The religious pluralism organization Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC.org) encourages university students to become interfaith activists. Eboo Patel, who is a member of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is the founder and director of the international nonprofit IFYC, which is based in Chicago.
The 21st-Century Religious Divide
IFYC.org views what it calls the “faith line” as one of the primary obstacles facing the world in the 21st century. Whereas one of the biggest problems of the last century had to do with racial divides, one of the primary issues of the current era has to do with ideological divides. People around the world are increasingly separated along religious lines.
Interestingly, the IFYC explains religious divides have less to do with religious affiliation (or non-affiliation, for that matter) and more to do with disagreements between fundamentalists and progressives. The organization remarks, “The faith line does not divide people of divergent faith traditions, or religious people from secular people. Instead, this line divides religious totalitarians from religious pluralists.”
Interfaith Youth Core Mission and Purpose
The Interfaith Youth Core targets religious toleration and activism efforts at college-age students. The organization strives to foster and mentor community leaders of tomorrow who are sensitive to issues of religious understanding and inclusiveness.
“There are millions of religious young people in the world interacting with greater frequency,” the IFYC explains. “That interaction tends either toward conflict or cooperation. Where so many of these interactions tend towards conflict, the Interfaith Youth Core aims to introduce a new relationship, one that is about mutual respect and religious pluralism.”
American Muslim Eboo Patel, leader of the interfaith activist organization, describes how the nonprofit encourages young people to embrace their own religious tradition, especially the aspects of their faith that encourage good works and service, and recognize similar teachings in other religions.
In an interview with FaithfullyLiberal.com, Patel comments, “We bring together young people from diverse faith traditions for service projects, asking these young people to express how the scripture, stories, rituals and heroes of their particular tradition speak to these projects.”
IFYC Programs and Resources
The Interfaith Youth Core organizes various programs and resources for post-secondary students and offers ideas and tips for them to get involved with religious pluralism activism and cooperation. The nonprofit has campus training programs for students and staff, partnerships between the organization and universities, intern and fellow programs, conferences, and international programs.
IFYC.org also includes leadership resources, accessible through its website, for youth who wish to become active in religious tolerance initiatives on their college campuses.
A Leader in the Interfaith Movement
The Interfaith Youth Core is an organization at the forefront of the interfaith movement. Summing up its commitment to inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, the nonprofit states its purpose “surpasses mere tolerance of diversity and requires that people of different religions affirm their distinct beliefs while making commitments to one another and the world we share. Three components which hold true for a pluralist society are respect for religious identity, mutually inspiring relationships, and common action for the common good.”
Sources:
Interfaith Youth Core, IFYC.org. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
Interview: Interfaith Youth Core Director Eboo Patel, FaithfullyLiberal.com. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
Aimee Larsen Stoddard - Aimee is a professional writer/editor. She has a BA in English and is currently completing an MS in Theology.
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