From 01st to 06th of August, Albania, Bulgaria, Belgium and the Netherlands were joined forces to create a safe space for teenagers and build an international community of young people interested in interreligious dialogue and cooperation. The reason was the youth camp in partnership between URI Europe, URI Global, Colorful Segroek CC, Udhetim I Lire CC, Bridges CC and Voem CC.
The aim of the project is to foster multicultural friendships between nearly 30 young people (aged 14-17) and to strengthen partnerships between the participants and their leaders from the 4 partner countries. All participants are from different religious traditions and cultures and come together to work together for peace and eco-justice.
,,Bridges” association is the initiator and creator of the form of interreligious camps for children, and for the first time it was held in 2016 in the city of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria and was realized with the support of the municipal administration, religious leaders from Stara Zagora and Kazanlak. Gradually, the idea is gaining more and more popularity and goes beyond Bulgaria, as for the first time it will be in such a wide partnership composition.
,,We chose the theme “Seeding the Peace” to focus on the understanding of peace and to give participants the opportunity to connect, share their experiences, learnings and visions to build a world of peace through creativity, dialogue and environmental justice. We want the camp to be a safe and secure place where we can put into practice the peace we imagine”, says Angelina Vladikova, chairwoman of the “Bridges” association.
The camp was held in The Hague, Netherlands – the international city of peace and justice, from 1 to 6 August 2024 in a Catholic monastery in the city center just a few minutes from the Royal Palace. During the 5 days, participants were engaged in various educational activities, seminars and interactive games covering 5 thematic areas:
Day 1: Building friendships of trust
Day 2: Creating a culture for interfaith dialogue
Day 3: Environmental and Social Justice
Day 4: Understanding Peace Through Creativity and Art
Day 5: Joint Action, Peace in Action
Participants are selected based on their interest in interfaith dialogue, peace and environmental issues, and social justice, as well as their connections to the respective partnering organizations.
The entire program is entirely built by the team of youth leaders of the partner countries, with the help of the guidance of the URI Director of Youth and part of the URI Europe team. There is also a special session dedicated to art and the relationship between creativity, the topic of environmental protection and peace, which will be specially led by His Royal Highness Prince Boris of Saxe-Coburg.
More information you can see on the Facebook page of our colleagues: https://www.facebook.com/bridges.forum
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