What:
My project was a workshop day aimed at educating young people about the three Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam), and creating the opportunity for interfaith dialogue and learning in a safe and open environment.
Who:
The event was advertised to youth between the ages of 11-14 all across Toronto, primarily through Scouting channels, such as our council website (http://gtc.scouts.ca/) and word of mouth. On the day of the event, we had 20 registered participants, and two parents show up and stay for the entirety of the day to learn with their children. We also had 14 youth volunteers from Toronto Scouts help run the event. The entire day was planned and executed by youth under the age of 26.
When/Where:
The event took place on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at a church in the Scarborough-Agincourt Area of Toronto, Canada. This location was strategically chosen because it has the highest percentage of immigrants in the entire country, with a demographic comprising seven major ethnic groups and speaking 11 different
languages.
How:
The workshop day involved speakers from three different community organizations: Power to Change (a Christian group), Solel (a Jewish congregation), and ISNA (a Muslim high school). Each organization delivered a one-hour long workshop involving the following elements:
personal story about faith
Q&A, common misconceptions
quick history of faith, main principles/figures/symbols
day-to-day: holidays, practices
activity/game to help aid with understanding
real world issues and faith dimensions to problems and solutions
religious garments, special foods, songs