.
The service project, which was co-organized by Caritas Pakistan, involved helping to rebuild a church building in Lahore.
During the five-day program, the participants visited different religious sites, including Grand Jamia Mosque in Bahria Town, Lahore — the third largest mosque in Pakistan and the seventh largest in the world — and Badshah Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in the area.
In the closing session, Hon. Mrs. Rashida Yaqeeb, a member of Parliament in Pakistan and the parliamentary secretary for Women Development of Punjab province, spoke and said today's youth must work for world peace and religious harmony. Afterwards, she distributed certificates to all the participants.
The program was coordinated by Mr. Marcus Younas and Mr. Muhammad Jamil, and supported by the nonprofit organizations Taraqee Passand Organization (TPO), the Society for the Promotion of Education and Awareness (SEAP)-Pakistan and the Rights of Living for Everyone (ROLE) Organization.