International Youth Forum 2008

International Youth Forum

Building a Peaceful World:

Learning a New Global Relationship with Moslem Communities

Initiatives of Change – Indonesia

Bandung, Indonesia, January 2008

Background

After the Cold War era, post 9/11 tragedy, Afghanistan and Iraq war; there has been a growing challenge in the world on the relation with Moslem communities and Islam as a whole. The clash of civilisations syndrome and a situation of Islam phobia are posing even physical security threats to Moslem. Unfortunately many were not ready to learn about this, added with misinformation and bad publication, resulting Islam as the world’s new challenge. This has gone from bad to worse when many too assumed that Islam is the terrorist. These prejudices were escalated by many violent terrorist acts that based their actions on the name of Islam. As a result, there’s a kind of negative stereotype on Moslem communities all over the world.

The challenges itself are not on how non Moslem community sees Moslem, it also happened the other way around. Many Moslems find difficulties in adjusting themselves in a secular world where they have to share their values to live in a non Islam culture. This is where conflict starts. Non Moslem has to learn and respect Islam and its values, and Moslem has to cope with non Islam environment that sometimes conflict their own values. The main problem is the lack of information on what Islam is really about and lack of communication between Moslem and non-Moslem.

As the ones who lived in both side of the communities, youth today often find difficulties in facing this problem. However we believe that youth can be the answer for the gap as they can communicate to both communities. As the agent of change, we need to empower youth to be able to bridge these conflicting values. The question then is how can we empower them with tools that strengthen their own values and at the same time able to accept different ones?

Indonesia as one of the countries with the biggest Moslem people has been dealing with the problem of pluralism ever since it’s independence in 1945. Having 637 different ethnic groups scattered in more than 13,000 islands, with 6 recognized religions and local beliefs, have made Indonesia one of the countries that basically live with pluralism. Although youth in Indonesia have to face the same challenges on conflicting values, they seem to be able to practically live with differences and show the other face of a peaceful Islam. This then raises the second question, what is the different value on pluralism of Indonesian youth and how can it be shared to other fellow youth across the globe? How can Moslem youth and other faith traditions play a more active role in initiating and sustaining inter-religious efforts? What obstacles in the current framework for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation efforts need to be overcome to ensure stronger networks for peace? The event of this youth forum will be based on these questions. We hope to see and offer some learning through insightful and true conversations and sharing among participants to collaborate and see how new spirit and youth power emerges from the forum.

For a common future all stakeholders ought to work for reform to sustainable peace from the perspective of ecology and humanity. International Youth Forum (IYF) 2008 will offer unique opportunities for thoughts and evolving a future oriented action plans. At the end, we will suggest the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as our common ground in taking those action plans. During the forum, the participant will meet and share their experience through various exciting sharing methods about the issue.

This program is initiated by a group of exciting young people who are engaged and involved in Initiatives of Change – Indonesia (IofC Indonesia) and shall be held in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Initiatives of Change - Indonesia since its inception in 2002 has been in building capacity of youth and promoting exchange, cooperation and solidarity. Initiatives of Change - Indonesia has organized national and international training workshop in Indonesia.

General Objective

This Forum has the goal to promote mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation among youth leaders in the Moslem and other world faiths communities through real conversations on what things that matter the most, so that they can be the agents of a peaceful change in their own communities.

Expected Program Output

§ To publish a guide book for youth who are living in countries that have challenges with Moslem communities, based on experiences and stories that are told during the event.

§ To learn and find new ways and at the same time sharing fellow youth about peaceful Islam, especially from Indonesian context.

§ To build youth’s awareness and sensitivity on interfaith dialogue.

§ Sharing experiences of peaceful living together in the past

§ Create and join the available network of independent Interfaith Youth intellectuals/leaders of civil society.

Expected Long Term Outcomes/Change

§ Increased understanding and appreciation of Islam and other faith traditions

§ Friendship between and among youth leaders.

§ Reducing the stereotyping of each other especially in a conflict situation

§ An ongoing process of dialogue between leaders of Moslem and other faith communities in the region/international that can be both preventive and proactive in reducing and eliminating tensions.

Theme

The grand theme of the forum: “The True Side of Peaceful Islam” with the sub theme “Learning a new Global Relationship with Moslem Communities from Indonesian Perspective.”

And the grand theme will be divided into 4 plenary sessions:

1. The Images of Islam at the Present Time
2. The Real Essence of Islam for Peace
3. Youth Empowerment in the New Millennium
4. Searching for a Common Ground: Strengthening Youth Participation on Millennium Development Goal’s

Follow Up and Evaluation

A number of strategic planning’s are being employed to ensure that youth's commitments are sustained in the longer term and resulted in practical actions. There will be a daily evaluation, to monitoring the progress of the camp. The Both of Individuals and NGOs will have an opportunity also to make pledges for action at the end of the camp. The project officer committee will follow up with individuals via personal, phone or email communications to ensure and encourage these pledges are acted upon.

Program Format

This program will offer talk show plenary sessions, quiet time, the world café, appreciative inquiry, field trips, social work with local Moslem community, open space technology, personal reflection time, cultural night, family group, and cultural night.

Expected Participants

The IYF 2008 aims to reach out 300 young people ages of 18-30 from around the world that has been actively engaged or interested in this program. The target group takes into account nationality, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliation and geography. It attempts to achieve a balanced composition.