2013WorldInterfaithHarmonyWeekPrizeReport

Event:2013DCYoungAdultFaithLeadersSummitOrganizer:FaithinActionDCContact:JackGordonjack@faithinactiondc.comEventSummary:

OnFebruary9,2013,adiversegroupofnearly100emergingleaders(ages18‐35)fromreligious communities throughout theWashingtonDCarea gathered for the first‐everDCYoungAdultFaithLeadersSummit.Representatives fromdozensof communities,organizations,and institutionsattendedtheDCYAFLS, includingBahá’í,Buddhist,Catholic,Hindu,Humanist, Jewish,Latter‐DaySaints, Muslim, Protestant, Sikh, Zoroastrian, as well as participants with no specificreligiousaffiliationormultipleaffiliations.At the Summit, the young leaders (clergy, activists, program directors, etc) dialoguedabout their faith traditions, shared experiencesmobilizing their peers for service andsocial justice, and strategized about how they could more effectively work togetheracrossfaithlines.Recognizing the urgent importance of interfaith cooperation and the role of youngpeople in its leadership,Washington D.C.'sMayor Vincent Gray personally addressedthegathering.AkeynoteaddresswasalsogivenbyRev.BrendaGirton‐MitchelloftheWhiteHouseOfficeofFaith‐basedandNeighborhoodPartnerships.GoalsoftheSummit:Byholdingthissummit,theorganizerssoughttoraiseupWashingtonD.C.,ournation'scapital, as a national and international model of interfaith cooperation, inspiring thenextgenerationofleaderstoworkacrossfaithlines.Recognizing that change‐makers like our Summit attendees already have manyresponsibilities and commitments to their own communities, the coordinating groupplanned this one‐day event to be a uniqueoccasion for focuseddialogueon subjectsthat related directly to their work and interests: specifically, how moral/religiousmotivationscan inspiresocialaction. Theprogramwasorganizedaroundsmall‐groupdiscussionsthatprovidedanintimatesettingforourdiverseparticipantstotrulygettoknow one another. These groups were arranged by neighborhood to increase thelikelihoodofongoingcommunicationbetweenparticipantsbeyondthesummit.

Outcomes:CommunitySupportThe Summit had tremendous buy‐in from a broad range of partners: the Latter‐DaySaintsDC2ndYoungAdultWardhostedtheeventattheirchapel;volunteersfromTheGuruGobindSinghSikhcommunityprovidedavegetarianIndianlunch,whileTikkunLeilShabbat, a local Jewish group, provided eco‐friendly, reusable dishes; GeorgetownUniversity,aJesuitCatholicinstitution,tookcareofthephotocopyingandpaperneeds;furtherfinancialassistancewasgenerouslyprovidedbytheLocalSpiritualAssemblyoftheBahá'ísofWashingtonD.C.,theSokaGakkaiInternational‐USABuddhistCommunity,andWORDE/TheInternationalCulturalCenter,aMuslim‐inspiredorganization.AttendanceOver 110 individuals eagerly inquired and registered for the summit. The number ofattendees on the day of the event was between 70‐80. Along with those physicallypresent,arobustonlinedialogueoccurredinparalleltotheday'ssessions,allowingforan even larger group of participants (both locally and nationally) to join theconversations. These participants represented more than a dozen distinct faithtraditionsandover70organizations,institutions,andlocalreligiouscommunities.SpecialGuestSpeakersWashingtonD.C.'sMayorVincentGrayenthusiasticallyagreedtoaddressourgathering.Inhisspeech,MayorGrayspokeoftherapidlychangingdemographicsofthecityandhowitisvitaltoembraceincreasing,inevitablemulticulturalism.Atthesametime,themayor urged the assembled emerging leaders to ensure their communities continueprovidingacomplementofdirectservicesandsustainablepoverty‐reductionprogramsforvulnerablepopulationsthatarebeingpushedtothemargins.Laterintheprogram,Rev.BrendaGirton‐MitchellandhercolleagueRev.KenBedell,oftheWhiteHouseOfficeofFaith‐BasedandNeighborhoodPartnerships,addressedthesummit.Rev.Girton‐Mitchelllaudedthegoalsofthegathering,evennotingthatcallingit a "summit" ‐‐ as opposed to a "retreat" ‐‐ spoke to the focus on communityengagement and moving forward. She advised our young participants that the bestqualities of a leader are self‐reflection and the ability to continually involve morepeople,particularlywhenitcomestoservice.Additionally,JoelleNoveyofInterfaithPower&Lightledadiscussionoftheintersectionof religious values and environmental stewardship; and Rev. Dr. Clark Lobenstine,ExecutiveDirectoroftheInterFaithConferenceofMetropolitanWashington,invitedallattendeestojoinwiththisveteranorganizationinthefuture.SocialMediaAcknowledging the valueof socialmedia in reaching thenext generationof interfaithchampions,theDCYAFLSorganizersmadesureopportunitieswerealsoavailableonlineto converse about the Summit. On Thursday, February 7th, two days before thesummit, organizers facilitated a one‐hour Twitter chat with the assistance of The

Interfaith Alliance focused on engaging youth in interfaith work. The chat builtenthusiasm for the Summit and includedparticipants fromall over theUnited States.During the summit itself, a dedicated social media team posted updates regularlythroughouttheday,encouragingconversationwithsupportersbeyondtheactualevent.TweetsfromthroughoutthedaywerethencompiledintoasuccinctoverviewoflessonslearnedfromtheSummit,viatheonlineplatformStorify.InclusionoftheArtsAfter the conclusion of the DCYAFLS, a celebration was held at the community artsvenueBloombarsinWashingtonD.C.Thepartywasopentothepublicandprovidedanopportunity for Summit participants to invite their friends to meet one another andshare their artistic talents. An open mic featured artists from numerous faithbackgroundswhosharedmusic,poetry,andcomedy. Additionally,anexhibitionfromtheFaithinActionDCmultimediaprojectwasheldintheBloombarsgallery,displayingphotographsoflocaldiversepeopleoffaithservingtheircommunities.ThisexhibitionpreviewwillbepartofalargerexhibitionthatwilltourtheWashingtonD.C.arealaterthisyear.MediaCoverageNationalPublicRadioaffiliateWAMU88.5FMfeaturedaprofileoftheDCYoungAdultFaith Leaders Summit including interviewswith organizers JackGordon andGretchenRydin.TheprogramairedonMonday,February11th,duringthemorningnews,apeaktimeforlisteners,andwasheardthroughouttheDCmetropolitanarea.DCYAFLS leadorganizerJackGordonwroteanarticleforTheHuffingtonPostdetailingthe background and motivations of the Summit, which was published on Tuesday,February19th.TheChurchofJesusChristofLatter‐DaySaintsalsofeaturedanarticleabouttheSummitinitsnationalChurchpublicationonSaturday,February23rd.ParticipantFeedback&NextStepsAttheendoftheDCYoungAdultFaithLeadersSummit,allparticipantsweregiventheopportunitytosubmittheircommentsevaluatingtheevent.Nearlyallwhosubmittedanevaluationstated that theywouldwant toattendanotherevent like this,with thedesired frequency being either once or twice a year. Many participants hadrecommendations of colleagues they would like to invite in the future, and alsosuggested having more conversations focused on topics such as Human Rights, theEnvironment,andReligiousFreedom.AllattendeeswenthomewitharesourcelistofcontactinformationforallparticipantsaswellasSummitsponsors.AFacebookgroupwasstartedimmediatelyaftertheeventtoallowouryoungfaithleaderstokeepintouchandshareinformationaboutupcomingeventsandopportunities.It was clear from the response to the Summit that this type of interfaith gathering,focused on the next generation of community leaders, is sorely needed in order toensurethesuccessofinterfaithworkatthelocal,national,andinternationallevels.

EventCo‐Sponsors/Collaborators:BenevolentMedia BloombarsChurchofJesusChristofLatterDaySaints,DC2ndWard

DCCommissionontheArts&Humanities

GeorgetownUniversity'sOfficeofCampusMinistry

GreaterWashingtonInterfaithPower&Light

GuruGobindSinghFoundation InterfaithAllianceInterFaithConferenceofMetropolitanWashington

LocalSpiritualAssemblyoftheBahá'ísofWashingtonDC

MayorVincentGray'sOfficeofReligiousAffairs

SokaGakkaiInternational‐USABuddhistCommunity

TikkunLeilShabbat TheWhiteHouseOfficeofFaith‐BasedandNeighborhoodPartnerships

WORDE/InternationalCulturalCenter Coordinationof&ParticipationatThe2013DCYoungAdultFaithLeadersSummitincludedrepresentativesaffiliatedwiththefollowingorganizations/communities:AllDullesAreaMuslimSociety AmericanUniversityMuslimStudent

AssociationArchdioceseofWashingtonYoungAdultMinistry

Ashoka

AVODAH:TheJewishServiceCorps Baha'isoftheUnitedStates,OfficeofPublicAffairs

BecketFundforReligiousLiberty BhumiProjectBreadfortheWorld CatholicCharitiesoftheArchdioceseof

WashingtonCenterforCommunityChange ChristianMethodistEpiscopalChurchChurchofJesusChristofLatterDaySaints,DC2ndWard

ChurchoftheAdventDC

ColumbiaHeightsHalaqa DarAlHijrahIslamicCenterDefeatPovertyDC DharmaPunx/IMCWDumbartonUnitedMethodistChurch EcoSikhFaithForChange FaithinActionDCFirstChristianChurch,Alexandria FreedomHouseFriendsMeetingofWashington GeorgeMasonUniversityGeorgetownUniversityOfficeofCampusMinistry

GuruNanakFoundationofAmerica

HinduAmericanFoundation HowardUniverstiyLawSchoolMuslimStudentsAssociation

HunterMemorialAMEChurch InterfaithAllianceInterFaithConferenceofMetropolitanWashington

InterfaithPower&LightMD,DC,NoVA

InterfaithWorks InternationalCenterforReligion&Diplomacy

InternationalInstituteforSustainedDialogue

JAMDC

JewsUnitedforJustice LutherPlaceMemorialChurchMasjidMuhammad MesorahDCMontgomeryUnitedMethodistChurch MtSinaiBaptistChurchMuslimsforProgressiveValues NewBethelBaptistChurchNewHopeC.M.EChurch OperationUnderstandingDCProjectREACH SearchforCommonGroundShoulder‐to‐ShoulderCampaign SixthandIHistoricSynagogueSokaGakkaiInternational‐USABuddhistAssociation

St.AugustineCatholicParish

St.CharlesBorromeoCatholicChurch St.Joseph'sCatholicChurchSt.MartinofToursRomanCatholicChurch St.MaryOrthodoxChurchTahirihJusticeCenter TheSanctuariesChurchTikkunLeilShabbat UnitarianUniversalistCommunityof

ArlingtonMetropolitanMemorialUnitedMethodistChurch

UnityofFairfaxChurch

UnityProductionsFoundation WashingtonDCBahá'íCommunityWashingtonDCJewishCommunityCenter WashingtonEthicalSocietyWashingtonInterfaithNetwork WashingtonNationalCathedralWesleyTheologicalSeminary WoodstockTheologicalCenterWORDE/InternationalCulturalCenter ZoroastrianCommunityofMetropolitan

WashingtonArea

Building Bridges Between D.C.'s Young Faith Leaders

This year is going to be a big one for interfaith collaboration in our nation's capital. And Millennials are going to be at theforefront.

Six months ago, a group of young D.C.-based organizers came together to discuss how we could invigorate more localinterfaith service engagement amongst our peers. The opportunity was certainly there - Washington D.C. boasts a broadspectrum of faith communities involved in social justice campaigns and providing social services. But there was also a veryobvious challenge: all the energetic young people in positions of responsibility were already working at capacity taking care oftheir own community's projects. Their dedication and demanding schedules often didn't allow them to cultivate deeprelationships with other faith groups. Sure, there are established organizations like The InterFaith Conference of MetropolitanWashington and the Washington Interfaith Network, but even they have their areas of focus; and besides, there are literallyhundreds of religious communities and institutions in the District, let alone the D.C. region, and no one effort could organizethem all.

So, we set a straight-forward but ambitious goal: to hold a one-day gathering early in the new year and bring together as manyyoung leaders from as many faith communities as possible for an opportunity to have focused conversations about mobilizingour peers across faith lines.

As the coordinating committee took shape, our diverse body of collaborators met once a month at a Palestinian restaurant ("ifthere's one thing we can agree on, it's that hummus is good") to plan what came to be called the D.C. Young Adult FaithLeaders Summit.

Since D.C. is a city of neighborhoods, we decided the structure for the conversations would be based as much as possiblearound geographic areas. Participants living, working and/or worshiping in Georgetown would be grouped with others inGeorgetown; those in Northeast would do the same. We figured that even in the age of email and social media, it would bemore likely that our participants would actually follow up with one another if they were just a few minutes away. And we strivedto create a balance of perspectives within the groups so that there would be the opportunity to meet representatives fromsmaller faith communities, such as Bahá'ís, Sikhs or Zoroastrians.

The end result was intentionally left open. We didn't want to establish a new organization or draft a public statement; that wouldadd just another obligation for our already over-burdened young leaders. Rather, we decided to give the participants the spaceand freedom to organically find the appropriate ways to collaborate moving forward, based on their resources and needs at thetime.

By Election Day, we had arranged the logistics: the Latter-Day Saints Young Adult Ward offered to host us in their chapel; theSikhs said they'd provide lunch; Georgetown University, a Jesuit institution, took care of our photocopies and paper needs;Bahá'í, Buddhist, Jewish and Muslim communities agreed to chip in as well. Things were really shaping up to be a trulyintegrated collaborative effort. We just needed our participants.

February 27, 2013

Posted: 02/19/2013 6:33 pm

Jack Gordon: Building Bridges Between D.C.'s Young Faith Le... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-gordon/building-bridges-b...

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Admittedly, as outreach commenced, there was some confusion from invitees about what we were doing and who could attend.How did we define a leader? What if someone wasn't part of a particular community or had multiple affiliations? The organizerstried to be as inclusive as possible, abiding the credo "a leader is someone who has a following," whether that meant clergy, anactivist, the director of an institution, or simply a respected voice in their community. As we arranged the groups, we alsocreated a "Multiple Affiliations" category to respect participants who didn't neatly fit into one box. We welcomed Humanists andagnostic/unaffiliated participants who worked for organizations that worked with religious communities.

In spite of an autumn and winter season that held a national election, two major holidays and the Presidential Inauguration(which combined threw all of Washington's appointment schedulers into a tizzy), we ended up with just over 100 registrationsand more than 70 actual attendees on the day of the event -- numbers the coordinating committee was very proud of. Theseparticipants represented over a dozen distinct faith communities from all across the city, as well as the surrounding suburbs inMaryland and Virginia.

Recognizing the critical importance of involving young people in interfaith, community-building efforts, D.C.'s Mayor VincentGray warmly accepted to personally visit and address our gathering. In a packed meeting room, Mayor Gray spoke of therapidly changing demographics of the city and how it is vital to embrace increasing, inevitable multiculturalism. At the sametime, the mayor urged the assembled emerging leaders to ensure their communities continue providing a complement of directservices and sustainable poverty-reduction programs for vulnerable populations that are being pushed to the margins.

Later in the program, Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell and her colleague Ken Bedell, of the White House Office of Faith-Based andNeighborhood Partnerships, addressed the summit. Rev. Girton-Mitchell lauded the goals of this gathering, even noting thatcalling it a "summit" -- as opposed to a "retreat" -- spoke to the focus on community engagement and moving forward. Sheadvised our young participants that the best qualities of a leader are self-reflection and the ability to continually involve morepeople, particularly when it comes to service.

The most meaningful aspect of the program however was of course the opportunities for dialogue between participants ofdiverse faiths living, working and worshiping in the same neighborhoods. The organizing committee planned three conversationtopics spread throughout the day: for the first, everyone took turns sharing a bit about themselves, their faith tradition, and theorganizations/projects they work with; in the second, participants discussed successes and challenges mobilizing young peoplein their communities for service and social justice; and lastly, what we can do to support each other and encourage interfaithengagement moving forward. There was also a discussion of the intersection of religious values and environmentalstewardship led by Joelle Novey of Interfaith Power & Light, and an invitation to join the InterFaith Conference of MetropolitanWashington by Rev. Clark Lobenstine.

During the reflections period toward the close of the program, we could all feel the excitement and appreciation of the ripepossibilities present in the room. In person and via Twitter, participants commented:

"[The most useful part of today's summit was] getting a perspective of just how much is going on in the community around me.Faith communities are doing so much good, so getting a sense of that activity, and then having a dialogue around how we canwork together [was beneficial.]"

"It was refreshing to come together with people of different faiths and see how God is truly working through each."

"I didn't know much about the histories of the different faiths. I loved having people from so many different perspectives."

"I learned about the Methodist Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Their origins are amazing and admirable."

"I learned the reason why Sikhs wear turbans. It will give me the opportunity to educate others about their religion."

"I learned a lot more about the LDS community and had an opportunity to meet with some younger practitioners as well."

"I learned more about Muslims and Sikhs to replace correct knowledge with my previous wrong knowledge in regards to thesefaiths."

"Today's first time I had an extended conversation with a Baha'i practitioner. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"It was very inspiring to hear about other people's faith journeys. It makes me a better Catholic to learn about other traditions"

"We've all got a lot to learn from each other's experiences -- there is already so much knowledge that has been generated thatwe can build on."

"Its not about the number of people who show up. It's about the people who show up. Change can happen with even oneperson."

"This is an impressive experience...we need a WHOLE lot more of this!"

"So charged after meeting so many great people and shared some great ideas. Already waiting for the next event..."

Keeping the lamp of interfaith unity aflame is not the task of one generation or another alone; it is a torch that needs to bepassed on successively. And owing to the myriad ways faith and religion expresses itself, interfaith dialogue will always benefitfrom having another perspective at the table. It is an ongoing process, one that won't be completed anytime soon, and we allhave a role to play.

Ours is the most multicultural, pluralistic generation in the history of what is arguably the most multicultural, pluralistic countryon earth. And Washington D.C., as our nation's capital, needs to be the model of what can happen when those diversecommunities -- whether animated by common faith or otherwise -- stand together. D.C. can be the model and it will be, I amconfident, with the young leaders who attended our summit at the fore. I'm looking forward to what we build in year -- and years-- ahead.

Jack Gordon: Building Bridges Between D.C.'s Young Faith Le... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-gordon/building-bridges-b...

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Follow Jack Gordon on Twitter: www.twitter.com/faithinactiondc

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***

87February 9,2013

As Mayor of the District of Columbia, I am pleased to exteni

greetings to the participants of the 2013 DC Young Adult Faith

Leaders Summit of Faith in Action DC.

This event provides an opportunity for firture leaders to discuss

national and international issues of interfaith cooperation. Faith In

Action DC, should be commended for inspiring young adults to

cooperate between interdenominational religions. Your activities

have demonstrated progress of a more inclusive community for this

city - our nation's capital.

On behalf of the District of Columbia, you have my best wishes for

a productive and enjoyable event.

* WC'A4'ilVincent C. Gray

VMayor, District of Columbia

Episcopal Diocese of Washington THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA † MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, CHARLES COUNTY, ST. MARY’S COUNTY, MARYLAND

p h o n e : ( 2 0 2 ) 5 3 7 – 6 5 5 5 t o l l – f r e e : ( 8 0 0 ) 6 4 2 - 4 4 2 7 f a x : ( 2 0 2 ) 3 6 4 - 6 6 0 5 w e b : w w w . e d o w . o r g

E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h H o u s e , M o u n t S a i n t A l b a n , W a s h i n g t o n , D C 2 0 0 1 6 - 5 0 9 4

February 12, 2013 To The Judges for the 2013 World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize:

We would like to encourage The Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought to select Faith in Action, the first "DC Young Adult Faith Leaders Summit" (DCYAFLS), held on February 9th, 2013, for the World Interfaith Harmony Week Grand Prize. The DCYAFLS perfectly captured the spirit of interfaith harmony and religious understanding envisioned by your organization. Young adults living or working in the nation’s capital have the opportunity and responsibility to model interfaith cooperation for other young adult leaders in the US and around the world. The Summit highlighted the positive impact that young adults can have on peace in the world, and gave those who attended a stronger sense of their ability to empower other young adults to engage in interfaith cooperation locally. The event brought together nearly 100 young adult faith leaders from over a dozen local religious communities around the Washington DC area and focused on encouraging stronger local cooperation between emerging leaders from diverse religious groups, learning more about each other’s faith traditions, sharing successes and challenges in mobilizing young people for service and social justice, and building a strong network of supportive allies. This year’s Summit attendees were Bahá’í, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, Latter Day Saint, Muslim, Protestant, Sikh, and Zoroastrian. They included clergy, laypersons, community organizers, and activists. Washington DC’s Mayor Vincent Gray addressed the summit as did representatives from the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. These visits by the leadership in the highest levels of local and national government speak to the growing recognition of the importance of interfaith work in our nation’s capital and the United States as a whole, and further to the exemplary work of the organizers who brought together such an inspiring gathering of young leaders. It is our hope that similar events will take place in the future, and that our own faith community will continue to be a part of this necessary work. We applaud the organizers of Faith in Action DC’s “Young Adult Faith Leaders Summit” and recommend their selection for the World Interfaith Harmony Week Grand Prize. Thank you. Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, D.Min. Mr. Jason Evans Bishop of Washington Diocesan Young Adult Missioner

Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE)

2621 University Blvd West,

Silver Spring, MD 20902

U.S.A

February 23, 2013

To The Judges for the 2013 World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize:

It is with great pleasure that I write this strong letter of support and convey my sincerest appreciation for Faith

in Action DC’s outstanding contribution in working towards interfaith community engagement. I strongly

encourage The Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought to select Faith in Action DC’s recent event, the

first ever “DC Young Adult Faith Leaders Summit” (DCYAFLS), held on February 9th

, 2013 for the World

Interfaith Harmony Week Grand Prize.

DCYAFLS gave an opportunity to young adult faith leaders from their respective communities to engage in an

intellectual dialogue which fostered meaningful relationships. Along with building bridges, the event provided a

platform for people to identify common beliefs and advance collaboration efforts, manifesting the essence of

interfaith harmony and religious understanding envisioned by your organization.

The event laid the foundation for increasing awareness among different faith traditions and acknowledged their

involvement in many community service projects throughout nation’s capital region. The dialogue on interfaith

cooperation amplified in spirit because of deep interest demonstrated by participants in mobilizing young adult

faith leaders toward active community engagement, offering a vision of mutual respect, greater peace and

religious tolerance.

Keynote addresses by Washington DC’s Mayor Vincent Gray and Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell of the White

House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships inspired many to consciously promote positive

spiritual relationships among different faiths and cultures which extend beyond the boundaries of racial, ethnic

or religious differences. Equally impacting was the dialogue that called for strong action for the intersection of

interfaith partnership and environmental stewardship, while successively nurturing personal growth.

The event proved to be an uplifting experience for the participants as evident from numerous testimonies shared

at the conclusion of the event and through social media. Sikh community is a strong advocate of interfaith

association efforts such as this one, and looks forward to being an active participant in future projects. On

behalf of Sikh community, I congratulate the entire team of this event for their thoughtfulness, contribution and

achievement, and provide my highest recommendation for their selection for the World Interfaith Harmony

Week Grand Prize.

Thank you.

Kind Regards,

Dr. Rajwant Singh

Chairman, Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE)

February12,2013TheRoyalAalAl‐BaytInstituteforIslamicThought2013WorldInterfaithHarmonyWeekPrizeDearEsteemedSelectionCommittee,IwantedtotakeamomentandrecommendtheDCYoungAdultFaithLeadersSummitfortheWorldInterfaithHarmonyWeekGrandPrize.UnderJackGordon’stirelesswork,IhavewatchedFaithinActionDCgrowrapidly,culminatingintheDCYoungAdultFaithLeadersSummit.Theeventwasagreatsuccess,andthefirstofitskindthatIcanrecall.OurownstaffmemberatCatholicCharities,KathyHaines,attendedtheevent.ShespendsherdayscoordinatingservicesamongCatholicparishes.TherecentlyconcludedSummitprovidedauniqueopportunityforyoungleaderstolearnaboutotherfaiths,andhoweachonetriestoprovideservicesintheworld,especiallyforthemostvulnerable.Theconnectingoftheseindividualsthroughmanydifferentfaithsandbackgroundsprovidesthepotentialofgreatersharingofcriticalresourcesforserviceprojects,andthebestqualityofhelpforourneighborsinneed.Wearelivinginareligiouslydiverseculture,andthebringingtogetherofyoungpeopleoffaithtoexperienceotherreligionsandtheirowncommunityworkiscrucialinbuildingastrongnetworkofsupportivealliesinourNation’sCapital.IapplaudJackandhisteamoforganizersofFaithinActionDC’sYoungAdultFaithLeadersSummitforhavingtheforesighttomakethiswonderfuleventhappenandstronglyencouragetheirselectionfortheWorldFaithHarmonyWeekGrandPrize.Sincerely,MonsignorRev.JohnEnzlerPresident/CEO

To whom it may concern, ,peace be upon you - ا0/.م ,+*() ور%$# ا! I serve as the outreach director for one of the largest Islamic centers in the United States, Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center and I have served on the board of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington for many years. As a representative of the Muslim community to the media I know how essential the work of the Youth Adult Leadership Summit will be in creating opportunities for understanding. I am writing this letter to give my full support this Summit proposal. I am familiar with the tremendous interfaith outreach work of Jack Gordon to support growth and development of understanding in Washington DC for many years. From the video program he developed he has engaged the broad diversity of participating faith groups; the DC Young Adult Leadership Summit will develop stronger, sustainable cooperation and understanding between faith groups because of the relationships begun at this Summit. Young people will play a critical role in shaping our increasingly pluralistic country and world. Washington DC is the capital city of the United Staes and a global city, a leadership summit could be a model of the best practices for cooperation to other cities around the world. I commit my community and my interfaith partners to help this Summit achieve its goal. Should you require any more input for me please feel free to contact me. ,6م و ا45) 23*1 ,peace be upon you - ا0/.م ,+*() ور%$# ا! Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, Director of community outreach Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center 3159 Row St, Falls Church, VA 22044 703-536-1030 (O), 202-345-5233 (cell) www.daralhijrah.net

- Building Bridges Through Faith -

!

M. Bruce Lustig, Senior Rabbi February 11, 2013 To The Judges for the 2013 World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize, Following the outstanding success of Faith in Action DC’s recent “DC Young Adult Faith Leaders Summit” (DCYAFLS), I would like to recommend the organization for the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought’s World Interfaith Harmony Week grand prize. I am the senior rabbi at a large, 3,000 family Reform Jewish congregation, and as a rabbi for this vast community, I appreciate the value of interfaith dialogue and outreach. Having served in the DC Jewish community for over two decades, I cannot overstate the importance of the interfaith relationships I have formed throughout the years. These relationships have facilitated personal friendships between leaders of other faiths and me, and more importantly, connected sacred communities across the city’s diverse religious landscape. To see the next generation of religious leaders come together so successfully at Faith in Action’s DCYAFLS on February 9, 2013 gives me confidence that this vital work will continue. The DCYAFLS was successful, both in terms of numbers and diversity. Nearly one hundred young adult faith leaders joined together from over a dozen local communities throughout Washington DC. Young leaders, Bahá’í, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, Latter Day Saint, Muslim, Protestant, Sikh, and Zoroastrian shared their visions, their successes, and their challenges. They discussed topics ranging from social action to building interfaith networks. While the conversations were immediately substantive and practical for all young faith leaders, I believe the most lasting impact for participants is in the friendships they developed throughout the summit. As relationships with interfaith leaders have enriched my own rabbinate, I am certain that the connections made in the DCYAFLS will shape the lives of this next generation of religious leadership. My voice is but one of many supporting the important work of Faith in Action and the DCYAFLS. Washington DC's Mayor Vincent Gray personally addressed the summit. Representatives of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships joined the conversation as well. There is tremendous interest in and support of the work done by Faith in Action and the DYYAFLS, and I am glad to know that the highest levels of local and national leadership have lent support to these inspiring young leaders.

This summit demonstrates the important role that young people play in shaping our pluralistic community, and I pray that Faith in Action receives the support of the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute to strengthen its important work. Our ancient rabbis teach, henei ma tov u’manaim, shevet achim gam yachad- How good it is when brothers and sisters come together. DCYAFLS fosters a sense of brotherhood and partnership at a critical time in our nation’s capital. It provides is a clear vision and vibrant model for interfaith community, and I know that Washington, DC will benefit immensely from their hard work and dedication. Best Regards,

Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig

The InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC)

“Advancing Justice, Building Community, Nurturing Understanding”

100 Allison Street NW, Washington DC 20011• Tel: (202)-234-6300 • Fax: (202)-234-6303•Email: ifc@ifcmw.org• Web: www.ifcmw.org

February 8, 2013

Dear colleagues at the esteemed Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordon.

Proving that some leaders in Washington can actually sit together for civil conversation, a group of nearly 100 Millennial representatives from over a dozen local religious communities will meet on Saturday, February 9th, 2013, for the first-ever DC Young Adult Faith Leaders Summit. Organized by Faith in Action DC in collaboration with the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, the goal of this gathering is to encourage stronger local cooperation between emerging leaders from diverse religious groups, learn more about each other's faith traditions, share successes and challenges mobilizing young people for service and social justice, and build a strong network of supportive allies. Summit attendees represent Bahá'í, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Latter Day Saints, Muslim, Protestant, Sikh, and Zoroastrian communities. They are clergy and laypersons; work as activists and with faith-based organizations; belong to traditional religious institutions, have multiple affiliations, no affiliations, or are somewhere in-between. DC Mayor Vincent Gray is scheduled to address the summit and a representative of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships will give the keynote. By holding this summit, the organizers seek to raise up our nation's capital as a national and international model of interfaith cooperation, inspiring the next generation of leaders to work across faith lines. Thank you in advance for considering the application of the DC Young Adult Faith Leaders Summit. Cordially,

Rev. Dr. Clark Lobenstine, Executive Director InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington