2007 Days of Interfaith Youth Service. Organizer s Toolkit. April 20-22, 2007 and throughout the month of April!

Transcription

1 Coordinating Organization Interfaith Youth Core Days of Interfaith Youth Service Organizer s Toolkit In Partnership with National & Global Youth Service Day Habitat for Humanity America s Second Harvest April 20-22, 2007 and throughout the month of April! Interfaith Youth Core 1111 N. Wells, Suite 501 Chicago, IL Sponsored in part by Shinnyo-En Foundation

2 Table of Contents Introduction 4 ~ A Call to Interfaith Service 6 ~ Welcome Organizers! 8 ~ Days of Interfaith Youth Service Description 10 ~ Coordinating Organization: Interfaith Youth Core 12 ~ 2007 Partners: National & Global Youth Service Day; Habitat for Humanity; America s Second Harvest, the Nation s Food Bank Network; and the National Steering Committee Organizing Guide 14 ~ Form a Steering Committee 16 ~ Timeline 18 ~ Recruit Participants 19 ~ Plan Effective Service 22 ~ Create Effective Reflection 24 ~ Faith Texts on the Shared Value of Service 25 ~ Fund Your Project 27 ~ Media and Publicity 29 ~ Build Momentum 32 ~ Logistics for the Day 35 ~ Navigate Religious Sensitivities 40 ~ After Your Event Forms 42 ~ Event Commitment Form 44 ~ Event Registration Form 48 ~ Organizer s Evaluation Report Appendix Safe Space Toolkit 54 ~ Getting Started with Interfaith Dialogue: The 4 Cs and 2 Qs 57 ~ Covenant of Commitment 57 ~ Questions that Might Be Asked at the Event 57 ~ Encouraged and Discouraged Conversations 59 ~ Games and Activities for Creating Safe Space Suggested Resources 67 ~ Youth Service America s Hurricane Katrina Resources 70 ~ Possibilities for Year-Round Programming 70 ~ Helpful Networks 71 ~ Go Beyond DIYS! Chicago s Season of Interfaith Youth Service ~ Media Samples 79 ~ Spoken Word Customizable Tools 81 ~ Media Release 83 ~ Mayoral Proclamation 84 ~ Registration and Waiver Forms 89 ~ Participant Evaluation Form 90 ~ Logos 91 ~ Local Letterhead 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 2

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4 A Call to Interfaith Service Dear Friend, One of my faith heroes is a woman named Dorothy Day. At first glance, she and I seem completely different: she is a white Catholic woman born in Chicago and I am a dark-skinned Muslim man born in Bombay. But we share something deeper and more important. Dorothy once said, There is a call to us, a call of service - that we join with others to make things better in this world. Dorothy s Catholic faith prompted her to make a commitment to that call. Working with others to improve the lives of all is also at the core of my Muslim faith. My story is not unique. Many of us have been inspired by the example of faith heroes outside of our traditions. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel are just a few examples of heroes who have stirred millions within and beyond their respective Buddhist, Hindu and Jewish communities. The Days of Interfaith Youth Service is about living the deeper values that our faith traditions share by embracing diversity, building understanding, and serving others. On this day, you will meet the emerging faith heroes of other religious communities. If you put your soul into every aspect of this day by living the teachings of your faith through service and by embracing the diversity of the people you are working with and for you may find yourself emerging into the faith hero that God meant each one of us to be. Wa Salaam, Dr. Eboo Patel Executive Director, Interfaith Youth Core 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 4

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6 Welcome Organizers! Thank you for your interest in organizing a Days of Interfaith Youth Service (DIYS) event! By committing to bringing young people together from diverse religious backgrounds for service-learning and dialogue, you are working in parallel with over one hundred organizers in 50 small towns, cities, and college campuses in the United States, and around the world. All of these organizers are putting into action their diverse - yet common - religious inspirations to serve others while at the same time fostering inter-religious understanding in their communities, and across the globe. This Toolkit has been created to assist you in the delicate and exciting work of planning a Days of Interfaith Youth Service event. This how-to guide will take you through all the steps necessary for planning your event, from recruiting a steering committee to getting media coverage to deciding how to build on the success of your event in the future. Drawing on curricula designed specifically for this event and resources compiled from seasoned DIYS organizers, this guide will provide you with the tools and guidance you need to run a successful DIYS! How to Use this Toolkit: This Toolkit is intended as a step-by-step guide to support you through the entire process of organizing and running a successful DIYS event. You do not have to read this guide from cover-to-cover! Read through the table of contents to get a sense of the information that will be most helpful for you and your steering committee. There are a few key materials that we recommend: Take advantage of the customizable materials that accompany this Toolkit on the CD- ROM. You can incorporate your project s specific details and tailor the documents to your needs. We have created interfaith dialogue curricula especially for the DIYS. Past organizers have found it particularly helpful when leading the interfaith reflection component of the event. The Timeline (found on pages 16-17) delineates a balanced breakdown of work for your steering committee, and offers time management tips that will help you effectively organize the event. Additional Organizing Resources: We have worked to ensure the usability of all of our organizers materials by offering them in several formats: the CD-ROM and the IFYC website ( both offer many customizable tools in Microsoft Word for your convenience (including the IFYC logo, press release template, parental permission form, etc). The QuickStart Toolkit serves as an abbreviated toolkit offering only the essential elements of planning a DIYS event. The Running an Effective DIYS training DVD covers the same material as the QuickStart and can also serve as a recruitment tool for engaging other organizers. The DIYS listserv facilitates discussion on each of the organizing components and offers organizers a chance to dialogue with each other. Outreach, Education and Training: In addition to written materials, IFYC is pleased to introduce its Outreach, Education and Training program as a resource for DIYS organizers. Through the OET program, IFYC offers customized onsite trainings for organizers across the country. Inviting experienced IFYC staff members to speak at your college campus in order 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 6

7 to raise awareness of interfaith work, and to train your steering committee in various aspects of interfaith service-learning, is a great way to jump-start your DIYS planning process! IFYC also offers phone trainings that serve as a general introduction to the planning process as well as offer in-depth training on several sensitive areas of the event. Please contact Noah Silverman (noah@ifyc.org) at Interfaith Youth Core for information on training opportunities and associated costs. DIYS 2007 Partners: We re excited to announce that this year s partners include National & Global Youth Service Day, Habitat for Humanity, America s Second Harvest as well as others. These partnering organizations and events have specially tailored resources that organizers can take advantage of around youth service, home building, and combating hunger and poverty. National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work: We look forward to gathering with many of you at the 5th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, from October 28-30, 2007 in Chicago. This conference will focus on the field of interfaith youth work: we will celebrate our successes, gain new resources from one another, and contribute to the vision for the interfaith youth movement in coming years. Please put the conference on your calendar now and join us! Find more info soon at We look forward working with you this year! Please don t hesitate to contact the Interfaith Youth Core regarding anything in this Toolkit or questions that arise in your work. The Interfaith Youth Core can be reached via the DIYS Program Coordinator, Megan Hughes, at (312) or megan@ifyc.org. In peace, The Interfaith Youth Core and National Steering Committee 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 7

8 Days of Interfaith Youth Service Description On April 20-22, 2007, and throughout the month of April, the Days of Interfaith Youth Service (DIYS) will bring together thousands of religiously diverse young people across the country, and around the world, to serve their communities and build understanding and cooperation across faith traditions. These young people will explore and act upon the imperative of service in their religious traditions and work towards better inter-religious understanding. Then, organizers of the DIYS will come together from October 28-30, 2007 at the 5 th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work in Chicago to celebrate the impact of 2007, plug-in to the broader interfaith youth movement and plan for Find more information on the Conference soon at There are hundreds of millions of religiously diverse young people in our world who are interacting with increasing frequency. This interaction tends in one of two directions - conflict or cooperation. IFYC envisions a world in which religiously diverse young people interact peacefully to create understanding and collaboration, thereby strengthening civil society and stabilizing global politics. To this end, our mission is to build a movement that encourages religious young people to strengthen their religious identities, foster inter-religious understanding and cooperate to serve the common good. The 2007 Days of Interfaith Youth Service Campaign will: Strengthen young people s connection to their own religious identity by exploring teachings of service in their own faith traditions; Encourage religious young people to see a similar impulse of service in other traditions; Nurture meaningful and lasting relationships between faith communities that are anchored in collaborative service learning experiences; Provide much needed service in the United States and around the world; and Infuse today s culture, predominantly in the United States, with the idea of interfaith youth service learning by highlighting the work of interfaith youth service initiatives around the world. We are building on the success of the third annual DIYS in 2006, in which 35 sites including 7 college campuses, engaged 4,000 young people and 250 adults in a total of 55 service projects across the country and around the world DIYS Highlights: For the first time in DIYS history, communities outside of the United States participated in interfaith service learning projects as part of the DIYS Campaign. One of the most exemplary 2006 sites is Jos, Nigeria where 126 youth from the three Abrahamic faith traditions gathered for two days of panel discussions, service learning, and project planning for the future of the interfaith youth movement in Nigeria. Emmanuel Ivorgba, the lead organizer in Jos, writes, This year s event in Jos was quite significant in many ways. Apart from facilitating the formal establishment of an Interfaith Youth Movement in Plateau State, it also created an understanding and commitment for the long term by involving tomorrow s leaders and thus ensuring a better society and the longevity of the project. We were provided a wonderful opportunity for the honest, sincere, intimate, heart-to-heart and appreciative sharing of ideas, dialogue and problem solving, all in an atmosphere of trust, friendship, love, enthusiasm and cooperative creativity DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 8

9 Several of the domestic DIYS sites were devoted to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. In Memphis, young aspiring artists from various faith backgrounds united to create 18 individual murals under the tutelage of New Orleanian artist, Dr. Bob. The finished pieces were then sold and the proceeds donated to a Hurricane Katrina relief organization. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a twelve member steering committee from the Interfaith in Action campus group organized a meaningful interfaith service learning experience for 80 of their peers from seven different faith traditions. Interfaith in Action was first formed as a result of a highly successful DIYS in 2004 and has grown in size every year. This year s event opened with a spoken word piece created from various religious teachings on service and performed by the steering committee. After invigorating welcome addresses by key community figures, including the mayor of Urbana-Champaign, the participants set out to seven different service sites: the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Swann Special Care Center, Don Moyers Boys and Girls Club, Center for Women in Transition, Care Center of Urbana, Hope Meadows, and Champaign County Nursing Home. Following the service experience, students reconvened in the early evening for dinner and discussion revolving around faith and service. In Detroit/Dearborn, Michigan 400 people gathered from eight surrounding areas. Volunteers from the Islamic Boy & Girl Scouts of America, three local public schools, the University of Michigan Junior ROTC, and students from The Islamic Institute of Knowledge, among others, participated in seven gardening projects and one cleanup project on the Eight Mile Boulevard Corridor. Following the day of service, a reflective gathering was held at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn, MI. Participants discussed the positive benefits of working collaboratively in religiously and ethically diverse groups, calling it therapeutic. The steering committee planned additional youth service projects to take place throughout the summer to capitalize on the momentum built by this impressive event. DIYS 2006: Operation Art Relief in Memphis, TN 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 9

10 Coordinating Organization Interfaith Youth Core Inspired to Act The Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) is the primary coordinating organization for the Days of Interfaith Youth Service. We are a Chicago-based international grassroots organization, founded in June of 1998 by a group of religiously diverse young people from around the world who found a common interest in integrating faith, diversity, and social action. We trust that the civic fabric of our city, our nation, and our world will be greatly strengthened if every community engages its religious diversity in working towards better understanding and cooperative service. Our Vision There are hundreds of millions of religiously diverse young people around the world interacting with increasing frequency. This interaction tends in one of two directions: conflict or cooperation. The Interfaith Youth Core envisions a world in which religiously diverse young people interact peacefully and cooperate to serve the common good, thereby strengthening civic society and stabilizing global politics. Our Mission Through our innovative models and capacity building approach, Interfaith Youth Core is building a movement that encourages religious young people to strengthen their religious identities, foster inter-religious understanding and cooperate to serve the local and global community. Our Methodology We employ a shared values and service-learning methodology for encouraging interreligious understanding and cooperation. Religious young people can strengthen their own faith identity and learn about the faiths of others through a lens of the values that they share. They put these values to work in cooperative projects that serve the common good. Our Programs Public Advocacy Program: Through media attention and high-level networking, the Public Advocacy Program is creating broad public awareness of the critical need for inter-religious civic engagement by young people, and cultivating the resources necessary to support a field of interfaith youth service work that stretches beyond the Interfaith Youth Core. We are fostering widespread participation in interfaith 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 10

11 youth service activities by providing accessible, exciting, entry-level projects and putting the idea of interfaith civic engagement into the broader culture through media coverage and showcasing of exceptional interfaith youth service work around the world. Outreach Education & Training Program: By catalyzing, training, and networking interfaith organizers, particularly in youth-focused institutions such as college and university campuses, the Outreach, Education & Training Program turns public interest into a movement of interfaith youth cooperation. Coupling tested methodology with experience in running interfaith youth programming, IFYC offers an extensive menu of on-campus presentations & trainings, year-round follow-up for organizers and connection to a national network of interfaith youth service organizers. Our annual Days of Interfaith Youth Service each April connects organizers with a broader movement while providing opportunities for them to showcase their local work. Leadership Cultivation Program: The Leadership Cultivation Program offers internships, fellowships, conferences and online networking opportunities to nurture emerging young leaders who are committed to advancing effective interfaith youth work. As young people and their allies take leadership in organizing interfaith youth work, IFYC highlights their contributions, facilitates their participation in larger networks, offers them professional development opportunities and fellowships, and cultivates their sustained commitment to advancing this work. Through the annual National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, IFYC brings the leaders of interfaith youth projects together to share programmatic models, discover innovative interfaith program tools, and create a network and knowledge base for this movement. Find more information soon at Learn More at DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 11

12 2007 Partners National & Global Youth Service Day, coordinated by Youth Service America (YSA), is the world s largest youth service event. During N & GYSD, young people conduct service projects to improve their communities. YSA envisions a global culture of engaged youth, ages 5-25, who are committed to a lifetime of service, leadership, and achievement. Founded in 1986, their mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments. This partnership will enable Days of Interfaith Youth Service participants to join millions of youth around the world in service on N & GYSD. DIYS organizers can also apply for YSA grants to support their projects, including relief efforts for the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Habitat for Humanity International works to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in the world. Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races, and religions to build houses together in partnerships with families in need. They have built over 175,000 houses around the world and provided safe, decent, affordable shelter for over 900,000 people. Because Habitat is a grassroots organization, local affiliates across the world each oversee the work of building houses. Some local affiliates have chosen to offer interfaith builds, which intentionally bring together religiously diverse people and communities to build houses. America s Second Harvest, the Nation s Food Bank Network is the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. It distributes food and grocery products through a nationwide network of certified affiliates, increases public awareness of domestic hunger, and advocates for policies that benefit America s hungry. Through their affiliates, America s Second Harvest delivers food and grocery products to approximately 50,000 local charitable hunger-relief organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens, and women s shelters. Their services reach 23 million hungry people, including 9 million children and 2.5 million seniors. The IFYC National Steering Committee is a team of leaders in the fields of inter-faith work, youth empowerment and service organizing who advise the IFYC national program staff. They are: Desiree Adaway, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Karen Daniel, YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA Reverend Mark Farr, POINTS OF LIGHT FOUNDATION Bud Heckman, RELIGIONS FOR PEACE USA, INC. April Kunze, INTERFAITH YOUTH CORE Erik Schwarz, INTERFAITH WORKS Megan Hughes, INTERFAITH YOUTH CORE Maurice Weaver, AMERICA S SECOND HARVEST, THE NATION S FOOD BANK NETWORK 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 12

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14 Form a Steering Committee Forming a local inter-religious steering committee is your first step to creating a successful Days of Interfaith Youth Service event. The Steering Committee s role is to plan and run the event. Serving on the steering committee is a sizable time commitment and very sensitive work, so it is important to find the right people. As you think about who you would like to have sit on your steering committee, map out the various local religious, civic, and educational institutions in your community. Consider including people from multiple leadership levels: Youth and young people are your key partners in the day and will bring valuable insight, effort and investment to the committee. Higher ranking leaders are able to make commitments on behalf of their organization to create a top-level partnership between different faith organizations; Lower-ranking leaders are often more able to commit their personal time and energy. Whenever possible, recruit through people with whom you already have a personal connection, such as your own religious leader or a professor. Get a face to face meeting with each potential committee member. So, who do you get to join you? The committee should include stake holders from the variety of communities and organizations invested in the day. These should include representatives from: Faith communities that agree to send youth Organizations hosting the service work Local interfaith organizations In addition to the above, university organizers should recruit representatives from: Chaplain s Office (when applicable) Religion Department faculty Office of Student Affairs or Student Life Multicultural Affairs Department Members of the student government Student leaders involved in community service work Students involved in the student paper or with public relations experience Leaders in student religious communities College staff with event planning resources The steering committee should be a microcosm of the experience you are creating for the participants of your DIYS. Make relationship building and dialogue a priority in your meetings. Several organizers have found that the whole tone of their meetings changed for the better when they began with open-ended questions such as: What is your highest vision for the day of service? What result do you hope to see in the community? What skills and gifts do you yourself bring? Capitalize on the assets of your steering committee members through things like rotating meeting spaces to be hosted by the various steering committee members. This allows you to get to know each other s places of worship and community centers better, which builds trust and deepens your connections to one another in the process DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 14

15 This committee is responsible for designing and implementing your DIYS event. Specific responsibilities include: Developing the content and action plans for the program, including all programming leading up to and following the event; Recruiting service sites, participants, presenters and volunteers; Coordinating logistical details; Developing programmatic resources; Connecting to local media and public relations officials; Conducting evaluations; Registering participants; Coordinating volunteers; and Attending the 5 th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, October 28-30, 2007 in Chicago. Find more information on the Conference soon at Steering Committee Recruitment Talking Points Steering committee members will have the opportunity to create an exciting service project and dialogue event bringing together the religiously diverse young people in their area. (Refer to the 2007 DIYS overview, found at the end of this guide, for the most comprehensive description of DIYS.) Serving on the steering committee is a great way to form meaningful relationships with faith, civic, and educational leaders in your town, city or college campus. Steering committee members will have the opportunity to plug-in to a wider network of interfaith organizers from all across the country, and around the world! Steering committee members will receive resources and support from the Interfaith Youth Core. However, it is the responsibility of the local steering committee to plan and implement their own unique DIYS event. (It is helpful to go over the responsibilities section above with each potential steering committee member to make sure they understand all of the expectations.) Remember: This work is not about religious conversion, it is about cooperating to build stronger communities. Proselytizing is not allowed. Time commitment will include at least monthly meetings, increasing to twice a month or more as necessary as the event approaches. Steering committee members will also share in the evaluation process after the event and will send at least one member to the National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work from October 28-30, 2007 to discuss their day. Serving on the steering committee is a lot of FUN!! DIYS 2006: Anacostia River Clean-up in Washington, DC 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 15

16 Timeline Begin planning for your DIYS event in the fall. We recommend that your group meet at least once a month as you begin and twice a month as you get closer to DIYS. Here is a suggested timeline, but remember that every community will have a different character and schedule. Please feel free to tailor this timeline according to your event s needs organizers need not feel obligated to accomplish every task listed below. September- November Recruit Steering Committee members. Hold one-on-one meetings - face to face if possible - with each potential member. Review the organizer s toolkit together. Watch the DIYS training video and/or invite Interfaith Youth Core staff out to train your steering committee. Define your strategy and refine your timeline. Host a momentum-building event. Submit your Event Commitment Form available in this Toolkit or online at (or contact Megan Hughes at megan@ifyc.org). December Meet with faith community leaders (youth advisors or student leaders) to recruit young people. Private university organizers should meet with the Chaplain s Office to discuss ways in which the office can assist in DIYS planning. Meet with potential service partners. Start making requests for funding. Develop a media strategy. University organizers should investigate funding sources from the university (i.e. Department of Student Affairs, Student Government, Chaplain s Office, etc.). January Finalize service projects and develop a clear map of the resources and logistics required to make them happen. Compare expected numbers of participants to the number each service site can host. Set up your registration system. Host another momentum-building event. IFYC offers a dialogue curriculum for use around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 15, Submit t-shirt orders and customization requirements to Joe Demo at Oriole Enterprise, Inc. at Investigate methods of transportation to the service site (Is it accessible by public transport? Does your campus have vehicles that could be used to transport students? Are there students with cars who could assist in transport? Do you need to rent a bus?). February - March Publicity and media work. Registration. Logistics. Set up documentation: hire photographers, videographers; develop a clear plan for your documenter (e.g. what feel do you want; which are the most important moments to capture). Register your organizers for the 5 th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, from October 28-30, 2007 in Chicago. Find more information soon at Submit your Event Registration From, available in this Toolkit or online at DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 16

17 April Follow up on registrations and confirm attendance. Reconfirm your space(s). Train your volunteers (especially service site coordinators and reflection facilitators). Finalize everything! After the event, gather your evaluations, write up a short narrative report, and send that along with media clips and fabulous digital photos to IFYC. May Submit your Organizer s Evaluation Report, available in this Toolkit or online at by June 1 st! October 28-30, 2007 Attend the National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, held in Chicago!!!! 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 17

18 Recruit Participants How do you get young people to participate? Most young people are already involved in a variety of activities, and it can be difficult for them to commit to another event and to guarantee their participation. However, if you engage youth in meaningful roles and leadership opportunities throughout the process, you will have more success recruiting young people to the DIYS event in April. The youth on your steering committee will be great recruiting resources as they reach out to their peers within their faith community. Here are some other suggestions for getting participants to your DIYS. Who: Recruit young people through organized faith communities rather than trying to recruit individual participants. Your target contacts are the people who work directly with youth: youth advisors or program coordinators. Ask them to get their youth group to participate. Preparation: Prior to contacting youth advisors, be sure you have in mind a clear picture of what you are presenting to them (i.e. the day as you have envisioned it so far). o o Write up a short overview of your day which may include how you will begin the day, the service you will be doing, and what types of interfaith reflection you will be doing. Use the 2007 DIYS Overview, found at the end of this guide, to further explain DIYS and your goals. Include success stories from your site if you were involved last year or take success stories from the beginning of this guide. o Make it simple - you are bringing youth together to serve and reflect. This will 1) strengthen their own religious identity as they are asked questions about their faith, 2) enable youth to serve, which is an important part of their faith tradition, and 3) share faith stories with other young people. Feedback: Request a response from potential participants (e.g. if they are interested, how they think the plan could be improved, who else they think you should contact, if they want to sit on the steering committee, etc.) and send registration packets for their youth. Scheduling: If April comes at a hard time in the local calendar (e.g. leading up to finals at school) then pick another weekend in April that works best for your community. Remember: April is Interfaith Youth Service Month! Turn-Out: Consider turn-out for the event and how many people each group might bring you may want to set a cap for each group as service projects with too many volunteers are usually less meaningful experiences. Balance of Demographics: Consider what balance of people you want when deciding to target organizations and when suggesting numbers to them: religious diversity; ratio of adults to youth; number of college students; etc. Organizations to Contact Interfaith organizations (e.g. dialogue groups). These groups can be valuable when organizing the day, due to their expertise in religious diversity and preexisting relationships with religious communities and youth. Faith-based organizations (e.g. congregations, schools, and umbrella institutions). These groups will participate together in the day of service. Contact as early as possible and disseminate registration & waiver forms (see enclosed). Service organizations (e.g. YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchens) DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 18

19 Plan Effective Service Where are your participants going to serve? How will the service project deepen your participants understanding of and connection to their community? Successful events require sites that are well organized and are chosen after careful consideration. It is important to think through every detail of the service project in advance in order to ensure the greatest impact for both your participants and the community they serve. Service-Project Overview Plan your service project in partnership with existing service organizations. This allows participants to join and support the ongoing service efforts within your community, and to learn more about the work that is already being done to improve your society. At the same time, you avoid the increased time commitment and hard work needed to fashion your own project. Clearly define the task to be accomplished and make sure that participants understand what they will be doing and how it contributes to the mission of the service organization and to the needs of your area. Consider your numbers and whether the service organization will be able to accommodate everyone; if not, either select a different location, or divide participants into small groups and send them to several different service organizations that address a similar theme. The service project should be hands-on, and fun!! Practicalities Practical considerations as you plan your service-project: o Relevance Is the service site clearly addressing a need in your community? o Space Is the service site set-up in a way that encourages group interaction and conversation? o Food are participants serving or packing food? If so, take into account religious restrictions and make sure all religious groups are comfortable with the activity. o Group size how many participants can each service site hold? There are benefits and drawbacks to having participants serve all together versus splitting them into smaller groups. o Transportation is the service site within a reasonable distance from your group meeting place? Make sure to factor in transportation time to your schedule. o Insurance are participants covered by insurance at the service-site? Making Service Meaningful* The DIYS experience is made unique for participants both by the interfaith nature of the service and the knowledge gained through the service-learning itself. Here are a couple of tips on making your service project meaningful: 1. Set the intention to learn at the outset of the day and offer adequate reflection time for participants to process what they have seen and heard. In order for participants to gain the most from the service project, they must be conscious of the big picture of their service experience. Are they serving at a soup kitchen? Start the day with a presentation and discussion about the impact of hunger in your community. Build-in reflection times throughout the day that allow participants to grapple with the larger social issue that they are addressing through their service DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 19

20 2. Balance having enough to keep everyone busy with achieving completion on the project. Make sure each service site can handle the number of participants you are sending and err on the conservative side. Ask the service site coordinator to have a couple of stopping points prepared so that (s)he can guide the group to at least a stage of completion if they can t finish the entire project. 3. Be generous on post-service reflection. Make sure that you schedule plenty of time for reflection following the service project to allow the group to debrief both the actual service that they did, and the interfaith encounters that they had. The power of the interfaith component to the day of service is realized when participants learn to see members of diverse faith communities as partners in healing the world. 4. Show participants that they are working in partnership with their broader community to build the common good, and not just offering a service to someone. Invite speakers from various service organizations and faith institutions in your area to remark on the responsibility of all sectors within the community to work together to address the issues facing their society. Focus specifically on the ways in which diverse faith communities can enhance the impact of their service efforts by working together. 5. Adequately prepare participants for effective service. Is the service site a Habitat build? Do participants have experience swinging a hammer? Is the service site a tutoring center? Do participants feel comfortable tutoring children in a variety of subjects? Make sure that participants are aware of the service project before they arrive at the site, and that they feel prepared and qualified to contribute in a positive way. 6. Celebrate with participants when the project is completed. It is important to affirm young people s service work and celebrate their contributions to building a better world. At the end of the service project, make sure to report the tangible result of their service to the group. Encourage participants to feel proud of the work they have done, and to recognize and appreciate their involvement in a broader movement. *With inspiration from Benson, P. L, & Roehlkepartain, E. C. (1993). Beyond leaf-raking: Learning to serve/serving to learn. Nashville: Abingdon. Service Partners This year s partners offer local DIYS organizers a wealth of organizing support. YSA offers grant support for organizers who are doing joint N & GYSD-DIYS events and programmatic and grant support for events offering relief for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Habitat for Humanity can connect DIYS organizers with local Habitat affiliates and materials supporting the need to build low income housing nationally. America s Second Harvest supports organizers with contact information for local affiliates and literature on poverty and hunger. National & Global Youth Service Day ( Visit YSA s website to partner with local affiliates, explore effective service planning resources, and apply for financial support. Then contact National Steering Committee member Karen Daniel, at KLarson@ysa.org or ext. 34, for assistance in finding local N & GYSD projects. Youth Service America offers exceptional resources to help you celebrate National and Global Youth Service Day and Days of Interfaith Youth Service. These are available at Planning Tool Kit: This comprehensive guide will help you plan your project, recruit volunteers, generate media attention, raise funds, and more. (This toolkit is very similar in nature to the 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit.) 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 20

21 Service-Learning Curriculum Guide: Use this curriculum guide to develop students' project management skills while planning projects for National Youth Service Day. The Guide is appropriate for educators and community leaders. Classroom Poster: Use this colorful poster to recruit volunteers and mark project sites. The back side of the poster features student and teacher activity guides that you can photocopy and disseminate to help plan service projects. Issue-Specific Service-Learning Guides: These online guides to hunger and homelessness, the environment, and working with younger children link you to servicelearning curricula, recommended reading, statistics, on-going initiatives, and more. Civic Engagement Resources: Tip Sheets, Toolkits, website links, and more to help you engage young people in all aspects of voting, advocacy, and civic engagement. Project Plan-It!: This online, interactive tool allows youth to plan their service project and customize their own outreach, funding proposals, press releases, service-learning reflection plans, and more. Project Grants: Planning grants are available to help youth and organizations plan and carry out NYSD projects and on-going service throughout the year. National Youth Service Day T-Shirts: A perfect way to recognize and thank volunteers, young and not so young. YSA Tip Sheets: Tip sheets provide quick and concise information and resources for frequently asked questions and challenges. Habitat for Humanity ( Visit Habitat for Humanity s website to find the nearest local affiliate. Habitat builds can accommodate a variety of ages and numbers of young people. However, some building activities are age-restricted. If you are planning to have participants younger than 16, make sure that your Habitat site is prepared to accommodate them. Contact National Steering Committee Member, Desiree Adaway at dadaway@habitat.org or at x2414, for assistance incorporating hurricane relief efforts and Habitat builds into your project. America s Second Harvest, the Nation s Food Bank Network ( Visit the America s Second Harvest website to find the nearest local affiliate. Then contact National Steering Committee member Maurice Weaver, at mweaver@secondharvest.org, or at , for assistance in setting up a DIYS partnership with your local America s Second Harvest affiliate. Most Second Harvest affiliates are food banks, but many affiliates have supplementary programs that serve low-income individuals. These programs include such diverse services as job training, tutoring, and food delivery. Find out what programs your affiliate is running, and where your volunteer hours could be put to best use DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 21

22 Create Effective Reflection This Toolkit includes several resources to help you design effective reflection for your DIYS event. From how to create safe space for the day, to a suggested dialogue curriculum, to additional resources on hunger and homelessness, you will find many helpful tips to get you started. Please see the Safe Space Toolkit, included in the Appendix, for additional resources on how to create safe space and lead meaningful dialogue. Suggested Curriculum and Resources for Learning The purpose of the Days of Interfaith Youth Service is to help young people constructively and positively navigate a religiously diverse world. In addition to serving their community together, young people from diverse religious backgrounds are given the opportunity to share stories of service from their own faith teachings and life experience, allowing them to learn from each other about the diverse faith and moral traditions active in our world. The IFYC curriculum helps young people explore their own faith tradition s call to service and reflect on how they respond to that call in their own lives; as well as gives young people from diverse faith backgrounds the opportunity to discover the values they share in common. This interaction builds meaningful relationships across faith boundaries, and encourages future inter-religious cooperation. Goals: Deepen participants connection to their faith tradition s teachings on service; Invite participants to learn about the teachings of other faith traditions on service; Encourage inter-religious understanding by bringing young people together with youth of other religions for meaningful, appreciative and personal conversations; Deepen the meaningfulness of and excitement for the interfaith service experience; The following three discussion activities can be done in one sitting or broken up into two sittings. If you choose to break them up, we recommend keeping activities 1-2 together. For each of the following activities, it is important that everyone get a chance to share. For most groups, this will require breaking off into small groups. Make sure you have determined your facilitation strategy either one person facilitating everything and groups responsible for taking their own initiative, a prepared facilitator in each small group, or a spontaneously elected youth facilitator in each small group. Activity One - What does Service Mean to You? What does it mean to serve? Share a story about your most meaningful service experience. Activity Two - What does Service Mean to Your Faith Community? What does your religious or moral tradition teach about service? Can you think of specific texts, stories or people in your tradition that teach about service? What are their main messages? Now we re going to read sacred teachings on service from several different religious traditions. These are found on your handout (follows). o o Go around the circle and ask each participant to read one text. (Participants may pass if they are not comfortable reading the text.) After all texts have been read, ask participants to find a group of 2-4. In their groups, they should discuss the following questions: What text resonated with you the most (or jumped-out at you the most) and why? 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 22

23 Talk about the teaching that comes from your own religious tradition (if your tradition isn t represented, talk about your tradition s teachings on service): what does it mean to you and how do you strive to live it out? What similarities do you see in these various teachings? What differences do you see? Bring the group back together and share highlights from the small group discussions. Activity Three What Did the Days of Interfaith Youth Service Mean to You? What were the highlights of this service experience for you? Did you learn anything new about the challenges that people face in your community and around the world? How did you interact with youth of other faiths? Did you learn anything interesting or surprising about another faith? How was the experience of serving with youth of other faiths? Is interfaith service something you would like to do more of in the future? Why? If you broke up into small groups, bring everyone back together and ask small groups to share highlights from their conversations DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 23

24 Faith Texts on the Shared Value of Service Jewish Teaching on Service (Translated from Etz Hayim; Jewish Publication Society; New York, 1999). Deut 10: 17 For the LORD your G-d is G-d supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome G-d, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, 18 but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. 19 You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Christian Teaching on Service (The New Revised Standard Version; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, 1989). Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. 37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? 40 And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. Muslim Teaching on Service (Translation from Al-Qur an; Ahmed Ali. Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey, 1984). Surah 93:1-11 I call to witness the early hours of morning, And the night when dark and still, Your Lord has neither left you, nor despises you. What is to come is better for you than what has gone before; For your Lord will certainly give you, and you will be content. Did He not find you an orphan and take care of you? Did He not find you perplexed, and show you the way? Did He not find you poor and enrich you? So do not oppress the orphan, and do not drive the beggar away, And keep recounting the favors of your Lord. Baha i Teaching on Service (from Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 84) One amongst His Teachings is this, that love and good faith must so dominate the human heart that men will regard the stranger as a familiar friend, the malefactor as one of their own, the alien even as a loved one, the enemy as a companion dear and close. Buddhist Teaching on Service (from Itivuttaka 18) If beings knew, as I know, the fruit of sharing gifts, they would not enjoy their use without sharing them, nor would the taint of stinginess obsess the heart and stay there. Even if it were their last bit, their last morsel of food, they would not enjoy its use without sharing it, if there were anyone to receive it. Hindu Teaching on Service (from Bhagavad Gita 3.10) At the beginning, mankind and the obligation of selfless service were created together. Through selfless service, you will always be fruitful and find the fulfillment of your desires : this is the promise of the Creator... Jain Teaching on Service (from Tattvarthasutra 5.21) Rendering help to another is the function of all human beings. Sikh Teaching on Service (from Guru Granth Sahib, page 286) The individual who performs selfless service without thought of reward shall attain God s salvation DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 24

25 Fund Your Project What do you need money for? Food and beverages, service project supplies, t-shirts, equipment rental, printing publicity materials, evaluations, videography and photography, etc. Sending at least one of your organizers to the 5 th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work in Chicago from October 28-30, Don t skip the step of writing a budget for your project. If you do, you ll probably find individual steering committee members spending quite a bit out of pocket. This weakens the sustainability of the project because your steering committee may not be willing to give large amounts of both time and money on an ongoing basis. Where can we look for money? Visit to apply for National & Global Youth Service Day grants If you are on a campus, talk with the staff in your student life, service-learning, chaplain s or multicultural affairs offices. Ask steering committee representatives to approach their congregations and either ask for funds or ask for contacts of potential donors. You might also empower your steering committee with small ask cards for your committee members that specify what the donation would cover, e.g. your gift of $100 will feed 25 youth for DIYS. Ask committee members to commit to raising a specific dollar amount. Consider local corporations and foundations. Consider local individuals who may have a special interest in interfaith and service. Ask participants to pay a small registration fee to cover the cost of materials. Ask participants to raise funds through a pledge drive like a build-a-thon or a serve-athon. Be creative in getting items or space donated in addition to money. You are likely to find a congregation, organization or university willing to host your event and provide space and even food. Local kosher or halal markets may be willing to donate some food, as will other major companies like Whole Foods or Trader Joe s (they have a donation request form submit your request to the Whole Foods nearest to your event headquarters). How do we approach a potential funder? If possible, set up a meeting to discuss the project with them. Gear your talking points specifically to your potential funder. Do some research on their interests (if you re approaching a foundation, they will have guidelines available either in print or on their website). Tell them why their donation is important and how it will benefit them. Be prepared to offer numbers of people impacted both those participating and those served. Here are some basic talking points: o The United States is the most religiously diverse country in the world. The ways that our religious young people interact have major implications for the well-being of our country. For example, the latest statistics from the FBI on hate crimes in America show that hate crimes motivated by the victim s religious identity are second only to racially motivated hate crimes, and they are on the rise. o If you have examples of inter-religious tensions specific to your community or campus, talk about those. o Interfaith interactions can tend towards conflict or towards peace. The Days of Interfaith Youth Service project will help move interactions in our community toward peace. o By acting together on the shared value of service, young people of a variety of religions will learn about one another through a lens of common aspirations and 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 25

26 common humanity. They will also have a real and immediate impact on our local community through their service. o The Days of Interfaith Youth Service is not just a one-time event. It is a catalyst for deepening positive interfaith relations in our community. We are putting together an interfaith steering committee that will plan and run the event and after the event we will send an organizer to the National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, from October 28-30, 2007 to network with other organizers, gain new ideas and resources for deepening our work, and contribute ideas and energy to the growth of this program across the nation. More information will soon be available at o Tell them why YOU personally are involved! People give to people!! o We are asking you to support our work with a donation/grant of $X (always be prepared to ask for a specific dollar amount; be both reasonable and challenging in your ask). Be ready to tell them where their money is needed and make sure it matches their interests. Go for general support whenever you can get it. Maintain and cultivate the relationship! Invite donors to the event! If possible, invite them to a pre-event or a steering committee meeting too. Look at your funders as key partners in the event DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 26

27 Media and Publicity Getting the word out about your event and ensuring media coverage is critical to the success of your event and your future interfaith work. It is also a key element to the success of this work across the nation! Not only do you want your young people to know about DIYS and want to participate, but your whole community should know what you re planning to do. This helps you receive support and raises general awareness about your activity and its importance to the youth and to the community. There are several options for advertising on a low budget. Print out fliers and ask local businesses to put them in their store windows. You can try to get the printing donated, or buy colored paper and just print out your flyer on a printer and make copies. If you have public television, try to get an announcement listed. Many shopper and local weekly newspapers will run articles announcing that you are planning an event. Use this to advertise rather than paying for an advertisement in the paper. Take a quick picture of young participants helping out in the planning process to include in the article. Make personal contact with people. Many people will not participate in something they read about. People are much more likely to participate if they have a personal invitation, and this goes for participants, potential funders, volunteers, and all others active in the event. While using to recruit may be a good first step, don t forget to follow up with a personal phone call. Make sure that all of the organizations from which youth are coming put your information in their newsletters. For example, if a youth group from a church has agreed to participate, make sure there is an announcement in their monthly newsletter and in their weekly bulletins about your event. This helps the community and parents know more about DIYS along with recruiting participants. This will require finding out deadlines to submit information and following through with all of the organizations. Similarly, make announcements during meetings at religious organizations if there is a time to do so. For example, many Protestant church services include a time for community announcements. Ask the religious leader ahead of time if you are not sure if this is possible or appropriate for the event being held. Taking Good Pictures Capture the energy and action Include more than one person in pictures Capture interactions with people without staging scenes Include faces and smiles, t-shirts and logos, before and after shots Shoot close up pictures, not distance Archiving Laminate your newspaper clippings Store digital photos on a CD Send copies of clippings and great photos to Interfaith Youth Core Logo: Please feel free to use the DIYS logo. It is included on your CD-ROM and can be sized appropriately. If you would like your own city logo, contact Megan Hughes at the Interfaith Youth Core (312) or megan@ifyc.org. Our designer can customize the logo with a graphic of your cityscape or famous landmark and a text change for around $80. Please do not modify the logo using another designer as it breeches copyright DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 27

28 Products: Designing and printing your own DIYS t-shirts is a great way to advertise for your event and give participants something to take home as a memento from the experience. Contact Megan Hughes at the Interfaith Youth Core (312) or megan@ifyc.org, for information on how to access and tailor the DIYS logo for your t-shirt design. Government Officials: You may choose to invite government officials to be part of your day, including as speakers. Invite them early in order to make sure they are available. Continue with follow-up calls, and make sure to tell officials why it is important that they participate - what participation offers them (a platform to speak in front of their constituents), what DIYS offers the city (strengthening civil society and volunteerism), and what their participation means to your event (young people would love to hear from their officials and be encouraged by them). Enclosed, you will find a sample mayoral proclamation that you may want to consider. Go to and click on the red Advocate for Youth Service Now! button to find your elected officials and invite them to your event DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 28

29 Build Momentum Part of building momentum includes the publicity before your event and getting people excited to participate. This section offers ideas for building momentum beyond simple publicity. Speaking Event/Training by Interfaith Youth Core Interfaith Youth Core is pleased to launch its Outreach Education and Training program in preparation for the 2007 Days of Interfaith Youth Service! Seasoned IFYC staff members are available now for speaking engagements and trainings on how to organize an effective and transformative Days of Interfaith Youth Service project. These trainings are tailored to suit your needs, and the needs of your community. Bringing an IFYC staff member to your campus or community is a great way to jump-start the DIYS organizing process! The IFYC speaking team includes, Dr. Eboo Patel, Founder and Executive Director. Eboo earned his doctorate in the Sociology of Religion from the University of Oxford, where he studied on a Rhodes Scholarship. He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Interfaith Centre and the Interfaith Initiative of the Points of Light Foundation and is President of the Board of CrossCurrents Magazine. Eboo writes regularly for international publications and has given talks at venues all over the world, including UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, Harvard University and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, where he appeared with President Jimmy Carter. He has been profiled by the Sunday Chicago Tribune, Conscious Choice Magazine and Utne Magazine, which named him one of thirty social visionaries under thirty changing the world. Eboo is an Ashoka Fellow, selected as part of an elite international network of social entrepreneurs implementing ideas with the potential to change the pattern of our society. April Kunze, Assistant Executive Director. After extensive involvement in student leadership in the evangelical Christian community, Kunze joined the Interfaith Youth Core as a volunteer in Two years later, she became its first staff member and now continues to direct program strategy and operations for the organization as the Assistant Executive Director. Her reflections on interfaith youth work have inspired young people across the world and have appeared in over a dozen publications, including Interreligious Insight, Buzz Magazine, Sourcepoint, and Awakening the Spirit, Inspiring the Soul. April s professional background is in youth leadership, grassroots community building and organizational development. She is the founder and board chair of The Crib Collective, an organization that is creating a culture of social entrepreneurship among youth in Chicago. Kunze has also served on the board of the North American Interfaith Network and Public Allies Chicago. A graduate of Carleton College and Public Allies Chicago, Kunze was recently named Public Allies Chicago's Changemaker of the Year. Cassie Meyer, Days of Interfaith Youth Service Associate. Cassie completed her Master's Degree at the University of Chicago Divinity School in June, 2005, where her work focused on social movements in American religion; she currently teaches a class with Dr. Eboo Patel at Chicago Theological Seminary on interfaith action. At U of C, she and a group of progressive religious students organized discussions on the relationship between faith and justice and worked to build an online forum to discuss faith and politics. Cassie is a member of the Community Renewal Society s Associate Board and leads a ministry for young adults that she started at LaSalle Street Church, a progressive evangelical church in Chicago. Her undergraduate degree, from Lawrence University, is in Religious Studies, focusing on Christianity and Islam; while at Lawrence, Cassie was a key student leader of 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 29

30 Lawrence Christian Fellowship, an ecumenical chapter of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Jenan Mohajir, Outreach Education & Training Associate Jenan Mohajir received her B.S. in Elementary Education from DePaul University in She has been extensively working with the Muslim community through several grassroots initiatives in Chicago. Prior to joining IFYC, Jenan worked with the Inner-city Muslim Action Network as their coordinator for the Pillars of IMAN youth program. She has also been volunteering with the Nawawi Foundation as their class coordinator since Megan Hughes, Days of Interfaith Youth Service Coordinator. Prior to joining the IFYC team in February 2006, Megan spent four years working for the conflict resolution program, Seeds of Peace, as the alumni relations coordinator and the director of academic affairs both in New York and Jerusalem. In this capacity, she created and implemented the Seeds of Peace Global Leadership Initiative and supervised the Graduate Program based at the Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem. Megan graduated with a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in May 2000, where she earned a certificate in Muslim-Christian Understanding after spending one year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem studying Middle East rapprochement and coexistence. She is completing a Master of Arts in Religious Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School and is particularly interested in the relationship between faith and politics in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Noah Silverman, Outreach Education & Training Coordinator. Noah frequently travels around the U.S. speaking about the importance of cooperation among religiously diverse young people and leading trainings in the how-to of interfaith youth organizing. He managed the 2006 National Days of Interfaith Youth Service, organized the 4 th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, and co-taught a course on Interfaith Peacebuilding in DePaul University Peace Studies Department. He received his B.A. in religious studies and international relations from Connecticut College in 2004, where he wrote his thesis on inter-religious peace-building in Israel/Palestine. He has interned for the World Conference of Religions for Peace at the United Nations, the Interfaith Encounter Association in Jerusalem and the Council for a Parliament of the World s Religions in Chicago. CampusQuest CampusQuest from Faith & Values Media is a Web-based campaign to encourage teams on college campuses to design and implement their own interfaith dialogue projects. CampusQuest is related to The Quest for Peace, a reality TV program produced by Faith & Values Media. The program follows three multiethnic teams of young Christians, Jews and Muslims as they travel to the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the United States on a mission to understand the interfaith conflicts that threaten world peace. To learn more, go to Thematic Events If your project site works on a particular issue, consider a lead-up event that raises awareness about both the issue and your DIYS. This could take many forms, such as organizing small workshops at religious organizations to prepare participants, or a gathering a large group together to hear a speaker who is relevant to your cause. For example, if you are working at a food bank, you could invite a speaker on the issues surrounding hunger in America or do a hunger banquet. If you are working with an America s Second Harvest or Habitat for 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 30

31 Humanity affiliate, material is available for your use in such pre-event projects and for reflection and activities during your day. Please contact IFYC for more information. Interfaith and Intercultural Events Another way to raise awareness and build momentum is to have an interfaith and/or intercultural event such as a multicultural dinner, an interfaith dialogue dinner, or visits to various religious communities in your area. There are also several high quality films that have been produced about interfaith relations. Contact IFYC for recommendations DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 31

32 Logistics for the Day Your schedule can be as creative as you like. You may choose to extend the Days over the weekend or keep it to a full or half day event in order to accommodate your resources and the religious needs of interested communities. Remember, April is the MONTH of Interfaith Youth Service. Select your April DIYS date to correspond best with the needs and schedule of your community. For a one-day event, a possible outline is: 8:30 9:15 Registration 9:00 11:00 Kick-off (ice breakers, speakers, performances, possible dialogue, announcements) 11:00 11:30 Go to project sites 11:30 12:30 Get a tour/overview while eating lunch 12:30 4:00 Service work 4:00 5:00 Dialogue and reflection 5:00 5:30 Return to main site, complete evaluations 5:30-7:00 Celebration/Dinner We recommend spending your time in the following order, with each element considered top priority: 1) creating safe & motivational space (e.g. kick-off and ice breakers) 2) service, and 3) dialogue and reflection. Also try to give your participants a sense that they are part of a larger effort: let them know that this is happening all over the country and around the world, and, if you have multiple service sites, bring everyone together at least once. Registration Organizers have done registration in a variety of ways, both before and on the day using paper or the internet. Unless your service sites can accommodate an unlimited number of people, we recommend pre-registration. Template registration materials are included in the appendix. Here are two strategies for registration: 1. Flexible: Supply youth advisors with registration packs; ask them to give you names of youth ahead of time and send in registration packs the week prior. If they don t send them, you can let them bring the registration packs the day of, but make sure you stress the importance of turning in a registration and waivers for EACH PARTICIPANT. If some groups arrive without all their registration packs, you have a liability issue on your hands. We recommend that you arrange for young people under age 16 to be sent home or have a parent come and complete the forms. For young people 16-18, ask the youth advisor to sign a waiver that says they take full responsibility and confirm that they have parental permission for this young person to participate. The youth advisor waiver is in the appendix. 2. Less Flexible: Supply youth advisors with registration packs or an online registration link that doesn t include information about the exact time and location of the event; ask them to send in registration for each youth (and themselves) three weeks ahead of time. Send back confirmations that include service assignments, event time and location information. Still have the youth advisor waiver on hand in case they show up with more young people and no registration packs. Volunteer Orientation - Be sure your volunteers know what is expected of them. Give them information about the day ahead of time and ask project leaders to look through the curriculum to be familiar with the project DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 32

33 - Gather your volunteers before you open your Day to review and answer any questions. - Inform volunteers of your goals for the Day and be sure they are aware of creating safe spaces and facilitating discussions, and that they know what is appropriate for conversations. Kick-Off An energizing and meaningful kick-off to your event sets the tone for the rest of the Day. Here are some suggestions for a successful kick-off: Invite a speaker to discuss service or the importance of interfaith work. This could be someone from a project site, a local organization, a leader in a religious community, or a respected community member. Allow young people to share their perspectives on service and interfaith work. Include artistic components such as music, art, or poetry (see the spoken word piece constructed by the Interfaith Action group at University of Illinois at Urbana- Champagne in the Customizable Tools section of the Appendix.) Discuss important background information for the Day such as the activities, the goals, what is expected of participants, and why we are doing this. This may include reading the covenant of commitment together (pg. 57 of this Toolkit). If you choose to hold your kick-off on a separate day, anticipate that many will not attend both events. Ice Breakers and Games Introductions may be done as a whole group or within project groups depending on the number of participants. This will give participants a chance to get to know each other and start thinking about the interfaith and the service components of the Day. We have included some suggestions in the Safe Space Toolkit in the Appendix. If you are working with a Habitat for Humanity or America s Second Harvest affiliate, we have resources for introductions, activities, and reflections that will reflect specifically on the issues of homelessness and hunger. Interfaith Reflection We recommend that you facilitate reflection before and after (but at least once during) your service project. Beginning your day with a short reflection focuses the participants and serves as a springboard for conversation and thought throughout the day. This could be in the form of small group sharing, or short speeches on faith and service. Reflection and evaluation at the end of the work is vital, and it is often helpful to do this over a meal and in small discussion groups. You may choose to bring in holy texts, a list of organizations involved in the Day, and other resources to start interfaith/dialogue groups. In the section entitled, Create Effective Reflection, you will find an introduction to moderating a reflection period. In the Safe Space Toolkit found in the Appendix, you will find the entire curriculum. You might begin your day by reading of the Covenant of Commitment, also found in the Safe Space Toolkit. Meal Meals are a great time for reflection. Review the section on religious sensitivities to you re your menu appropriately. Depending on your schedule, it may be appropriate to have snacks and refreshments available DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 33

34 Celebration After a day of service and learning, you have much to celebrate! Make sure to convey your appreciation and your excitement about the work you ve done. This could be as simple as sharing cake or desserts or more elaborate such as a group activity that night or 1-2 weeks after the event- bowling, putt-putt golfing, etc. Try to make this relate to the issues you have addressed during the day if possible. Use the time to gather some verbal evaluations about the day and ideas for the next year. Innovative Approaches Get Creative!! Some sites have chosen to expand on their DIYS work to create larger events, and have been creative in the selection of their service-learning project. Chicago created a Season of Interfaith Youth Service beginning with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and concluding with the Days of Interfaith Youth Service. San Francisco worked with their youth to create a group of young people who would work on issues of racism throughout the year. They held workshops and performances on Saturday and service projects on Sunday. Students at the University of Illinois and Urbana-Champagne created a year-round dialogue and service-learning club called, Interfaith Action. They continue in the theme of DIYS all year long! In New Orleans, teams of young volunteers worked on two projects around the mayoral election: one was assisting the Louisiana Secretary of State at a mega-polling station and the other was getting out the vote in low-income communities. Both projects were designed around youth citizen engagement and service learning and were strictly non-partisan. Please don t let this book inhibit your ideas. There are endless possibilities that could lead to success. There is not just one right way to develop a DIYS, and we are excited to learn from your ideas and experience! 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 34

35 Navigate Religious Sensitivities When organizing for interfaith work, there are several characteristics of various religions that one must be sensitive to. The best rule of thumb is simple: be sensitive! Your awareness that sensitivities exist will help you in uncovering them. Communicate with the various communities while you are planning the event. If possible, have a representative on your steering committee. This will assist you in planning an event in which people from different religious traditions are all comfortable participating in. This guide will serve as your first step in considering the types of religious sensitivities that exist. Do note, though, that people follow religions differently, and not all items we have included may apply for your participants. Please share feedback regarding this document with IFYC. General ~ When planning weekend events, many organizers find Sunday after early church services the best option. ~ While your tradition may not have conduct requirements, many people are not able to interact with people whose conduct is against their religious tradition s code. ~ Dress modestly even if the event does not involve a religious activity. Clothing should not be very revealing. ~ Use appropriate language. Do not swear or use ethnic or religious slurs. ~ When doing activities or rituals, always leave an out or a right to pass for those who feel uncomfortable participating or are restricted from participating by their tradition. This should be stated clearly so people do not feel forced to participate. ~ Refrain from speaking of another tradition in your religion s terms. For example, do not call a synagogue a Jewish church, refer to Passover as the Last Supper, or refer to the Hebrew Scriptures as the Old Testament. Other terms that carry certain religious connotations include: prayer, scriptures, blessings, and congregations. ~For more information and the date for holidays that shift, please visit ~ Do not state we all believe in God as a means of finding common ground as not all religious people believe in God. ~ Contact houses of worship before you go to check whether visitors are allowed and what conduct is appropriate. ~ How to Be a Perfect Stranger offers more etiquette specifically on visiting houses of worship for various events. Baha i ~Holidays: Festival of Ridvan takes place from March During this time Baha is aged generally abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset in order to focus on love of God and spiritual matters. During this time, Baha is take certain days off of work and regular activity to celebrate. The Declaration of the Bab (May 23), Birth of the Bab (October 20), Birth of Baha u llah (November 12) are also holidays. ~Dietary restrictions: Alcohol is forbidden when taken as a drink as well as in cooking, but may be used for medicinal purposes. Baha is believe that living a simple life, abstaining from the use of alcohol and mind-altering drugs is beneficial to spiritual development, greatly reduces illness and has a good effect on character and conduct. There is no reason why Baha is may not serve alcoholic refreshment to their guests. ~Behavior: Baha is follow the Ten Commandments and seek to avoid such activities as gambling, gossip and backbiting DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 35

36 ~Beliefs: Baha is believe that science and religion are in fundamental agreement about the cosmos, since God would not have given humanity two systems that attempt to explain existence that are in conflict. Buddhism ~Holidays: Nirvana Day, Hanamatsuri Day (Buddha Day), Bodhi Day; the dates for these holidays change. In Mahayana Buddhism, the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha are three common festivals in which feasting takes place (dates differ by regional calendar). In Theraveda Buddhism all three days are unified into the single holiday of Vesak. ~Dietary Restrictions: Many Buddhists are vegetarians or vegans. Buddhist monks fast on the days of the new moon and full moon each lunar month; they also avoid eating any solid food after noon. Some do not eat onions, leeks or garlic. ~Gender Issues: Many prefer no physical contact including handshakes or hugs in order to maintain purity. In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, monks are not allowed to be alone in a room with one woman. They must be joined by at least one other person. ~Beliefs: Buddhists do not believe in God. Do not state we all believe in God as a means of finding common ground as not all religious people believe in God. ~Other: Many monks and nuns do not handle currency and some Buddhists are not allowed to dance. It is considered rude to point at the toes or the soles of the feet of any person, but especially a monk. In Westernized temples, this is not such a hard and fast rule, but check with the leadership of the temple to avoid offending anyone. Christianity ~Holidays: Most Christians have Sabbath on Sunday. Christians who are Seventh Day Adventists follow Saturday as Sabbath. Christmas (December 24-25), Easter, Good Friday, Catholic Days of Obligation (January 1, August 15, November 1, December 1, Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter). The dates for Good Friday and Easter change each year. ~Dietary Restrictions: Many Catholics do not eat meat (fish is allowed) on Fridays during Lent. Some refrain from eating meat on Wednesdays during Lent as well. Many Catholics also fast at times during Lent, which starts forty days prior to Easter. Seventh Day Adventists and Latter-day Saints often refrain from alcohol and caffeinated beverages. Some fast or abstain only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting is usually for spiritual reasons, such as teaching control of fleshly desires, as a penance for sin, or to express solidarity with the poor. Some Christians now advocate vegetarianism during Lent for ethical reasons. Fasting in not a major part of the Protestant or Reformed traditions. ~Behavior: Mormon temples are not open to the public, but other Mormon places of worship may be open. Many conservative Christian denominations are not allowed to dance. ~Beliefs: Christian theology differs significantly according to denomination. However, all Christians believe in God and most believe that Jesus was immaculately conceived, is the son of God, died to save humankind from their wrongdoings and was resurrected. Hinduism ~Holidays: Diwali (changes yearly but around October, November), Holi (changes yearly but around March), Saal Mubarak (after Diwali), Raksha Bandhan (around August/September) ~Dietary Restrictions: Meat, fish, poultry and eggs are forbidden in Hinduism; and many Hindus are vegetarians or vegans. Although some Hindus will occasionally eat meat, almost all avoid beef out of respect for the cow, which is considered holy. Strict Hindus do not eat onions, garlic, mushrooms, alcohol and caffeine. ~Fasting: Fasts are intended to enhance concentration during meditation, worship or as a tool for purification. Fast days include Sundays, the day of the new moon, the full moon, 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 36

37 the 10th and 11th day of each month, the Feast of Sivaratri, the 9th day of the month of Cheitra, the 8th day of Sravana, and days of eclipses, equinoxes, solstices, and conjunction of the planets. Some Hindus also fast on the anniversaries of the deaths of their mothers and fathers. ~Behavior: Wearing jewelry of other religious traditions is not allowed in Hindu worship spaces. Also, jewelry with signs of the zodiac and pendants with faces, heads, animals or people are discouraged in worship spaces. Shoes must be removed before entering Hindu temples. ~Beliefs: Many forms of Hinduism recognize a single deity and view other Gods and Goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme God. It is not a single unified religion and has no founder, single teacher, nor prophets. Hindus believe in a universal soul or God called Brahman who is recognized as the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. Hinduism is generally considered the world s oldest faith, having originated over three thousand years ago. Islam ~Holidays: Muharram (Islamic New Year), Mawlid an-nabi (Muhammad's Birthday), Eid ul-fitr (end of Ramadan), and Eid ul-adha (culmination of Hajj). Dates for Muslim holidays are based upon the lunar calendar. Most Muslims consider Friday to be a special day of worship. Between 12-2 pm, the main prayer service (Jummah prayer) occurs. ~Dietary Restrictions: Muslims often follow Halal (meaning permissible ) guidelines which permit or prohibit certain food and drink. Forbidden foods include pork, lard or any porcine substance, gelatin from an animal source which is not halal, meat that is not slaughtered in the prescribed Islamic way, meat coming from a lawful animal which died before slaughter, blood (direct or indirect), any food or drink with alcohol in it (all intoxicant and hazardous drinks), any human substance or part, all carnivorous animals and birds of prey, some non-halal additives (E numbers like E120, E441, E543 etc.). Some Muslims also follow Zabiha, which refers to Halal meats sacrificed in a specific way. ~Behavior: Muslims will often say peace be upon Him or Salallahu alayhi wa sallam after the name of a prophet is spoken. The Muslim holy book (Qur an) must not be placed on the ground, below any one, or by the feet. ~Gender Issues: Modesty is an integral part of Muslim relationships. Many Muslims prefer to engage in more conservative forms of gender interaction. This may include not shaking hands; allow the other person to initiate a handshake. Although not as common in the United States as it is elsewhere, some Muslims also avoid eye contact between genders. A respectful greeting is a bow of the head, upper body to members of the opposite sex. Many Muslim gatherings will seat genders separately. Some Muslim women prefer not to come into direct contact with any men. For example, when breaking up into small groups, same sex groups should be available. ~Dress: Women should cover their hair with a scarf to enter Muslim prayer spaces. Both genders should not wear revealing clothes. It is best to cover up one s arms with at least short sleeves and legs. Clothing should not have pictures of animals or alcoholic beverages on them. Also, shoes must be removed when entering a prayer space. ~Prayer: Many Muslims pray five times a day facing Mecca. In the US, this is generally North- East. Make sure you have private prayer space available and that your schedule of events allows for Muslims to observe their prayer times. You can find out what time prayer is set in your city by going to ~Music: There are several different opinions when it comes to music. Most Muslims will allow songs that use drums or percussion instruments only. Other instruments (string, wind, etc.) are generally not allowed. A cappella (purely vocal music) is widely accepted by Muslim communities. Some Muslims will not listen to music performed by women DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 37

38 ~Beliefs: Muslims believe in one God who is called Allah in Arabic. The Qur an is the divine book revealed through the prophet Muhammad and is God s final revelation to humanity. Muhammad, the central and final Muslim prophet, was born in Mecca, a city in presentday Saudi Arabia, in 570. The five pillars of Islam are Shahada belief in one God and the finality of Muhammad s prophecy, Salat (prayer), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawn (Fasting during the month of Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). Jain ~Holidays: Festivals (called Parva) are special days dedicated to worship, penance, ancient ritual and the soul. The Parva has special rites that increase merit in the future and help the soul to its future births. The festivals include: Diwali festival, Gyan Panchami, Maun Ekadashi, Posh Dashami festival, Meru Trayodashi, Chaumasi Parva, the rituals of Kartaki Purnima, Navpadji-Oli, Akshaya Trutiya, and Paryushana Parva. ~Dietary Restrictions: Strict Jains are vegetarian or vegan and will not eat before sunrise or after sunset. Forbidden foods include meat, fish, eggs, honey and figs. Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, garlic or onions. ~Fasting: Fasting is very common in Jain spirituality and is a feature of most festivals. The type of fasting depends on the individual and ranges from skipping certain meals, to a full fast of up to eight days. It is not sufficient for a Jain simply to abstain from eating when fasting; they must also stop desiring nourishment. If they continue to desire food, the fast is pointless. Even water drunk must be boiled and consumed in limited quantities between the hours of sunrise and sunset. Fasting is more often done by women than men. ~Behavior: Jains take off shoes and all leather objects before entering a temple. Some Jains will not eat in restaurants that serve meat or alcohol. Often Jains will not use cloth whose production hurts or kills animals or humans. Jains are not allowed to do jobs that cause harm, such as those involving furnaces or fires, those in which trees are cut, those involving fermentation, trading in meat products, honey or eggs, trading in silk, leather, etc., selling pesticides, selling weapons, digging, circus work involving animals, or zoo work. ~Gender Issues: Some Jains will refrain from hugging or kissing as a greeting. ~Prayer: Jains should meditate uninterrupted for at least 48 minutes daily. Judaism ~ Holidays: Friday at sundown through Saturday at dark is the Jewish Sabbath. Orthodox Jews are usually the most observant of this. In order to avoid all work and to ensure that Shabbat is special, all activities like working with technology, shopping, cleaning, and cooking are prohibited. Other holidays include Purim, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkoth, Passover, and Shavuot. There are seven fast days per year. The dates for these change each year. ~Dietary Restrictions: Some Jews keep kosher. Kosher refers to guidelines on what food can be consumed, how the food must be prepared, what type of separation between foods and utensils are required and what combinations of food are allowed. For example, shellfish and pork are not to be eaten, dairy and meat may not be eaten at the same meal, and all food preparation must follow specific standards. Different pots, crockery, cutlery and washing equipment are used to separate foods. There exist different traditions which dictate the length of time one must wait between consumption of different foods. There are many types of kosher. If you have participants who keep kosher, it is easiest to ask them for recommendations on places to order from and for their particular needs. ~Behavior: Some Jews do not write God but will instead write G-d because paper with the full name must be handled as sacred (for example, they can t touch the ground or be thrown away). ~Gender Issues: Many Orthodox Jews do not allow members of the opposite sex to touch. This can include shaking hands. Some Jews do not listen to music performed by women DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 38

39 ~Prayer: Some Jews pray three times a day. The times of prayer are adjusted according to the season and day light. ~Behavior: Some Jews will not enter a prayer space belonging to another faith. They are not allowed to enter places of worship with the iconography of other traditions present. When entering a synagogue, head covering called a yarmulke or kippah is usually required of all men. Kippot are usually available at the entrance to the main sanctuary. Women may choose to cover their heads. When entering synagogues, modest clothing should be worn; cover the arms and knees. Also one must not carry a purse or similar item on the Sabbath. Some Jews will eat in restaurants that have been certified kosher by a rabbinic body. Sikhism ~ Holidays: Birthdays of the ten gurus (these change yearly), Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev (around November, changes yearly), Baisaikhi (around April 13), Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (changes yearly), and Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (changes yearly). ~Dietary Restrictions: Forbidden foods include kosher meat, halal meat and alcohol. Some Sikhs will not drink coffee or tea and will not smoke. ~Dress: Both men and women must wear a head covering and remove shoes to enter a Sikh temple (a gurdwara) ~Behavior: A Sikh is not allowed to cut hair from any part of the body. Sikh women are just as forbidden to cut any body hair or even trim their eyebrows, as Sikh men are forbidden to trim their beards. ~ Sikh music must not be thrown away or touch the ground. If Sikhs are playing it, they must be on a stage so the music is above the heads of those listening DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 39

40 After Your Event Your event is over, but there s still follow-up work to be done! A comprehensive evaluation process will ensure that your site is wrapped up for the year and that we can collectively learn as much as possible from your experience to enhance our future work together. It will also help you continue to develop and support the interfaith youth service movement in your local community. National Follow-Up - Complete initial report below or on our website by June 1st. - Send in copies of media coverage, publicity, etc. to IFYC. - Send one or two lead organizers to the National Interfaith Youth Work Conference in Chicago from October 28-30, 2007 who will be able to make a short presentation about your site. Local Follow-Up - Follow up with media contacts. Make sure they have the information they need. - Send thank you notes to organizers, funders, and anyone else who assisted you. - Check in with the service sites regarding how the event went for them. - Contact leaders of the youth participants to get any feedback from the youth or from the organizations that sent youth participants. - Read through our strategies for year long participation in the Appendix DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 40

41 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 41

42 2007 Event Commitment Form Please complete this Event Commitment Form and return it to Megan Hughes by March 1st, 2007, at the Interfaith Youth Core: fax (312) , or mail to 1111 N. Wells, Ste. 501, Chicago, IL You may also complete it online at On behalf of the organizers for my event, I commit to: Run a Days of Interfaith Youth Service event in April 2007, preferably April 20-22; Register our event using the Project Registration Form, available in the Organizer s Toolkit or online at by March 1 st, 2007; Incorporate both SERVICE and INTERFAITH DIALOGUE in the event; Engage the religious diversity of our community in the planning of and participation in the event; Maintain contact with the Interfaith Youth Core staff throughout the organizing process; Document, evaluate and share our experiences with the Interfaith Youth Core by sending a complete Evaluation Report, available in this Toolkit or online at by June 1 st, 2007; and Work with the Interfaith Youth Core to send at least one organizer to the 5 th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, to be held October 28-30, 2007 in Chicago. On behalf of the organizers for my site, I will strive to: Work with our national partners: National & Global Youth Service Day, Habitat for Humanity, & America s Second Harvest; Reach out to and connect with local media organizations and elected public officials; Engage youth not traditionally asked to serve, including young kids, youth with disabilities, and youth from economically disadvantaged communities; Empower youth as leaders of our event by designing projects that are led by youth as much as possible; and Continue serving year-round after our Days of Interfaith Youth Service event. Engage youth from the served community as volunteers for their own community. Geographical name of site: Estimated number of participants: Contact person: Street address: City: State: Zip code: Phone: Fax: Website URL: Subscribe me to Organizers Listserv (this listserv is used for important announcements and to facilitate exchanges among organizers about challenges and best practices in organizing their event). I agree to the commitments stated above. Name Signature Date 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 42

43 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 43

44 2007 Event Registration Form Please complete this Event Registration Form and return it to Megan Hughes by March 1st, 2007, at the Interfaith Youth Core: fax (312) , or mail to 1111 N. Wells, Ste. 501, Chicago, IL You may also complete it online at Site Information Geographical name of site: Main location where your event will take place: Street address: City: State: Zip code: Website URL (if applicable): Estimated number of total participants: Contact Information Primary contact name: Job title (if applicable): Organization (if applicable): Street address: City: State: Zip code: Phone: Fax: Secondary contact name (if applicable): Job title (if applicable): Organization (if applicable): Street address: City: State: Zip code: Phone: Fax: Steering Committee Membership & Community Participation Total number of steering committee members: Please provide the general title, organization, & religious affiliations of all Steering Committee members: 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 44

45 Community Participation Please list any additional congregations, including denominational affiliation (other than those represented on your steering committee) and organizations that have committed to partner in organizing this event: Are there any religious communities with whom you are having trouble establishing a partnership? Yes No If so, through what connections have you already tried establishing a partnership (please circle all that apply)? Clergy Congregation President Congregation Administrator Community Outreach Director Parishioner with whom a member of your Steering Committee has a personal connection Social Service Director Youth/Advisor If you would like, please feel free to tell us what your challenges have been in establishing this partnership, how you are planning on proceeding, and what, if anything, the Interfaith Youth Core can do to assist you: Have you attempted to connect with local media organizations to secure coverage of your site? Yes No If so, what media organizations have responded and in what manner? Have you attempted to connect with local elected officials? Yes No 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 45

46 If so, what local elected officials have responded and in what manner? Contact with the Interfaith Youth Core Have you or your Steering Committee members been in touch with the DIYS National Steering Committee and/or the Interfaith Youth Core office as you plan your site? Yes No If so, have you found this contact helpful? Yes No If not, what can the Interfaith Youth Core staff do to make themselves more useful to you? Are you receiving DIYS-related announcements? Yes No If so, have you found them useful? Yes No Are you planning on sending one of your Steering Committee members to the 5 th National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work, to be held October 28-30, 2007 in Chicago? Yes No Why are you attending or not attending the conference? National Partnerships Have you or do you intend to work with one of our national partners: National Youth Service Day, Habitat for Humanity, or America s Second Harvest: The Nation s Food Bank Network? Yes No If not, why not? Not Represented in Our Region Had Difficulty Connecting with Them Would Prefer to Work with Local Service Organization Weren t Aware of Partnership We Couldn t Find a Suitable Project with Them Have you made use of National & Global Youth Service Day resources available on their website, Yes No Are you planning to apply or have you applied for a National & Global Youth Service Day grant? Yes No Service Project Description Will your site involve multiple service projects at different locations? Yes No If yes, how many different service projects will comprise your site? Estimated number of participants per service project: Service project type (if doing multiple service projects, please circle all that apply): 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 46

47 Habitat for Humanity Build Elderly Assistance Other Soup Kitchen or Food Pantry Tutoring Center America s Second Harvest Food Bank Hurricane Relief Park and/or Neighborhood Clean-up Other If Other, please describe the nature of the service project: Have you attempted to engage youth not traditionally asked to serve, including young kids, youth with disabilities, and youth from economically disadvantaged communities? Yes No If so, please describe the nature of your efforts and how successful they have been: Are you planning on continuing to serve year round after your DIYS event? Yes No Interfaith Dialogue Description How much time are you allotting for interfaith reflection? Are you making use of the suggested curriculum provided in the 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit? Yes No Are you using IFYC provided facilitator training? Yes No Are there any other materials or resources you would like as you plan your interfaith reflection? Event Planning Have you attempted to empower youth as leaders of your event by designing projects that are led by youth as much as possible? Yes No Please describe the nature of youth leadership at your event: At this juncture, what do you feel is your biggest obstacle to running an effective DIYS event? What, if anything, can the Interfaith Youth Core do to help you overcome this obstacle? 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 47

48 2007 DIYS Organizer s Evaluation Report Please complete this Organizer s Evaluation Report and return it to Megan Hughes by June 1 st, 2007, at the Interfaith Youth Core: megan@ifyc.org, fax (312) , or mail to 1111 N. Wells, Ste. 501, Chicago, IL You may also complete it online at Event Information Geographical name of site: Main location where your event took place: Street address: City: State: Zip code: Website URL (if applicable): Date(s) & time(s) your event(s) took place: Date: Start time: End time: Date: Start time: End time: Contact Information Contact name for person completing this Evaluation Report: Job title (if applicable): Organization (if applicable): Street address: City: State: Zip code: Phone: Fax: Steering Committee Membership & Community Participation Total number of steering committee members: Please provide the names, title, organization, & religious affiliations of all Steering Committee members: 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 48

49 Community Participation Please list any additional congregations, including denominational affiliation (other than those represented on your steering committee) and organizations that partnered in organizing your event: Participant Information Total number of participants (including adult volunteers): Number of participants by age: Children: Youth (13-17 years): Young Adults (18-30 years): Adults: What was the approximate gender break-down in percentages of all participants? Male: % Female: % What percentage (approximately) of all participants came from the following environments? Urban: % Suburban: % Rural: % What were the self-identified ethnic backgrounds of all participants? What were the self-identified religious traditions of all participants, and approximately what percentage of the group did each represent? Event Information How many DIYS service projects did members of your steering committee carry out? Describe your event (Please include as much detail as possible!): 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 49

50 What were your greatest successes for the event? What were the greatest challenges and areas for improvement? Do you have a story that illustrates the impact of your event? Please tell it here: How do you plan to use the momentum from this event to further interfaith youth work in your community? Please describe any cases where older youth mentored or engaged younger youth: 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 50

51 Please describe special skills and/or knowledge (academic or non-academic) that youth volunteers acquired through participation in the service project. Please describe any feedback or reactions of community residents or project beneficiaries specifically regarding the youth volunteers: Planning Period If you received a project grant from National & Global Youth Service Day or a partner organization, please indicate which grant(s) you received: How did youth participate in planning roles? Please describe any changes in behavior of youth that participated in DIYS (i.e. youth who participate in the event are now regularly engaged in interfaith service): If you or your organization participated in DIYS 2006, please describe any long-term changes you have observed in the last year in the behavior of youth participating or the community s perception of youth: Materials and Resources If you used any DIYS and/or N & GYSD organizing materials, please indicate quantities used and describe what you found helpful in the materials you used or distributed and what improvements you would recommend for each. N & GYSD Organizing Materials Planning Toolkits Service-Learning Curriculum Guides: Posters/Brochure: 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 51

52 Tip Sheets: Issue-specific Service Learning Curriculum Guides: DIYS Organizing Materials Organizer s Toolkit Recruitment DVD QuickStart Toolkit On Site Training Phone Training Did you use Project Plan-It! YSA online planning tool, to plan your project? If so, please comment on its usefulness. Did you use YSA s Advocate for Youth Service Now online tool, to identify and/or send messages to elected and agency officials or the media? If so, please comment on its usefulness. How can the organizers resources be improved and more user-friendly? Media Coverage Did your DIYS-N & GYSD project(s) receive media attention? If yes, please list the name(s) of publication(s) and/or station(s) and describe the coverage: If you received media coverage, please list the name(s) and contact information for the reporter(s) that covered your project. Please include all contact information: 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 52

53 Were elected officials and/or other public figures involved in your project? If so, please describe who was involved and their titles and how they participated: Please tell us how you would rate your DIYS-N & GYSD projects impact in terms of benefits for volunteers and for the community served and the lessons you would like to share for future DIYS-N & GYSD celebrations. If your organization/project has a website, what was the average number of hits per month on DIYS-N & GYSD related pages between February and April of 2006? Advice for Next Year What do you wish you had known at the beginning of the planning period that you know now? How might you advise future organizers? Would you participate in an online training for organizers this fall? This is the 4 th year of DIYS. For how many years has your organization participated in DIYS? Send your completed report, along with copies of all completed participant evaluation forms and any documentation (photos, press clippings, video) to Megan Hughes at the Interfaith Youth Core: 1111 N. Wells, Ste. 501 Chicago, IL Fax: ~ Phone: ~ megan@ifyc.org THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP!!!! SEE YOU AT THE CONFERENCE OCTOBER 28-30, 2007 IN CHICAGO DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 53

54 SAFE SPACE TOOLKIT Getting Started with Interfaith Dialogue: The 4 Cs and 2 Qs Interfaith dialogue is a special form of communication. It might be a one-time event or a series of conversations. It might span hours, months or years. It might be structured or unstructured, facilitated by a third party or non-facilitated. Interfaith dialogue is a fundamental component in the process of peace-building. Peacebuilding means creating a human infrastructure for relationships that are harmonious, synergistic, cooperative, respectful and mutually beneficial. When people are divided by their differences, the patterns of relating tend to reinforce separation, fragmentation and divisiveness. In situations of severe conflict, the lack of communication breeds mistrust, distorted views, cycles of hurt and revenge, blame and anger. Interfaith dialogue is a medium for creating bridges across the chasms of our differences. It generates pathways for developing trust, changing old habits of thought and action and trying new behaviors. The Interfaith Youth Core seeks to mobilize and engage communities affected by conflict, locally and internationally, to enter into the process of dialogue and begin building the necessary bridges. Over the years we have convened numerous meetings of dialogue groups, representative of many of the deep conflicts that exist within our community. We employ a specific formula when convening dialogue groups, which attempts to take into account the following elements: Creating a Sense of Security Creating a Sense of Security Committing to Listen Confronting Differences Constructing Partnerships Challenges? (Certainly!) Change? (Embrace it!) One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva A sense of security refers to the environment psychological as well as physical of the dialogue. Only when people feel safe will they be willing to go beyond debate to true dialogue, which involves touching many layers of wisdom and meaning. Oftentimes, the presence of an impartial third party enhances that feeling of safety. Committing to Listen What, then, is the purpose of inter-religious cooperation? It is neither to flatter nor to refute one another but to help one another; to share insight and learning Abraham Joshua Heschel It is critical that each participant agree to and be constantly reminded that dialogue is not intended for decision-making, for accomplishment of task, or for changing people's minds, but a meeting for learning and increasing understanding. It is a process of inquiry, not advocacy or action. When this culture of openness and tolerance is integrated into the 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 54

55 group, then anything said can be an opportunity for learning--even if the conversation becomes argumentative or tempers flare. Use appropriate communication skills. Telling the truth of our experience and listening carefully to the truth of other peoples' experience is the essence of good communication. Since dialogue is a discovery process, it is paramount to learn to use open-ended questions, to tap into our natural curiosity, to put aside our own judgment, to listen with respect, and to understand that none of these are signs of agreement, nor do they have to be. Confronting Difference We created you from male and female and formed you into nations and tribes that you may come to know one another. The Qor an, Surah 49:13 Conscious or unconscious beliefs, perceptions, assumptions, judgments, values, attitudes, opinions, stereotypes, needs, emotions, hopes, expectations and fears can lie like the iceberg under the surface of the discussion, posing a threat to safe passage. As these are brought to the surface and shared, the level of understanding increases, trust grows and connections are made. Helping ourselves and one another bring these hidden aspects safely to the table is part of the process of developing dialogue. Constructing Partnerships We are already one, but we imagine that we are not. And what we have to recover is our original unity. What we have to be is what we are. Thomas Merton Inter-group dialogue is about inter-group relationships. Sharing individual experiences within the context of what it can reveal about the relationship is an important focus. Assessing the relationship as it is and as the parties would like it to be are topics that can bring the greatest benefit in the long term, for dialogue is a medium for transforming and re-creating relationships, for building reconciliation and understanding between peoples. Challenges? Think big; and take small steps. Anonymous The dialogue process, especially when ongoing, naturally goes through many stages. Groups mature in their relationships over time, new information becomes available, new levels of meaning are reached and shared. Sometimes the only way to get on to the next stage is to go through a narrow door, where people may experience greater confusion, anger, fragmentation, or distress. If those moments are used as an excuse to leave the process, the learning stops. Rather, think of those moments as opportunities for the greatest learning, for the resistance always gets strongest where the lesson on the other side is the greatest. Change? As human beings, our greatness lays not so much in being able to remake the world that is the myth of the atomic age as in being able to remake ourselves. Mahatma Gandhi 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 55

56 If we approach dialogue as a way to change one another, we will be frustrated. If we approach it as a way to learn and explore, to test our most basic assumptions and perceptions, to review what makes sense in our lives, to inquire into the meaning that others ascribe to their experience, then we cannot help but be open to change in ourselves as well as in the relationship. And when the relationship changes, things that seemed impossible before are suddenly possible. We can create new ways, new structures, new approaches to be together that honor all our diverse needs and values. Dialogue is not a panacea; a cure for all that ails us as a human family. We will still have our historical wounds, our diverse beliefs, our varied dreams of how things ought to be. But if we can learn to respect and understand one another, then those differences become a springboard to a new way of being together and of consciously shaping our shared reality. Dialogue is something concrete, that people from all walks of life can engage in, to make a difference. Expectations and Ground Rules If Interfaith Dialogue is to accomplish its ultimate mission of dispelling myths and prejudices, it is important that participants accept and buy into the Covenant of Commitment and follow some basic guidelines. The following are the values and beliefs which lay the framework for Interfaith Dialogue: We respect the uniqueness of each tradition and differences of practice or belief. We respect others and believe that sharing your values and wisdom can lead others to act for the good of all. Our religious and spiritual lives, rather than dividing us, guide us to build community and respect for one another. We unite to build cultures of peace and justice. We unite to build safe places for conflict resolution, healing and reconciliation. We unite to support freedom of religion and spiritual expression and the rights of all individuals and peoples as set forth in international law. We unite in responsible cooperative action to bring the wisdom and values of our religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions to bear on the economic, environmental, political and social challenges facing our community. We unite to provide a global opportunity for participation by all people, especially by those whose voices are not often heard. We unite to celebrate the joy of blessings and the light of wisdom in both movement and stillness. We unite to use our combined resources only for nonviolent, compassionate action, to awaken to our deepest truths and to manifest love and justice among all life in our community. We seek and welcome the gift of diversity and model practices that do not discriminate DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 56

57 Covenant of Commitment This Covenant is intended for use by youth, for older young adults, you may wish to use the statements from the Expectations and Ground Rules section above. Possible uses for this Covenant include: collective reading at an opening gathering; put in registration pack and ask participants to sign it; give to youth advisors prior to the event and ask them to go over it with their young people. In order to meet the three goals of the day: to learn about other religions, to share when comfortable about my faith life and to serve my community, I will do the following: I will meet new people and learn from them. I will ask appreciative questions to learn more. I will be respectful of others faith traditions. I know I may see or learn about rituals, customs, or beliefs that are different than my own. I will listen attentively to others. I know that listening opens the conversation for learning and causes others to listen to me. I will be open and honest when others ask me questions. Just as others will answer my questions, I will answer their questions. I will serve my community. I will work hard, following the importance of service in my faith tradition, to serve. I will have fun! Questions that Might Be Asked at the Event This list of questions is intended for youth advisors to use prior to your event in preparing their group to participate. Participating young people who are prepared to answer these questions are more likely to respond hospitably and thoughtfully. Do you have a sacred book [or books]? How do you pray? What are your important rituals? What do you do during these rituals? What are your important holidays [or festivals]? What do you do on your major holidays [or festivals]? Are there any things you are not allowed to do or say? Are there any things you are not allowed to eat or drink? Why do you dress differently from us? May I come to your house of worship? What do you call God? May I observe your service? Encouraged and Discouraged Conversations This section is intended for use in preparing youth advisors and core volunteers. You might include it in your facilitator or volunteer training. You might also use it in meetings with youth advisors that are invited to send youth. Discouraged conversations: 1. I m right and you re wrong. 2. You should become a follower of my religion. Proselytize from Dictionary.com: 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 57

58 a. To induce someone to convert to one s own religious faith. b. To induce someone to join one s own political party or to espouse one's doctrine. Encouraged conversations: 1. Life as a follower of a particular religion. Sharing experiences of growing up religious going to camp, going to service, holidays, congregation or youth group projects. Why do you X? (wear a certain piece of clothing, hold a certain object, eat a certain food, etc.) 2. Commonalities & variations on these themes. 3. Questions about religious symbols, practices and beliefs. How to Handle Discouraged Conversations: 1. Be careful in your discernment of whether or not proselytizing is actually happening. Discussions about each other s beliefs should not be equated with proselytizing. Youth are encouraged to ask questions of one another on the subject of religion. Some of these questions are likely to be theological in nature. Consider proselytizing to be indicated by comments that directly argue a superior belief or attempt to persuade the other youth to try out the religion. This is a difficult discernment that sometimes requires mind-reading for example, an invitation to attend service or bible study could simply be a friendly offer to satisfy someone s curiosity. It could also be a step in proselytizing. One way to gauge this is by observing who is directing the conversation is the proselytized youth actually curious and asking questions that prompt these responses or invitations? 2. If you are overhearing the conversation, be respectful in your approach a casual Hi guys, how s it going? rather than an abrasive interruption. 3. If you are not the youth advisor or don t have a relationship with the leading youth, change the topic to an encouraged conversation. Open up what we like to call at the IFYC a different kind of conversation. If the previous conversation starts back again after you leave, pull that youth aside and have the conversation detailed below. 4. If you are the youth advisor of the participant who is leading the conversation or have a strong relationship with this youth, we recommend addressing the subject directly: Ask the participant who is leading the conversation to chat with you for a minute. (Don t embarrass them or have an argument in front of the other youth.) Broach the subject kindly. Stress the following points: a. The purpose of activities like this is to bring people of different religions together to be partners in making the world a better place. b. Other people s religion is just as important to them as yours is to you. c. (if the conversation was a form of proselytizing) Trying to convert someone is going to get in the way of making that happen because people will feel like you don t respect him/her. d. Conversations about who is right and who is wrong will only separate us. We are here to bring people together. e. You don t need to have the same religious beliefs to be able to work together. f. We recognize that proselytizing is a key part of some communities religious beliefs and practices. However, the focus of an interfaith event is on building positive relations between faith communities, not persuading people to try another religion DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 58

59 Games and Activities for Creating Safe Space Activity: Deep Listening Listening is a critical skill that can all too often be taken for granted. There are many techniques designed to enhance our ability to listen effectively. However, we are unlikely to employ them unless we recognize how complicated listening is, and how flawed assumptions can be that are based on inaccurate and incomplete interpretations of messages. Sometimes we assume that what we think we heard is what we actually heard. People communicate not just data or facts, but emotion and intent, and that we must listen for these, too. Purpose To give insight into the listening process. Directions 1. Pass out small cards and pens. 2. Assign participants a number and have them write it on their card, as big and as legibly as possible. 3. Have the participants find a partner and decide who will be an A and who will be a B. 4. Have the A s tell the B s a story from their life. The stories should be: True About seconds long From any period or aspect of their lives (e.g. something that happened this week, something that happened in childhood) 5. The B s should LISTEN ONLY. They should not interrupt or ask questions. 6. When the A s finish, have the B s tell a story. 7. Have the partners exchange 3x5 cards. Each person now has the card with the number of the story they just heard. 8. Ask everyone to find a new partner. 9. Each person now tells the story THAT SHE JUST HEARD, in the 1 st person ( I took the goldfish ) as accurately as possible, as if it is her story. Stress that each participant is to attempt to tell the story exactly as she heard it. (Hold off telling the participants that they will have to repeat their partner s story until this point.) 10. When both participants have told their stories, ask them to exchange 3x5 cards and find a new partner. 11. This time, ask people to make sure that they are not paired with someone who has a card with a number they have already seen. This process ensures that people will not get their own story back or hear the same story more than once. 12. Again, have the participants exchange stories (as above) and swap cards. 13. Have the participants form a circle, and one by one tell the story that they just heard. 14. Debrief. Debrief Tips Have the participants share randomly, rather than around the circle. This will enhance their ability to stay present and be receptive DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 59

60 Ask people to listen to the stories without commenting or claiming their own stories, until all of them have been told. The impulse may be strong to correct the stories in the moment, but the flow will be smoother, and the debrief richer if the participants can wait until everyone has gone. Suggested Debrief Questions Variations How many of you felt your story remained accurate? Did anyone not recognize his or her story? Did you listen differently once you knew you were going to have to repeat the story you heard? How did it feel to have your story repeated in its current form? How did it feel to tell someone else s story? What kinds of things can we listen for? (Facts, emotions, the intent or point of the story.) Which were the easiest to discern? Which were the most important? How do they relate to each other? Which are the most real? What kind of things did we change in our telling? Why? (We forgot; we wanted to make connections to close logic gaps; in telling the story as our own, we inadvertently or deliberately made it more personal e.g. changed the gender of key people) What did we make up that we were sure we heard? How did the tellers interact with the listeners who were silent? Did you change the story based on the non-verbal cues of the listener? Why or why not? Why bother listening if no one truly gets it right? How is it we are able to function in the workplace when we misunderstand? What should we do with the information we ve learned today? How can we listen more effectively? If there are more than people in the group, split it into more than one subgroup. Make sure you do this at the beginning of the process, so that each subgroup will be sharing all the stories they told. You need not have a facilitator for each subgroup. The only part of the process for which the entire group needs to be divided is in the last round of sharing stories in a circle. Pick four people to work in front of the rest of the group: A, B, C, and D. Send C and D out of the room. Have A tell a story to B. Then invite C back into the room and have B repeat the story as exactly as possible to C. Then invite D in, and have C tell the story. Finally, have D tell the story to the whole group. This version takes less time and allows the participants to watch the process of how the story changes. Do the variation above in two rounds, in subgroups of eight, four participants relating the story and four watching. Then switch. This will allow everyone to participate and watch without taking an inordinate amount of time. Materials needed: 3x5 cards or small pieces of paper, pens Size of group: Any size Time needed: minutes Risk: Low Facilitator competency needed: Moderate Complexity: Moderately high 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 60

61 Activity: Building our Skills for Nonviolent Actions Acquiring solid knowledge about nonviolence is a necessary step for planning any action or designing any strategy. Yet, cognitive knowledge without significant practical and real life experience and training is not sufficient. Many nonviolent organizations and movements spend months and even years in training their members in how to physically, verbally and psychologically resist and sustain their level of engagement for their specific cause. For example, the nonviolent students movement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1960s spent months training those who volunteered to lead the sit in activity in Greensboro, North Carolina. The training included an actual dramatization of the possible responses from those who opposed racial integration to the African American students. This strategy proved to be highly effective in preparing the nonviolent activists for maintaining their efforts and withstanding the cruelty of the attacks launched against them. Purpose To provide members with an opportunity to clarify their individual and collective limits regarding nonviolent action and the risk involved. To begin linking attitudes and positions in support of nonviolence with real-life or day-to-day actions and settings. Directions Prior to the meeting, prepare 3-4 role play scenarios that bring up relevant issues around youth violence and cultural biases / stereotyping that can lead to violence. Give each member a card with the description of a case or role-play. As a facilitator, you can prepare as many cases as you want. There are three possible cases or situations presented at the end of the activity. The exercise is an attempt to place the members in a real situation and examine their individual and collective reactions. The effect of the exercise depends on the nature of the case studies. The facilitator should be cautious in their selection and construction of the situations. Allow a few minutes for reading silently. Ask each member to decide or think of a response to the question: What would you do? In small groups of 3-4 members, discuss the individual reaction and decide on a collective response. Ask each group to role-play their reaction in brief (3-5 minutes) presentations. Allow time for questions and answers after each role-play. Some possible questions for each group are: What are the factors that you took into consideration when you selected this type of action? What are the levels of preparation required for this action? What are the steps/plans that you have to deal with the possible consequences of such action? Is this action feasible in your community/context? In the debriefing of the exercise the following points can be restated: The links between values, attitudes and behaviors of nonviolent actions. The importance of consistency and actions to support each other DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 61

62 Level of risks involved in planning simple nonviolent actions. Conditions required for nonviolent action strategies to be effective. There is a wide range of possibilities to nonviolently react to these situations. The specific set of activities ought to be dependent on the readiness of the interfaith group to act. There should be no imposition of any activity or strategy on the group members to take or engage in without the willingness and planning to do so. Sample Situations for Nonviolent Action Situation 1: You were traveling in the school bus to school. This is the same bus ride that takes you back and forth to school everyday. You know many of the people who ride it, including the driver. One day, at one of the stops, a student that you have not seen before got on the bus and sat beside you. You soon discovered that he/she belongs to your own religious group, when he/she began using derogatory language describing people from other religions who actually sat in the same bus, but could not hear him/her. What will/can you do? Has anyone in the group faced a similar situation? What are some of the possible nonviolent options that can be deployed in this situation? What does your faith instruct you to do in this case? Situation 2: One day at school, a group of students gathers around a young Muslim girl and starts to taunt her. One of the kids pulls off her head-scarf (hajib), and starts waving it around, refusing to give it back. The Muslim girl starts to cry and yell back at them. What will/can you do? Has anyone in the group faced a similar situation? What are some of the possible nonviolent options that can be deployed in this situation? What does your faith instruct you to do in this case? Situation 3: One of your teachers mentions that, from now on, the administration has decided that there will be a new dress code at your school. One of the provisions in the code states that no student will be allowed to wear any hats or head coverings on campus. You hear a number of students from different religious groups complain that this code conflicts with their religious practices (e.g. Jewish, Muslim, Sikh students). What will/can you do? Has anyone in the group faced a similar situation? What are some of the possible nonviolent options that can be deployed in this situation? What does your faith instruct you to do in this case? Materials needed: Paper or cards with descriptions of role-play scenarios Size of group: Any size Time needed: 2-3 hours Risk: Medium Facilitator competency needed: Moderate Complexity: Medium 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 62

63 Activity: Surveying Our Community In every conflict context, there are local capacities for peace people, organizations and experiences that can connect people and help solidify a sustainable infrastructure for peace. Connectors are everything that links people for peace across conflict lines. Peacebuilding can be described as empowering people to make peace by supporting local efforts and capacities. Interfaith groups are in a unique position to access and use these local capacities. The first step is being able to identify them. This can require an ability to see potential and opportunity where others cannot. Purpose The purpose of this activity is to raise awareness in the group of the issues and dynamics in any existing conflicts in the community and to look for local capacities for peace. This serves as a backdrop for activities that engage the group in visioning what they are called to do in the community. Directions 1. Introduce the activity by asking participants to think about what it means to be a connector for peace. Offer this definition and have participants embellish it: Connectors are everything that links people for peace across conflict lines. 2. Share the following stories with the participants, or other stories that you know of. In Chechnya, leaders of seven villages persuaded their neighbors to declare their villages Zones of Peace and went to the Russian commanders who surrounded them and negotiated that they would not be attacked if they agreed not to harbor the militant separatists. In Bosnia, a few men sitting one night in the living room of one of their homes began to discuss the war. They decided they could not support the drive towards separation so they started a Citizens Forum and called a public meeting to see if others shared their concern. Over 2,000 people showed up at that first meeting. An old Garmi woman in Tajikistan described what she could do to avert future war. I can teach my grandchildren not to play war with the Kulyabis, she said. I told my son the other day, don t teach your son to fight his neighbors. Let him forget the war! She thought a minute. And I can get my husband he s a former school teacher to go meet with his fellow teachers. Together they can figure out how to use the school room to teach people to get along again. In Tajikistan again, a Kulyabi woman went out to welcome her returning Garmi neighbors who had fled during the inter-group fighting. She presented them with salt and bread and invited them to dinner at her home. She arranged a long table in her garden under the grape arbor and she sat the Garmi returnees along one side and her Kulyabi neighbors on the other side. Face to face they ate together and, she says, they became reacquainted. 3. Pass out the handout Connectors for Peace and go over the concepts together DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 63

64 4. Using the handout as a guide, ask the group to identify the connectors for peace in their community. (Refer the group to other mapping activities they may have done earlier such as the activity on creating an interfaith map of their community.) Materials needed: Handout: Connectors for Peace Size of group: Any size Time needed: Up to two hours, depending on the size of the group Risk: Medium Facilitator competency: Low Complexity: Low 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 64

65 HANDOUT: CONNECTORS FOR PEACE Each of the following connectors can supply natural linkages. These connectors may be used as foundations for peace building programming. Connectors refer to everything that links people across conflict lines for peace, while dividers or tensions refer to those things that divide people. Dividers include sources of conflict, or the issues in conflict. Systems and Institutions. In all societies where intrastate war erupts, systems and institutions like markets and communications systems continue to link people across conflict lines. For example, local markets or the continued need to trade goods may bring together merchants from opposing factions in a conflict. Media sources (foreign or local news broadcasts on the radio or television) also provide linkages between people regardless of their affiliation. Irrigation systems, bridges, roads and electrical grids are additional examples of institutional and systemic connectors. Attitudes and Actions. Even in the midst of war and violence, it is possible to find individuals and groups who continue to express attitudes of tolerance, acceptance, or even love or appreciation for people on the other side. Some individuals act in ways that are contrary to what we expect to find during war adopting abandoned children from the other side, linking across lines to continue a professional association or journal, setting up new associations of people opposed to the war. They do these things because they seem normal or right. Often, they do no think of them as extraordinary or even as non-war. Shared Values and Interests. A common religion can bring people together, as can common values such as the need to protect a child s health. UNICEF, for example, has negotiated days of tranquility based upon the value placed upon inoculating children against disease. These same connectors sometimes act as dividers, but we tend to think more about the divisive effects of values in times of war. Common Experiences. The experience and effects of war on individuals can provide linkages across the conflict lines. Citing the experience of war and suffering as common to all sides, people sometimes create new anti-war alliances across conflict lines. Sometimes the experience of war unites individuals who are traumatized by violence, regardless of their different affiliations. Symbols and Occasions. National art, music, historical anniversaries, national holidays, monuments, and sporting events (e.g., the Olympics) can bring people together or link them across conflict lines. They also may divide individuals. One example is the stories of soldiers during World War I who, on Christmas Eve, began to sing the Christmas carol Silent Night together before returning to war. It is important not to assume any one category of individuals (women, for example) or organizations (churches, for example) are always connectors. These individuals and organizations, although they have the capacity to be connectors, are sometimes deeply committed dividers DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 65

66 Activity: An Interfaith Map of My Local Community This activity involves creating a map of the religious diversity in a geographical area. Purpose To increase our awareness of how much we know and how much we don t yet know about other faiths and traditions in our home community, region or society. To increase understanding of different ways of perceiving and valuing sacred space in different religious traditions. To lay the foundation for building inter-religious bridges. Directions 1. Introduce the topic by inviting people to discuss the following questions: How do people in your tradition make space sacred? What is the relationship of your tradition to sacred space? How do you care for it? How do you conduct yourself in it? 2. Working with a real or rough map of your town or region, ask the group to brainstorm and mark on the map the answers to the following questions: Where are the religious and sacred sites that we know of within our region? (Examples include: churches, mosques, large and small places, spaces that are shared among groups, land, tombs, memorials and other locations that have religious/spiritual significance.) What sites outside of our immediate community or region are also visited and used by people in living in our community? (Places of pilgrimage or retreat, places of worship.) Do cardinal or other directions, or other places in the world hold special meaning? Overlay these points or directions on the map. 3. Ask the group to reflect on the following questions: Places sacred for indigenous religions are often not recognized as religious sites. Are there any sites that we know of near or around our region that are considered sacred and need protection? As sacred sites, these are often not wanted to be known or used in non-sacred ways, but legal protection is often lacking. In what ways are different groups visible or invisible to each other? What impacts do the different religious communities in your area have on each other? What are the ethno-cultural roots of the people in our community? How has immigration or globalization affected the religious map of our community? How is this represented in the religious sites? What are some tensions and boundaries between religious and cultural groups? What are the historical roots of the present relationships? 4. Closing: Invite the group to discuss what they would like to do to follow-up on this activity. Materials needed: A large printed or rough map of the community or region, and sources of information (telephone books, directories) of religious communities within the region Size of group: Any size Time needed: 2-3 hours Level of risk: Low Facilitator competency needed: Low Complexity: Low 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 66

67 SUGGESTED RESOURCES Youth Service America s Hurricane Katrina Resources Contact: Christina Wessell / Robert Bisi 202/ x 28 Youth Service America CWessell@ysa.org YOUNG PEOPLE STRENGTHENING AMERICA: SUPPORTING HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF Sampling of Youth-led Hurricane Katrina Projects: Below is a sampling of projects that young people are doing to support the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Their projects are being done individually, through schools, and national or local organizations. The purpose of this section of our website is to give you some ideas on what you can do in your own community to support the relief efforts. If you do a project, please let Youth Service America know by contacting: Christina Wessell, cwessell@ysa.org. National Efforts We've Got Your Back, an effort headed by Do Something, is mobilizing kids nationwide to put together backpacks stuffed with new school supplies, new personal items and love to give to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. It is a direct, immediate way for kids to show other kids that they care. The Do Something kids are asking other kids to collect backpacks filled with new pens, pencils, notebooks, and new personal items like new toothbrushes and toothpaste. Non-perishable healthy snacks and educational materials are also welcome. Sharpie markers and Paper Mate pens and pencils have already committed to contributing $100,000 in supplies to get the program up and running. For more information and to learn how you can participate, visit: In addition, Do Something is partnering with Nickelodeon to produce public service announcements featuring Nickelodeon talent and Louisiana natives Jamie Lynn Spears and Romeo. Online resources will also be available at nick.com and ChannelOne.com. Channel One News will also air the public service announcements. Sam Goody stores will be airing the public service announcement on in store monitors nationwide. YouthNoise - "Gimme Five" campaign is collecting $5.00 contributions from its readers to give to Hurricane Katrina relief work. YOUTH NOISE is a group of young people -- from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 176 countries -- together with a small group of adults working to provide information from more than 300 nonprofit partners to date that will spark youth action and voice. The American Association of Community Colleges is working with the American Council on Education and other members of the higher education community to urge federal agencies to take extraordinary steps to ensure uninterrupted and portable financial aid to students in the affected areas - many of whom have suffered the loss not only of their colleges but also have had their homes and economic support abruptly destroyed. Contact: AACC website: DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 67

68 Local Efforts The Denton Public Library Youth Services Department in Denton, TX is working closely with tweens and teens to collect blankets and learn how to knit afghans to send to hurricane victims. Later in the year they also plan on knitting caps and scarves. Supplies are being provided by local crafts and hobby stores. Contact: Nelda Nance, Youth Services Librarian, Camp Fire USA Patuxent Area Council Teens in Action are taking action to help those affected by the Hurricane. Teens in Action, in the Points of Light Leadership Program, held a fund raiser at Bowie Baysox and decided that 100% of their proceeds would go to assisting children of the Hurricane. They hope the Baysox make it to the playoff's so they can continue to collect donations for the victims. They are looking at other ways to help such as creating comfort bags for kids in the shelters that have some activity and reading books in them, having a youth band "Hurricane Concert," and working with a local campground to have a Halloween Trail to have all proceeds go to the victims. Contact: Rosemary Pezzuto, Executive Director, campfirepatuxent@aol.com NPower NY's Technology Service Corps: NPower NY Executive Director Barbara Chang offered to match any donations to the American Red Cross made by the NPower NY staff. Students from Technology Service Corps (TSC) Class 11 were among many who responded to the challenge. Their desire to assist those in need displayed a new personal awareness that they too could make a difference. Responding to the subsequent match of the $200 donation made by the students, while working to train New York City young adults on technology skills and preparing them for work in the nonprofit sector, the program teaches students about the importance of giving back and becoming active participants in society. Supporting the relief efforts resulting from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina was one of the first opportunities students had to channel that learning into real action. Contact: Carolyn Finch, NPower NY - Putting Technology Know-How in the Hands of Non-Profits - School-Based Efforts Involving Youth The Service-Learning Youth Action Board of Bryan High School in Bryan, TX is helping lead relief efforts for Hurricane victims who have relocated to their community. There are four shelters that have been set up and several groups are providing bedding, food, and clothing for these families. Over 1,700 people are staying in area hotels. One need that wasn't met early on was the collection of toiletry items. Their school leaders decided to collect toiletry items, bag them and distribute them to these local shelters. The response from the student body and staff has been overwhelming so far. Their goal was to create 300 toiletry kits and they exceeded that goal on the first day. They will continue to collect items and distribute them to the families that arrive in the city or neighboring towns. Contact: Mary Jane Snedeker, Service-Learning Coordinator, mjsned@bryanisd.org, The Bryant Middle School Jr. Civitan Club in Bryant, AR is heading up a campaign to provide school supplies for students who have been displaced due to the hurricane and are staying in local hotels. They are collecting, coloring books, pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, etc. Many of these students will be enrolling in local schools because their parents don't know when they will be able to return home. Contact: Becky Dees, Sponsor, Bryant Middle School Jr. Civitan Club, (cell) 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 68

69 Students in Broward County Florida are conducting "BEADS FOR NEEDS". Over the next few weeks they will be trading the strands of Mardi Gras beads that symbolize New Orleans for a minimum donation of two dollars at lunch starting at 11am (insert actual date) morning. Their goal is to have every school in America do the same. They are hoping that this will be a country-wide program to help in the relief of the hurricane victims. Contact: David Grad, davegrad@browardschools.com. Individual Youth Initiated Efforts Kennedy J., 8 years-old, (founder of Operation "Kisses For Kaeden") and her "kisses" friends have been making handmade bracelets with beads, posters with pictures from the local newspapers, received a donation to sell Hershey bars, and are planning to add a separate table at their community block party to sell the bars and bracelets to raise the much needed money and donate it to the American Red Cross. Becca R. is running a drive for blankets for the victims through her school and our community. In the past, she and other youth have made every single blanket. There is something sensory about having a hand in creating the blankets that Becca likes. But the need is so big and so immediate that she is asking for donations of blankets of any kind as well as donations of fleece where her team of youth volunteers will make blankets. Becca is organizing a donation drive for fleece fabric in a local fabric store chain where people can purchase and drop the fleece off right in the store for Becca to pick up every evening. Letters have gone out to every store chain in the area with many responding with donations of brand new blankets. Both Kohls and Kmart have been very supportive as she recently won awards from them. Project Ideas If you know of young people that want to help, National & Global Youth Service Day is offering a list of organizations that are mobilizing to support the relief effort. As the parent organization for National & Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world, the website is also a host to project planning tools, resources, a downloadable project planning toolkits, and easy to use tip sheets. These will help young people think through the steps needed to plan and implement a successful project for Hurricane Katrina. This list and also more youth projects for Hurricane Katrina sufferers can be found at: Youth Service America is a national nonprofit resource center that partners with thousands of other organizations committed to strengthening the youth service movement. Youth Service America s programs and services help to strengthen the effectiveness, sustainability, and scale of the youth service and service-learning fields on a local, national, and global level. In addition to National & Global Youth Service Day, Youth Service America also hosts SERVEnet ( the largest database of volunteer opportunities in America. For more information, please visit DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 69

70 Possibilities for Year-Round Programming Encourage more interfaith education in your local area: Invite interfaith speakers to visit; Organize workshops for youth advisors in collaboration with a local interfaith organization. Create a local framework for ongoing collaboration Create an Interfaith council (perhaps growing out of the planning committee); Encourage institutional change (e.g. encouraging colleges to create an interfaith position in the college chaplaincy). Become involved in the national/international interfaith network. Contact Interfaith Youth Core for resources on how to make these things happen. Helpful Networks The following is a list of organizations that work with a variety of religious groups across the country. Pluralism Project - Directed by Diana Eck, the leading researcher in religious pluralism in the United States, the Pluralism Project documents religious diversity across the United States. Their resources include a large directory of religious organizations, current and past news articles relating to religious diversity, research from student affiliates across the country, bibliographies for religious traditions, and publications. North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) - NAIN is a network of interfaith organizations in North America. They offer information on interfaith events across the country, newsletters, an annual conference, and articles which build understanding and communication among interfaith organizations and religious groups. United Religions Initiative (URI) - URI works through cooperation circles, groups of religious diverse people, across the world to create innovative approaches to peace building. Their website offers resources on religious traditions and related news and events. Council for a Parliament of the World s Religions - This organization hosts the Parliament of the World s Religions, most recently held in Barcelona in July They also run projects in Chicago such as an interfaith service house and have created interfaith documents such as patient care protocols. The Interfaith Alliance - The Interfaith Alliance has local chapters across the country which promotes the positive, healing role of faith in civic life and challenges intolerance and extremism. National & Global Youth Service Day National & Global Youth Service Day supports local DIYS organizers partnering with National Youth Service Day with grant opportunities. YSA can also connect DIYS organizers with local NYSD partners and offers media tips and connections. Organizers interested in planning an 2007 DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 70

71 event that serves the communities affected by Hurricane Katrina can receive additional financial support or partner with local groups working with storm survivors. Karen Daniel, Director of National Youth Service Day, can be contacted at America s Second Harvest: The Nation s FoodBank Network America s Second Harvest can connect DIYS organizers with its local affiliates and provide literature on hunger in America. Habitat for Humanity Habitat can connect organizers with house builds occurring in the area. Go Beyond DIYS! Chicago s Season of Interfaith Youth Service 2006 Description Based on the overwhelming success of the National Days of Interfaith Youth Service (NDIYS) campaign, the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) piloted the Season of Interfaith Youth Service (SIYS) in January of Since then, the program has continued to expand and evolve. Through the Season of Interfaith Youth Service we are building a model interfaith youth city that is heeding the call to cooperative service and building inter-religious understanding. The season ran from January to April 2006 and culminated in May at the 4 th Annual IFYC National Conference on Interfaith Youth Work. The SIYS was punctuated by two large service events: the Martin Luther King Day of Interfaith Youth Service (MLK Day) on January 16, 2006 and the Days of Interfaith Youth Service (DIYS) on April 21 st -23rd, The Season focused on the shared values of Hospitality and Service. These shared values were explored and displayed throughout the season through community service projects focused on Building the Beloved Community! Specifically with the city s homeless population, interfaith dialogue and reflection, and community and individual engagement. Organizing Methodology SIYS Orientation Meeting: Faith communities, civic organizations and individuals in the Chicago area were recruited for their involvement in the Season of Interfaith Youth Service. A general information meeting was hosted at the IFYC office. Invitations were extended to faith communities interested in involving their youth, civic organizations (universities, service organizations) involved in the service projects and individuals representing organizations and faith communities interested in volunteering. During the meeting, attendees were asked to sign up for various categories of involvement: Steering Committee, Service Sites, Youth Recruitment and Day-of Volunteering DIYS Organizer s Toolkit 71