On December 4th, URI Europe hosted a community call titled “Together We Thrive: Young Leaders Shaping URI Europe’s Future.” The event was well attended, with participants representing a diverse range of age groups, cultures, religions, and countries from across Europe, the USA, Asia, and South Africa.
The primary focus of the session was youth engagement, mentorship of young leaders, and youth-led activities. The call provided valuable opportunities for networking and fostering ideas for future collaboration, particularly regarding the involvement of youth in shaping URI Europe’s future initiatives.
While the call was hosted by the European team, we strongly believe in the principles of shared leadership and co-creation. As such, four of our youth leaders from the Netherlands, Albania, and Bulgaria, all part of the URI Europe Facilitators Cohort 2024, co-hosted and led the event, sharing their insights and experiences with participants.
During 2024, many young people from diverse Coordinating Circles (CCs), countries, and religious backgrounds were actively involved in various online and face-to-face activities organized by the URI Global Office. We had the opportunity to hear from some of the youth facilitators and participants who were involved in key youth-led projects, including:
Key Youth-Led Projects in 2024:
The Interfaith Youth Camp 2024 – “Seeding the Peace”
- The camp's concept and leadership team formation were presented by Silvia, Steven, Marvina, Silvia, and Ina.
- Participants shared their experiences before and during the camp, which brought together young people from 4 different CCs and countries across Europe.
- A presentation on the camp's outcomes and activities was shared by Neart from and Vladi.
- Additionally, we highlighted URI Europe’s ongoing youth activities in Bulgaria (interfaith weekend) and the Netherlands (monthly youth meetings).
Looking Ahead to 2025:
URI Europe Opportunities for 2025
Interfaith youth projects and camp are among the priority for URI Europe for the next year. We discussed the potential for new partnerships and collaboration in youth-focused initiatives for 2025.
URI Global Youth Strategy and Opportunities for 2025
Sarah Oliver, Director of Global Youth and Learning Coordinator at URI’s Global Office, co-hosted the call and provided valuable insights into the global youth strategy. As a mentor of the URI Europe Youth Cohort 2024, Sarah also shared perspectives on how URI’s global network can support youth initiatives and provide opportunities for young leaders in the coming year.
We were pleased to have Maria Lucia Uribe Torres, the executive director of Arigatou International Geneva, attend the call. She expressed a strong willingness to continue and deepen the partnership between Arigatou International and URI Europe. She also shared her enthusiasm for exploring the development of the 2025 youth camp, with a focus on expanding international collaboration to enhance the impact of the project in Europe.
We are deeply grateful to all those who participated in this call and contributed to the vibrant discussions. Your dedication to youth-led projects and the continued success of URI Europe is greatly appreciated. We look forward to further collaboration and growth in 2025.
For those who were unable to attend, a recording of the session is available on the URI Europe YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIZBZ_-Ua84
Thank you once again for your participation and ongoing support.
