Religious Youth Service
UPF chapters organize Religious Youth Service projects that offer service-learning opportunities with a special focus on developing personal leadership and peacemaking skills. Through living together and providing altruistic service in a community, participants demonstrate that it is possible for our global human family to come together in peace for our mutual well being.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh—Participants did light construction and restoration work on a school. This first national project was served to pull in a large number of good students into the RYS vision.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-India
Cochin, Kerela, India—This project had a powerful impact on the Kochin and India interfaith community because of its linkage to the WFIRC interfaith meeting. Several interfaith leaders in the Kerala area were moved by the RYS and they helped make a foundation for further activities in that state.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Hungary
Hungary—The Hungary project was done with the strong cooperation of the Hungarian Red Cross whose volunteers helped make the Tatabanya program a huge success.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-England
Southall, England—RYS alumni, Marshal D' Souza sought to create a local model which could attract support form campuses and religious organizations in the growing diverse nation of England. As a result a Peace Garden was created out of an abandon rubbish filled lot. RYS participants and staff helped with removing garbage, digging and landscaping, and some light construction.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya—The RYS contracted an RYS alumni to organize and help run a project in Kenya. Participants after an orientation in Nairobi went to a Massei home area where they did work on the grounds, fenced areas for grazing and did restoration work on some buildings.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Thailand
Sukhothai, Thailand—RYS participants and staff helped work on a multi-purpose hall at an orphanage which was to be used as a moral education center.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Peru
Lima, Peru—RYS helped in the building of a medical center for a community of orphans called La Citidad por Nino's. This was the first project run in the Spanish language. The project attracted high profile community and national level leaders included the First Lady, Mrs. Fujimora visited the work sight.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-India
Madras, India—From October 25 to November 7, substantial work was carried out in extending classrooms and restoring part of a famous old school.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Thailand
Ubonratchathami Province, Thailand—The RYS worked on the restoration of a school at the central Buddhist monastery of the region. The weather was extremely hot but repairs and restoration were substantial.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-United States
California, United States—This conference for 500 religious leaders and scholars had a theme that related to passing on the inheritance to the next generation. Most of the participants and staff were worldwide RYS alumni who were invited to attend the Assembly of the World's Religions (AWR).
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Poland
Krakow, Poland—Three work sites, Krakow, Zakopane and Karniowice, all in the Southwest part of Poland, were arranged within a two-hour drive of each other. This project was welcomed by the Polish people and municipal leaders who viewed this as a great opportunity to link their communities to the international youth.
- Religious Youth Service
- Written by: RYS-Italy
Rome Italy—From April 17th to the 27th, participants repaired a former church that was being used for social services. Most of the participants helped with the carpentry work and light construction tasks.