All high school age faith groups are invited to come and join with 150 to 175 other high school students from various faith traditions to participate in the Interfaith Youth Council of Orange County‘s Annual Interfaith Youth Forum.

The purpose of this Interfaith Youth Forum is to bring together young people from diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, and to engage them in dialogue. True dialogue is a conversation on a common subject between two or more persons of differing points of view and/or backgrounds. This dialogue’s purpose is two-fold: first, for each participant to learn from the other so that he or she can understand and grow; second, for each participating adult to learn from the young what they think, what their concerns are, and how they deal with differing points of view. We feel that this commitment to dialogue will affect relationships in a constructive way in our places of worship and in our community.

The forum itself involves having eight high school-age kids and one adult youth leader around each table to discuss a common question.

Our intent is to make each discussion group as religiously diverse as possible. Our youth leaders act as facilitators, but it is stressed that it is the students we want to hear from. The facilitator is there only to encourage the dialogue.

The forum will be followed by the Faith festival where families of the participants are welcomed to join. This event will include and Art gallery display of the teens, highlighting their expressions of faith.

Faith Forum:

11:00am-3:00pm (High School Students only) This Year’s Theme “Merging Worlds” Students are encourage to prep for the Interfaith Forum in advance

2016 Interfaith Youth Forum Questions

1. Has the generational divide between you and your parents affected the way you practice your faith/beliefs at home? a. In terms of your faith/beliefs how is your life different from your grandparents’?
b. How is your life different from what perhaps your grandchildren’s lives will be?

2. Throughout its history has your religious experienced migration? If so, how and why?
a. How does your faith’s/beliefs’ ideology tell you to respond to the current Syrian refugee crisis?

3. How is your faith participating in efforts to coexist with other faiths?
a. Have you experienced coexistence of faiths in your community?
b. What, if anything, have you learned today that you could take with you?

Faith Festival:

To celebrate our 12th year of hosting the Interfaith Youth Forum, IYCOC will be holding the Faith Festival Portion of the event on Sunday March 13th, 2016 3:00pm-5:00pm at The Pacifica Institute 18022 Cowan, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92614 (Family Event: All are welcome!)

Art includes any painting, illustration, sculpture, photography or other visual art, or one of many different performing arts, including but not limited to singing, dancing, instrumental music, storytelling, etc. All high school students in Orange County are eligible to enter – groups or individuals. Event features booths for each faith group to offer information, food booths, and live presentations by the teens in art, photography, music, dance and song.

High School Students are encouraged to showcase their talents and expression of Faith through Art, Music, and Dance by filling and Submitting the online form at here


Interfaith Youth Festival in OC

 

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