About the Conference:
“No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youths severs its lifetime”.
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in his address to the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, Lisbon, 8 August 1998.
Young people are a major force in the contemporary world. They are at the forefront of global, social, economic, political and religious developments. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, young people have a unique perspective. How our societies progress is determined, among other things, on how much the youths are involved in building and designing the future. Young people are very powerful instruments in promoting global peace, social harmony, friendship and sustainable partnerships. When properly educated, well informed, mobilized and positively engaged, young people can initiate actions that would bring about unprecedented societal growth and development. Religion on other hand, has the capacity of facilitating the attainment of appropriate standards of excellence, motivating and equipping a compassionate response and influencing decision-makers at various strata of society to become effective and powerful voices and agents for the promotion and sustenance of peace and social justice.
The International Conference on Information, Youth, Faith and Service is committed to informing, educating, uniting, equipping and mobilizing tomorrow’s leaders to become responsible and active agents for social change, transformation and renewal, by the provision of clear service opportunities that honor and appreciate their gifts and abilities.
Conference Theme:
The Conference theme of “Building Bridges Through Interreligious Dialogue and Youth Service” will promote collaboration and build bridges of love, trust and sustainable friendship among religious diverse young people, emphasizing the vital roles information and religious dialogue and active youth participation can play in reducing global conflicts and bringing about the establishment of a just, loving and more habitable world. The Conference will provide a forum for discussion on local, national and international issues of common concern. Highlights include dynamic presentations covering issues of universal responsibility, peace and disarmament, social ethics, youth participation and the quest for human happiness. The Conference will highlight the vital role of information, religion and young people in bridging differences between peoples and helping us to resolve some of the common problems that threaten the very foundations of our collective human existence and our inevitable future. The Conference will promote and encourage individuals and organizations around the world to share the values common to their faith traditions in service, dialogue, music and the arts. Participants will visit historical sites, important religious centers and other tourist sites within Plateau State of Nigeria. The Conference will facilitate our efforts at establishing an International Interfaith Youth Forum that will provide a platform for religious young people to constantly meet and discuss in depth ways to eliminate the rhetoric of hate and to end violence perpetrated in the name of religion as well as eliminating the predictable back biting, gossip and mistrust and hatred that flourish when interfaith is absent.
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