AFRICA
Working in Somalia with base in Kenya – 926 members
Youth United For Social Mobilization (YUSOM)
PURPOSE: YUSOM is a non-profit organization with a focus on community based activities touching on social, economic and political life of the youth. Our activities for the youth include education, health care, livelihood and sustainable development, peace promotion, improving skills, fighting against human trafficking, environment and sanitation issues, rehabilitation of social infrastructure and reconstruction, human right, and responding to disaster and emergencies.
EUROPE
Hungary – 15 members
Fellowship for Interreligious Dialogue
FROM THE RESPONSES TO THEIR APPRECIATIVE INTERVIEW: At the beginning we shared different ideas for activities. We decided finally, that our profile would include education and publishing, because many of us are in the academic field and intellectually minded. So we would focus on interfaith education: on the one hand teaching about the teachings of different faiths, on the other hand the interfaith attitude of friendly relationships, from the perspective of different faith traditions. Next week we will publish a book on interfaith dialogue. 12 topics, such as “creation”, “God”, “the goals of life”, “religious acts, e.g. prayer” are explained in the light of different faith traditions. There is also a chapter on the ethics of interfaith dialogue. The Hungarian national TV will be present at the book presentation.We also organized 2 three-day-conferences, in 2 different years, with 35-40 people in attendance, where we gave training on different topics, such as “marriages”, “faith challenges” etc. from an interreligious perspective and also on how to organize and promote interfaith dialogue.The Hungarian Parliament gave funding for both conferences, out of a fund for civil society activities.
NORTH AMERICA
Canada – 15 member organization
The InterSpiritual Centre of Vancouver Society
PURPOSE: The work of the InterSpiritual Centre has three major areas of focus:
1. Serving the sacred in human community,
2. Sharing sacred space, and
3. Honoring the sacredness of the Earth.
The list of their highlights include 30 activities that have taken place since the spring of 2006. The description of their last activity which took place on April 21, 2012 reads: Protecting Our Sacred Waters A day-long symposium for young adults (16-22yrs) and an evening event, open to youth and adults. Both sessions to feature respectful conversations about natural water systems -watersheds, groundwater, rivers, wetlands and oceans -the effects of oil pipelines and tankers, and how these are intertwined with social justice, our eco-systems and our economy. The program includes members of the formal environmental movement, the local indigenous community, young adult advocates for social justice, and representatives of the traditional faith communities.
May members of these new Cooperation Circles fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!