The focus of "GOAL - Giving Opportunity to Aspiring Leaders" is to expose young people to others of the same age group who come from different backgrounds and belief systems, in order to engender understanding with the knowledge that, where there is understanding (a realization of a common goal and co-operation), there is a legacy of peace and a sense of making things better than we found them.
Tapping into the global network of youth development gives "GOAL - Giving Opportunity to Aspiring Leaders" members an opportunity to grow and learn, and also to identify constructive ways they can give back to the world.
One of the biggest areas of focus for this Cooperation Circle (CC) is the creation, through their camps and events, of a safe place where young people can comfortably express their questions without fear and receive honest, open answers. They believe that we cannot understand each other unless we are free to ask “awkward” questions, and we cannot help others to understand us unless we are able to face and answer the awkward questions in a spirit of compassionate dialogue.
The group’s biggest highlight so far was a visit to New York. The youth leadership has been selected to attend a Summer Camp Intensive in Holmes, New York, and the exposure to other faiths, other cultures and other foods was memorable. Another highlight has been being together in a safe space to dialogue, especially when there are religious and national tensions.
Getting to know people on a very deep level in a very short period of time is something they highly value. As members of URI, they create a safe space for people to ask their questions and to share in an environment of trust. They also bring the lack of fatherhood into higher awareness as they want to be present for the fatherless children, helping them in some way. They also work to continue to instill and develop leadership skills and show new leaders how, where and when they can take these skills back into their communities.
