A constant reminder in peacebuilding is to take a step back and re-evaluate how bridges are being built and what kind of peace is needed. Encouraging productive and inclusive conversations crossing divides of faith, language, and culture builds strong human connections as the basis of any future collaboration. This kind of dialogue is nearly universally identified as a necessary first step, but also one of the hardest.
URI’s youth are vanguards of driving and expanding such quality dialogue, seeking out intentional spaces and making them their own. Just as many different people must come together for peace, peace in itself is not a finite goal but a concept that everyone views and approaches in different ways. A recent URI youth peace camp in South Korea brought together young Buddhists, Chondogyos, Mormons, Muslims, Agnostics, Anglicans, Hindus, other faiths, and various nationalities. As a youth member from Kashi Foundation CC remarked, being in a space dedicated to questioning and probing peace together taught the attendees about self-identification, the relationship between religion and politics, the place of interfaith dialogue and action, their communities’ challenges, and more—often simply through passing conversation.
For more inspiration for better conversations for peace, read on for an account from the URI South Korea Peace Camp!
