IEP21 Forum

June 17, 2007

to

June 24, 2007

INTER-CIVILIZATION YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

The Interreligious Engagement Project (IEP21) is pleased to endorse and to participate in this exciting project: an international youth camp, to be held June 17-24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The purpose of the gathering is to promote civilizational coexistence.

For more information about the youth camp, contact Abdullah Ahsan , project organizer.

For information about arranging the participation of youth (between 20 and 25 years of age) from North America or Europe, contact Jim Kenney , IEP21 Executive Director.

Introduction

Bewildering, frightening, hopeless–these are some of the expressions used by sensitive and caring people across the globe describing the world today. Youths in particular are caught up in an atmosphere of despair, when hope, aspiration and enthusiasm should be their driving force. More than any other age group, the future and the responsibilities ahead, belong to youths. It is their privilege to envision their life and roles with the promise of a better future, one rooted in justice and motivated by compassion, and to live with a spirit of togetherness and cherished co-existence with one and all, with the human family as well as the non-human family.

To prepare themselves for such a noble co-existence, they need to reach out and learn from one another. It will be significant and effective if they experience a real life situation of meaningful global exchange with various religious and cultural communities. The Inter-Civilization Youth Engagement program gives youths this opportunity. The program opens avenues for youths to know each other directly, to engage with one another on a person-to person basis, and help youths envision and map out concerted and concrete start-off points, and to continue and sustain the engagement through various global network apparatus. This allows the envisioned peaceful and meaningful future of co-existence, a chance to materialize.

Sometime ago two Chicago, USA, NGOs — Interreligious Engagement Project: A Network for the 21st Century (EP21) and World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations (WCMIR), approached JUST to explore the possibility of holding a conference to discuss civilizational relations. When we met to discuss, it occurred to us that instead of having academic discussions on the issue, it would be more useful to involve youth with workshops so input can be gathered from participants. We also believe that close interaction between experienced professors and the youth may lead to innovative ways to address these issues. Meanwhile Malaysia based ABIM expressed interest in joining the project. It is in this context that we are proposing to hold an international youth camp in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in June 2007.

Objectives:
a) To initiate and foster closer relationship and rapport among youths of various world civilizations.
b) To develop a deeper understanding of global challenges and how to cope with them.
c) To identify and examine values which can contribute to peaceful co-existence of various peoples on the globe.
d) To experience and share the essence and spirit of the Malaysian pluralistic co-existence - the muhibah.
e) To create a core group of concerned individuals in order to promote civilizational coexistence in the future.

Date: June 17 - 24, 2007

Venue: International Youth Center, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Participants:
About 150 youth between 20 and 25 years of age (both men and women) comprising from Malaysia (20), Asean countries (20), North East Asia (10), South Asia (10), Australasia (5), Latin America (10), Middle East (10), Sub-Saharan Africa (10), Central Asia (5), Europe (20), and North America (20).

Language of Communication: English.

Co-Organizers:
International Engagement Project 21 (IEP21), World Council of Muslim on Inter-Faith Relations (WCMIR), International Movement for a Just World (JUST), Muslim Youth Organization of Malaysia (ABIM) and International Youth Organization of Malaysia (IYC).

Sponsors:
Potential sponsoring organizations: Ministry of Youth, Malaysia; Tourism Ministry, Malaysia; Center for Civilizational Dialogue, Iran; Civilizational Center, Bahrain; etc. and other could be approached.

Participation is free. However non-Malaysian participants are expected to be responsible for their air-travel expenses to Kuala Lumpur.

TENTATIVE PROGRAM

17 - 24 June 2007 (Sunday - Sunday)

16/ 17 June 2007 (Saturday/ Sunday): Arrival of participants. Registration.

17 June 2007 (Sunday)

8.00 pm - 9.00 pm: Welcoming Reception
Introduction of committees, programs and schedule, housekeeping details

18 June 2007 (Monday)

7.00 am - 8.00 am: Breakfast/Physical Exercise

8.30 am - 10.00 am: Talk 1 - “Building a Universal Civilization of Peace”
Speaker: Prof. Chandra Muzaffar.

10.00 am -10.30 am: Refreshments

10.30 am - 12.30 pm: Interactive program with Speaker; Situation Report

12.30 pm - 2.30 pm: Lunch/ Free

2.30 pm - 4.30 pm: Workshops - Towards Building a Universal Civilization.
4.30 pm - 5.00 pm: Refreshments

5.00 pm - 7.00 pm: Outdoor activities.

8.80 pm -10.30 pm: Welcome Dinner and Malaysian Cultural Show

19 June 2007 (Tuesday)

7.00 am - 8.00 am: Breakfast/Physical Exercise

8.30 am - 10.00 am: Talk 3 - “Obstacles to Peace and Peaceful Coexistence”
Speaker: Karen Armstrong

10.00 am -10.30 am: Refreshments

10.30 am - 12.30 pm: Interactive program with Speaker - Situation Report

12.30 pm - 2.30 pm: Lunch/ Free

2.30 pm - 4.30 pm: Workshops - Towards Building a Universal Civilization.
4.30 pm - 5.00 pm: Refreshments

5.00 pm - 7.00 pm: Outdoor activities.

8.00 pm - 10.30 pm: Dinner and Malaysian Youth Council Program

20 June 2007 (Wednesday)

7.00 am - 8.00 am: Breakfast/Physical Exercise

8.30 am - 10.00 am: Talk 3 - “The Role of Religion in the Life of Civilization”
Speaker: Prof. Irfan A. Khan (WCMIR)a

10.00 am -10.30 am: Refreshments

10.30 am - 12.30 pm: Interactive program with Speaker - Situation Report

12.30 pm - 1.30 pm: Lunch/ Free

2.00 pm - 7.00 pm: Visit - Putra Jaya

8.00 pm - 10.30 pm Hosted Dinner — Video on Malaysian Multi-cultural Life

21 June 2007 (Thursday)

7.00 am - 8.00 am: Breakfast/Physical Exercise

8.30 am - 10.00 am: Talk 4 - “Youth and the Future”
Speaker: Dr. Jim Kenney (IEP21)

10.00 am -10.30 am: Refreshments

10.30 am - 12.30 pm: Interactive program with Speaker - Situation Report

12.30 pm - 2.30 pm: Lunch/ Free

2.30 pm - 4.30 pm: Workshops - Towards Building a Universal Civilization.
4.30 pm - 5.00 pm: Refreshments

5.00 pm - 7.00 pm: Outdoor activities.

8.00 pm. - 10.30 pm Dinner and Stage Show by Participants

22 June 2007 (Friday):

7.00 am - 8.00 am: Breakfast/Physical Exercise

8.30 am - 10.00 am: Talk 5 - “Harnessing Strength for Building Peace”
Speaker: Dr. Kamar Oniah Kamaruzaman

10.00 am -10.30 am: Refreshments

10.30 am - 12.00 pm: Interactive program with Speaker - Situation Report

12.00 pm - 1.00 pm: Lunch

1.00 pm - 7.00 pm: Visit — (participants to choose visit to one of the following:

Mosque, Church, Buddhist Temple, Hindu Temple, Taoist Temple, Sikh Gurdwara)

8.30 pm - 10.30 pm: Dinner and Interactive Slot - building networks

23 June 2007 (Saturday)

7.00 am - 8.00 am: Breakfast/Physical Exercise

8-30 am - 10.30 pm: Discussions and Action Plan

10.30 am - 11.00 am: Refreshments

11.00 am - 12.00 n: Presentation of Action Plan/Resolutions

12.00 n - 12.30 pm: Closing

12.30 pm - 1.30 pm: Lunch

1.30 pm - 7.00 pm: Post Seminar Tour/ Shopping

24 June 2007 (Sunday):
Departure for Home

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 21st, 2006 at 10:54 am and is filed under Events, Conferences, Global Initiatives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.