Youth Encounter 2005

In Youth Encounters, students from diverse backgrounds and faiths met for the first time to discuss each other's heritage and beliefs. The initiative was aimed to share experiences based on their belief background.

2005 theme of the Youth Encounters was "My Identity & Place in Australia", where the 120 students participated in two workshops. Each of the workshops enabled the students to explore issues with Faith, Community and Nationality being the foundational constituent of one's identity. Affinity Intercultural Foundation and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies conceptualised an idea to bring interfaith gatherings to the youth level. The aim of this program is for students from the Abrahamic traditions to meet and discuss what their faith means to them in the context of the Australian ethos. It initially started in 2004 with the students from Sule College, Kincoppal Rose Bay and Masada College. This year the list grew to include Noor Ul-Houda, Shore High School and Emmanuel College. Next year it is hoped the program will grow by another three schools adding up to 180 students.

The students spent six weeks learning about each other's faiths, as well as their own before meeting each other at Kincoppal Rose Bay's picturesque premises. The students were also trained on how to communicate and present, conflict resolution, as well as personal leadership skills. The workshops enabled the youth to not only form, recognise and appreciate their own identities, but also to acknowledge and recognise the broader ethnically diverse and multi-faith Australian identity.

The program was also recognised by the NSW Premier Morris Iemma, who made a personal attendance for the main address in the official ceremony. The Premier congratulated the organisers of the day for initiating such a project and he acknowledged it's importance by stating "it allows us to celebrate our Australian multiculturalism and multi-faith society". The Premier also promised that he will continue to invest in interfaith dialogue in the future as well.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Affinity
• Islam
• Judaism
• Christianity
• Mehmet
• Ozalp
• Ahmet
• Keskin
• Religion
• Interfaith
• multiculturalism

[XCLNC3]

i go to this school and im proud of what they r doin

[Nuron666]

I dont mean to be a party pooper.

But you guys need to realise this happy family stuff, wont last very long.

All this has been done in the UK and it has not worked.

It only works if the population is small.

But once the Muslim population increases in size, all of this harmony breaks down.

You only have to look at the first multicultural societies like India, eventually it all breaks down

[SophiaS0]

absolutely fantastic video

[NurDaLight]

Amen brother

[evilteacups]

my school! im proud..

[JaredRSydney]

Peace in Australia for the Jew, Christian and Muslim!

[ceysuns]

nice i like

[jovian2002]

awesome video! :)