The aim of the project is to promote a better understanding of, and to work towards reconciliation between, Christians, Jews and Muslims by offering young people an opportunity for encounter by way of educational exchange visits between the Holy Land and England.
Twelve young people between the ages of 16 and 18; four Christians, four Jews and four Muslims, with an equal balance between boys and girls, will travel to Jerusalem in August 1999 where they will meet a similar group for a ten day Encounter. The visit to Israel will include a 36 hour desert experience and time spent with Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam plus opportunities for encounter with Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities. The following year, in August 2000, the group from Israel will visit East London for a similar experience of encounter together with the London group.
Prior to both Encounters, the groups will take part in a preparation programme which will involve both cognitive and experiential input. Both during the preparation programme and the Encounters there will be group interaction and group development work to include basic principles of dialogue and conflict management techniques. This aspect of the programme will be facilitated by experienced staff in these fields. There will, of course, also be time for visits to places of worship and historical interest and for fun.
Throughout the preparation, Encounter and follow-up process the group will be facilitated by youth workers from the three Faiths, making six in all; three from Jerusalem and three from London.
The schools and colleges are presently in the process of nominating their students in order that the process of individual fundraising can begin. While funds are being sought to cover the cost of the youth workers and provide bursaries for those students with difficulty in finding the funds, it is hoped that most of the money will be raised by the students themselves. The present estimated cost is œ750 per student which will cover a 15 month programme including two sets of preparation workshops, two residential Encounters and one return flight.
It is hoped that this project will become a rolling programme for those schools involved and if seen to be successful, it is a model which can be repeated in other areas.
We see the benefits of the project to be threefold:
a) The participants will have learned about the faith and lives of people from different faiths and cultures through an experiential encounter; they will have developed an awareness of the complexities of multi-faith and multi-cultural living; have acquired a greater ability to contribute in a positive way to society; and have developed in self-confidence and personal worth.Anne Davisonb) The School Community will have gained: a valuable learning resource for all students taking Religious Studies; an opportunity and an impetus to develop links with other schools and local faith community groups; and a valuable learning resource to be drawn from by the school community, e.g. Assemblies, PSE, Parents'Evenings.
c) The Wider Community benefits through the experience of individuals and communities who have participated in an encounter across faiths and cultures, which will help towards future peace and understanding.
