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Young Adult

Experiencing the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions with Fresh Eyes

Experiencing the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions with Fresh Eyes

by Sofia Sayabalian & Cloë Poole

Two young leaders from the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIE) attended their first Parliament of the World’s Religions event. It was held in Chicago…

Collaborating to Build Interfaith Bridges

Collaborating to Build Interfaith Bridges

by Vicki Garlock

Sometimes, a story is told more easily through art. That’s certainly the case for this Bulgarian-based interfaith and cultural exchange camp – the brainchild of Angelina Vladikova and Svetlana Karadzhova…

A World of Digital Possibilities

A World of Digital Possibilities

by Elizabeth Dabney Hochman

The next generation is growing up online. We have seen countless studies about the amount of time kids spend engaging with digital media and the effects it has their development.

Digital Storytelling to Advance Peace in Pakistan

Digital Storytelling to Advance Peace in Pakistan

by Ruth Broyde Sharone

The iconic image of a male storyteller addressing an enraptured audience pressed shoulder to shoulder around a glowing campfire may soon be replaced by hijab and sari-clad young women holding their smart phones.

How Stories Can Smash Stereotypes

How Stories Can Smash Stereotypes

An INTER Interview

One thing that breaks down barriers between people is sharing stories. When we hear someone’s story and hear their hopes and struggles, we can’t help but see their humanity.

Relinquishing Taboos

Relinquishing Taboos

by Miranda Hovemeyer

There’s a photo that I keep seeing posted on social media. I can’t find the original source, but it’s a photo of what appears to be a page from a book. On the page is written, “Being taught to avoid talking about politics and religion has led to a lack of understanding of politics and religion.

Fardosa Hassan: Creating Space for Questions

Fardosa Hassan: Creating Space for Questions

by Ibrahim Hirsi

Coming of age in Minneapolis, Fardosa Hassan dived with enthusiasm into any community-service opportunity that helped improve the city and society as a whole. The mere mention of Washburn High School in Minneapolis reminds Hassan of a host of community service activities she got involved with before she graduated in 2008.

Interspiritual Fraternity in Mexico City

Interspiritual Fraternity in Mexico City

by Elías González

Silence. Young people sitting in a circle. Prayers. “This is how it all began, with a prayer, by the hand of God. Like a dream.” Mexico City, one of the most populated cities on the planet, has historically been a land of encounter among cultures, civilizations, and religions.

Model Programs for Tweens/Teens/Young Adults

Model Programs for Tweens/Teens/Young Adults

by Vicki Garlock

The changes that occur during adolescence and young adulthood are considerable, and most developmental psychologists acknowledge this important phase in a person’s life. For example, Erik Erikson (Childhood and Society, reissue, 1993), a well-known developmental psychologist in the 20th century, proposed that this developmental period is characterized by Identity vs. Role Confusion

An Interfaith Vision for the Future of Faith

An Interfaith Vision for the Future of Faith

by Jennifer Bailey

Several times a month, I have a standing lunch date with three of my favorite people. We gather online over laptops and our meals in Boston, New York, and Nashville to form what we have come to call our “community of praxis.”

A Letter to Myself Seven Generations Into Our Future

A Letter to Myself Seven Generations Into Our Future

by Ta'Kaiya Blaney

Thank you, I channel this thanks from the deepest trench of gratitude I can muster:
For we have done it. The Earth Revolutions, the movements against war, for education, to prioritize the might of the pen

The Wholeness of Nature

The Wholeness of Nature

by Katie Reis

I’m not a religious person. I was baptized a Catholic but slowly realized that many of Catholicism’s beliefs and principles did not fit my own. Over the years, I have explored many different religions. After I visited Japan as part of a student exchange program about a year ago, I became fascinated with Shintoism. Shinto beliefs are encapsulated by a perspective of seeing nature and the world in all its beauty.

Teenagers for a More Tolerant Future

Teenagers for a More Tolerant Future

by Ryan Polsky

“World Religions” is being taken to a whole new level in high schools across the country. Young interfaith activists are bringing it beyond the classroom to engage not only mind, but heart as well. These young grassroots activists are inspiring their peers to learn about different religions through clubs that promote dialogue and service.

On Dinner Parties and Self-worth

On Dinner Parties and Self-worth

by Noorjehan Asim

The moment I sat down at the dinner table, a little voice in my head began to scream. My instincts told me to run, but my body ignored them. I remained glued to the posh furniture that lined the hallway. Dining with Mr. Richard Olson, the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, was bound to be harrowing for any 15-year-old looking to make a lasting impression.

Skillsets to Overcome Religious Bigotry

Skillsets to Overcome Religious Bigotry

by Ariella Amit

As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed a few years ago, I came across a post encouraging Los Angeles youth to apply for membership on an Interfaith Council. I followed the link to the website reluctantly and began reading about the goals of the council. By the end of my interfaith research, I realized that being a privileged, white Jew living in Los Angeles, I have little exposure to different religions at all.

Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit

Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit

by Vicki Garlock

Each summer, a dozen or so young adults, ranging in age from 19-29, live in community at SPC. The program aims for a mix of international and American attendees and a mix of Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

What It Is Like to Have Interfaith Dialogues

I have been an active member of Multi-Faith Student Council at the University of Minnesota for two years now. I have been fortunate to learn so much about other people and their faith. I am no expert on interfaith dialogues but did pick up some things along the way. The beginning can be awkward because you don’t want to ask dumb questions or seem ignorant. The truth is, there is no such thing as a dumb question.

Interfaith Generation Emerging

We are still fighting the myth that interfaith children grow up to be lost and confused. Rev. Erik Martínez Resly is an interfaith child who grew up to become an inspired community leader. I met Erik at the Parliament of the World’s Religions this year and later interviewed him about his work as lead organizer of The Sanctuaries, a racially and religiously diverse arts community in Washington, DC. — SKM

Growing Up Interfaith in Ahmedabad

Those who work with children know their immense capacity to live from a place of love. This is especially true when they are placed in an environment of exploration, sharing, and listening.

Training Interfaith Leaders for the Future

“Say you wake up one morning and as you’re going through your Twitter feed you see something that really ticks you off because it degrades a certain group of people. You can Tweet all your friends about it, post something on Facebook, take a selfie of you burning the article. You can send a campus-wide Tweet and email about meeting in the dining hall at noon to discuss an action plan. You have one person contact the president, another person get in touch with the events office, another other clubs, the geeky guy in the corner (that would be me) making a flyer and deciding the best phrase to use in the Twitter hashtag, and by 6 p.m. you have an event planned to address the issue.