By Priya Parkash (YES 2014-2015, Pakistan, hosted by AFS in Camarillo, CA)

"Whenever a human being ceases to live for themselves and begins to care about that which is greater than themselves, the personality begins to experience ecstasy, joy and spontaneous liberation. And that's found through doing, through action, through giving, through deeply embracing the human experience." -- Andrew Cohen

If I had to choose one issue to address, I would dedicate myself to the promotion of interfaith harmony. Inter-sectarian violence and other religiously-related conflicts have plagued our world for centuries. Religion has never been a popular subject for discussion without tension. For these reasons, we need to initiate dialogue that focuses on bridging the gap between different faiths and bringing our generation to realize that our faiths have more similarities than differences. We are all part of a global village where there is an interconnectedness and interdependence amongst all living things.

I have always been charmed by the words of Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet who said, "You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop." His words have motivated me time and again to initiate the change I wish to see in the world. A project can impact hundreds regardless of its size or longevity. This is a belief of mine which has been strengthened through my journey with YES and more recently during the IHOW training. Last weekend, we launched Lanterns of Faith which is a social media campaign on Facebook that aims to bring together a multicultural group of people to engage in discussions on faith in a pluralistic society. We believe in the ability of social media to positively impact individuals across the globe. Lanterns of Faith is open to everyone who wishes to share their interfaith experience in an attempt to promote interfaith harmony by inculcating a sense of community and belonging.

At the moment, I am the only administer for Lanterns of Faith but I would like to add more people to the team as the initiative expands. The page has received contributions from all around the world: Ghana, various cities in Pakistan, Palestine, Morocco, the U.S., and Nigeria. Lanterns of Faith would like to expand the depth of its audience to reach more countries. The campaign aims to engage diverse individuals in the discussion of faith in order to increase appreciation of religious diversity and highlight positive interfaith experiences. 

The page has received an exciting response so far and we will soon be expanding onto other social media platforms. The YES family is encouraged to share their interfaith experiences by posting a message to the page. The YES community has always been a constant support and YES alumni Pakistan and the Lanterns of Faith team are very excited to have you on board with a story to share.

Check out Lanterns of Faith Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/YESla...

I would like to leave you with the words of Mohandas.K Gandhi, "I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.”