IDG Goal: Goal 1 – Strong Interfaith CooperationDespite being one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world, South Africa continues to experience social fragmentation along faith lines, with communities often living side by side without truly connecting. To begin bridging this gap, an intimate interfaith gathering was held, bringing together 8 participants aged …
A Common Word Among Youth
A global youth movement leading through action
About ACWAY
A Common Word Among the Youth is a global youth movement which brings together young people from a multitude of backgrounds to increase understanding of different cultures and faiths, promote peace and coexistence, by delivering local community activities.
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Fellows
OUR MISSION
THE PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL HARMONY BY:
Educating
the public in different religious beliefs and cultures, conflict resolution methods, and human rights, gender and environmental perspectives in intercultural and interfaith activism
Promoting knowledge
mutual understanding and respect of the beliefs and practices of different faiths and cultures.
Promoting activities
among young people to foster understanding between people from diverse backgrounds.
HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE ADVANCE IN LIFE THROUGH:
Providing support
for activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as active citizens.
ACWAY Fellow Activities
IDG Goal: Goal 1 – Strong Interfaith CooperationIn Dzaleka Refugee Camp, young people face a unique combination of challenges, climate vulnerability, social division across faith and cultural lines, and rising emotional stress, all without adequate spaces to process or respond to them. To address this, a youth-led initiative brought together 42 participants aged 16 to …
Malawi (Dzaleka Refugee Camp)
IDG Goal: Goal 8 – Religion as a Tool for PeaceRecognising that people across different faiths often struggle to find like-minded community members with whom they can reflect on shared concerns, this gathering brought together 25 Christians and Bahá'ís of combined age groups to focus on one of society's most pressing issues, the state of …
South Africa
IDG Goal: Goal 6 – Access to Interfaith Education and Religious LiteracyTribal and religious tensions, bullying, post-school violence, and a lack of cross-cultural religious literacy in the school curriculum have created deep divides among young people in Namibia. To tackle these issues head-on, a Cultural Diplomacy Seminar Workshop was held in Windhoek, bringing together 50 …
Namibia
IDG Goal: Goal 6 – Access to Interfaith Education and Religious LiteracyYoung people in Kenya largely lack structured opportunities to learn about faiths other than their own, with generational gaps, cultural barriers, and economic and digital divides all limiting meaningful youth interfaith engagement. To bridge this gap, a virtual engagement was held that brought together …
Kenya
IDG Goal: Goal 3 – Universal Freedom and Protection of ReligionIn South Africa, growing tensions between religious communities, state institutions, and legal frameworks, particularly around religious freedom, constitutional rights, and the state regulation of religion, highlighted an urgent need for structured dialogue. In response, a two-day national Colloquium on Religion and Law was convened, bringing …
South Africa
IDG Goal: Goal 6 - Access to Interfaith Education and Religious LiteracyIn hospitals across Canada, patients who speak languages other than English frequently face significant communication barriers that can lead to misdiagnosis, medication errors, and poor adherence to care plans. Recognising this gap firsthand as a physician, Dr Sukhmeet Sachal collaborated with a national language …
Canada
IDG Goal: Goal 7 – Cooperation with Non-Religious Actors In the business world, executives encounter colleagues from various faith backgrounds daily but receive little to no formal education on how to engage with them respectfully, a gap that creates missed opportunities and workplace tensions. To address this, 11 Executive MBA students ranging from their late twenties …
United States
Interfaith Development Goals
The Interfaith Development Goals (IDGs) were created to address a gap in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by specifically incorporating inter-religious and inter-cultural peace building, which is notably absent from UN SDG 16.
The IDGs complement five specific SDGs:
- SDG 5 (gender equality)
- SDG 10 (reduced inequalities)
- SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities)
- SDG 16 (peace and justice)
- SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals)
By highlighting the IDGs, the initiative aims to better recognize and showcase the crucial role that religious, faith-based, spiritual, and interfaith actors play in promoting peace and fostering harmony globally.
Latest News & Blog
What Our Community Is Saying
Real voices. Real impact. These are the people powering the movement.
“What I liked about ACWAYS sessions is the time where we interact and literally discuss our needs and wants to make life-changing projects, as well as the testimonies from previous fellows and the impact they have made in their communities. The bold conversation and realities we discuss, learning about different religions and culture and understanding intersectionality.”
“I liked the ACWAY sessions because they created a safe but intellectually stimulating space that provided me with so much hope. It was incredibly inspiring to be with so many young people who care and are actively working for the improvement of our societies. I learned that the very basic human characteristic of compassion can be a force for much good, especially when applied in simple yet practical community projects. I would 100% recommend ACWAY to other youth (and I already have)!”
“ I really valued the ACWAY sessions for their practical and reflective approach, especially learning about compassion, Interfaith Development Goals (IDGs) and how to translate advocacy into meaningful action. The sessions strengthened my understanding of interfaith collaboration and project planning for social impact. I am already applying these skills in my ACWAY project on Youth Ambassadors for Climate, Healing and Dialogue in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, and I would highly recommend the programme to others. ”