Umodzi Youth Organization (UYO) in Mbayani Blantyre, Malawi
Learn more about these three featured Cooperation Circles, who are working with youth in Malawi, India, and Cambodia to improve life for young people and their communities. Through increasing access to education, fostering a peaceful existence at home, and facilitating a safe space for youth of different faith and cultural backgrounds to collaborate, these Cooperation Circles are making a difference in the lives of young people around the world.
Karickam International Public School, Kottarakara, India
Karickam International Public School (KIPS) serves about 300 students and focuses on promoting harmony and understanding among those of different cultural and religious backgrounds. The school believes that peacebuilding is best established among young people who can carry the message of cooperation and peaceful coexistence throughout their lives.
The school emphasizes environmental concerns; during the rainy season, KIPS distributed seed packets to students to encourage youth to grow their own gardens at home. Students are also regularly exposed to peacebuilding activities such as seminars, workshops, guest speakers, International Day of Peace celebrations, and World Interfaith Harmony Week activities.
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Umodzi Youth Organisation, Mbayani Blantyre, Malawi
Focusing on the essential areas of conflict resolution, health, education, human rights, and government, Umodzi Youth Organization (UYO) holds seminars, workshops, and social development programs where people of different religious, cultural and social backgrounds are brought together to interact and cooperate. Operating and facilitating programs in low-income areas of Mbayani and Chirimba specifically, UYO aims to support community members’ spirituality, encourage people to work in harmony with each other’s efforts, and build a framework of support regardless of an individual’s origin, skin color, creed, tradition, religious, or cultural beliefs.
UYO partners with Youth Activists Initiative Organization to offer the “Lesson for Life Program,” in which parenting skills and childhood development skills are emphasized. Supported also by the UK based Strategies for Hope Trust, the program is open to participants of all religious backgrounds as a way of fostering increased communication and cooperation between faiths.
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Interfaith Youth Circle of Cambodia, Svey Rieng, Cambodia
The Interfaith Youth Circle of Cambodia unites Christians and Buddhists to work together on issues concerning climate change, farming, poverty and migration. The Cooperation Circle provides a safe space for people of diverse faith backgrounds to address and solve their common problems. Because Cambodia is heavily impacted by intense flooding and farmland damage stemming from climate change, the resulting problems affect not only destruction of crops and loss of food security, but even school children’s ability to attend classes. As a result, many community families are at risk of inescapable poverty. In order to break the cycle, it is essential for people of all faiths to work together.
To help children and their families, the Interfaith Youth Circle of Cambodia provides education on climate change as well as fostering relationships with hiring companies and the Vietnamese government. Through both approaches, the Cooperation Circle is able to extend assistance to families staying in the area and also families choosing to migrate elsewhere.
