Feb 28 / Interfaith Conference Provides Invaluable Lessons

by Yash Ranade, India 07-08
hosted in Orange, MA

I recently attended the Civilizations Exchange & Cooperation Foundation’s “Better Understanding for a Better World Conference” in Orlando, Florida. I was one of the fifty students from twenty-one different countries who took part in the conference.

The conference was a unique one with participants of several different religions and various cultures. I got to meet many different students from all over the world with different mindsets and different values. I also had interesting interactions with Imam Muhammad Bashar Arafat and our other program managers. There was a great exchange of information and ideas which made us all much more informed about the world in just four days. I made great friends, and the bonds we made are so close that the distance between us seems to be nothing at all. It certainly seemed to be the very foundation of the World Culture we are going to have in the future.

The program consisted of various activities such as the one hosted by Disney’s “Y.E.S. Millennium Cultures Experiential Program” in Epcot, Disney World. We were taught the basic structure of culture and its properties such as its assimilation with other cultures. I got to do a presentation with other students from India about our country. I also gave a presentation about Hinduism. We visited a church, mosque and synagogue in Orlando, and got fruitful presentations from their respective Minister, Imam and Rabbi.

We also shared our own thoughts during a panel discussion of those three leaders. It was certainly very illuminating. Then Ms Sultana Ali, a United Nations representative, conducted a leadership session for all of us. Various other students too, made presentations about their countries for us.

But the most important session in the conference for me was a presentation given by a fellow student, Assadullah Sohail from Afghanistan. He read his own life experiences in his country, and explained about the harsh situation of his people. He taught us an invaluable lesson of taking the initiative and hope. He is building a library for his town and has started a fund-raiser for it. His words moved me to tears.

The CECF Conference was definitely a huge success for the betterment of today’s youth and of today’s world. I will treasure its memories and lessons for my whole life. I feel extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of it.