Towards Intergenerational Peacebuilding
Patrick Nickisch
The 2010 Melbourne Parliament of World’s Religions, a gathering of five thousand people from diverse religious and professional backgrounds, provided a rich ground for sharing, learning, and friendship. Unfortunately, the youth participation level at the Melbourne PWR was regrettably low, as little funding and sponsorship was available to bring more young people to the Parliament. This next generation of peacebuilders could have benefited greatly from such an opportunity to learn from so many experts and pioneers of the global interfaith movement. These elders serve as role models for young people as they have chosen life orientations that are dedicated to advancing such noble causes as building peace among religions and countering poverty.
In a panel discussion, which I attended at the PWR, one participant remarked with regard to the lack of woman’s participation in the Parliament, that ‘If you are not on the table, you are on the plate’. This statement can be equally applied to youth. Our generation’s novel ways of thinking, notably our concern for the future of our planet, contributes a missing dimension to the current governance structures around the world that habitually ignore global issues such as climate change and poverty. While lip service abounds regarding how important the next generation is, little is done around the world to sufficiently feed, educate and financially support future generations within the numerous peace initiatives around the world coordinated by governmental and non governmental, religious or secular bodies.
At the PWR I was honoured to contribute to a youth workshop led by the United Religions Initiative (URI) called The Role of Youth: Taking Initiative, named after a URI young leaders program that was launched at its global assembly in December 2008 in Mayapur, India. This assembly was exemplary for its ethos of supporting, training and encouraging young adults to take on the responsibility of becoming peacebuilders. The first week was designed exclusively for youth, who were then integrated into the global assembly. The dynamism of this intergenerational exchange was greatly enriching for all. One third of the assembly was comprised of youth. This filled the elders present with joy and hope that their pioneering work in interfaith peacebuilding would continue beyond their lifetimes. In 2009, URI launched a mentorship program where these young leaders where paired up with experienced elders to support them in their interfaith activities by providing wise council. In addition to that, in 2010, the URI Youth Ambassador program was launched where in addition to providing advice from elders, some tools and resources were provided to the Youth Ambassadors to facilitate their programs.
Hence, it is my sincere conviction that vibrant youth engagement needs to be a core component of any interfaith peacebuilding endeavour and for any interfaith organization if it wants to assure its sustainability, impact and long term success. A stronger youth presence, than was provided at the Melbourne PWR, is necessary to provide inspiration, education and coaching for young people on how to grow and live as peacebuilders, along professional as well as spiritual lines. The pioneering era of interfaith dialogue is over and a new phase of interfaith action is emerging, where I believe that intergenerational cooperation is the key to unlock the gate leading to world peace. May Peace Prevail on Earth!