Religious Youth Service

Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka - In a village that suffered some of the most brutal fighting of the Sri Lanka civil war, Religious Youth Service brought 43 people from four religious traditions to help build a community center as part of a service-learning project from December 16-22.

Lumbini, Nepal - The Universal Peace Federation opened its service project in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, on December 1, the same day the government of Nepal launched a campaign to promote tourism and development of its key Buddhist shrines.

St. Petersburg, Russia - The cultural capital of Russia and home of notable Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist places of worship, St. Petersburg has the potential to become a "city of interfaith harmony," according to local UPF organizers. They are planning a Religious Youth Service project in the city during World Interfaith Harmony Week, from the end of January through early February 2012.

Sri Lanka was torn by civil strife from 1983 to 2009 between the minority Tamils in the north and east and the majority Sinhalese population in the rest of the country. Religious Youth Service has been countering this ethnic strife by providing an environment wherein youth can rise above doctrinal differences, unite in activities of service and learning, and develop leadership abilities that enable them to help create a culture of peace. Since 1992, it has been offering Sri Lankans a model of how ethnic, religious, and even political differences can be bridged.

Religious Youth Service has been organizing interfaith service-learning projects for youth in various parts of Thailand for more than two decades. Here is a sampling of reports.

Nepal is a multiethnic and multireligious society, with 81 percent of its people Hindu, 11 percent Buddhist, and 4 percent Muslim. The Buddha was born in what is now Nepal, and there are both Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the country. Since 2002, Religious Youth Service has been organizing service-learning programs to build understanding, respect, and cooperation among the nation's diverse communities.

Malaysia is a unique nation that works hard to create an environment of religious cooperation among its people of Malay, Indian, and Chinese origins. The service-learning projects of Religious Youth Service have been facilitating that since 1993.

I came across a T-shirt from a group that I started with some friends at the University of the West Indies called UWISE. We had no money and few resources, but great ambition. We wanted to revolutionize how people conceived clubs on campus and what they conceived universities students as a whole to be. I remember how proud we were of our first batch of T-shirts with the slogan "The Revolution Has Begun – Join The Vision."

Colombo, Sri Lanka - RYS-Sri Lanka is organizing a service-learning project in Divulagamana – a war-affected village in the Pollonnaruwa district about 300 km from Colombo. The village is dependent on agriculture. Scheduled for December 16 to 22, the project will accommodate 40 volunteers from diverse cultures and religions.

Yekaterinburg, Russia - The Yekaterinburg student who sent a hand-made gift for a Georgian student delivered during the Religious Youth Service Project there during the summer received a gift in return during a celebration of the International Day of Peace on September 22. Appropriately, the celebration was entitled “Ural – Georgia: we’ll remain friends.”  

Novosibirsk, Russia - I always felt inspired by the slogan: “It’s me who is responsible for the future!” And the future of Russia depends on friendship and understanding among people of different nations and religions. Our youth project “Cherish Friendship, Create a Park of Peace” in Siberia August 15-21 is the living proof of it.

Kochi, India - Based on the theme of ‘Together for Tomorrow’, a Religious Youth Service International project in Kochi, India was held August 9-15, 2011 with the participation of 26 people from five countries: South Korea, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and India. The core topics RYS-Kochi project focused on were sustainable development and environmental awareness.

Anse-la-Raye, St. Lucia - On August 2, a group of seven American young people arrived in St. Lucia, leaving behind their comfortable lives in the US for an 11-day service-learning experience in the small fishing village of Anse-la-Raye in this Caribbean island nation.

Colombo, Sri Lanka - Three students of the Amal International School Sri Lanka, masters Azeez Abubakr, Rehman Abubakr, and Fazal Mohamed, who are coveted recipients of second place in the international ThinkQuest Digital Media competition, are members of Religious Youth Service-Sri Lanka and won a trip to San Francisco, California, where they will participate in ThinkQuest workshops.

Zugdidi, Georgia - The Religious Youth Service project "Peace in South Caucasus: Unity through Actions of Love and Service" was held July 16 to 25 at Zugdidi in western Georgia. Twenty participants and eight staff members from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cote d'Ivoire, Georgia, and Russia lived and worked together as an interfaith and international community.