Church, Interfaith Youth Celebrate Love and Hope in 9th Virtual Peace Camp

In celebration of the 2022 World Interfaith Harmony Week, UniHarmony Partners Manila, Religions for Peace Philippines, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosted the 9th Virtual Interfaith Youth Peace Camp on February 12, 2022.

Over 100 youth leaders from different faith belief organizations got together to celebrate peace and mutual respect, including those from the Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple, Parokya ng Ina ng Laging Saklolo-Parish Youth Ministry, United Religions Initiative, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Russell Berrie Fellowship, Focolare Movement, and the Social Communication Ministry.

The Interfaith Youth Peace Camp is an annual gathering of youth delegates from Religions for Peace (RFP) partners and affiliates. This year's theme reads, "Celebrating the Spirit of Love and Hope as One Family Moving Together to Serve and Protect Our Common Home."

In her opening remarks, Venerable Miao Jing Shih, abbess of the Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple, said, "This is a day of building friendships and welcoming challenges as a family."

She shared a story of a young family, the moral of which resonates with the theme of harmony and how it overcomes all forms of hate and bias. She invited the youth to find balance in their lives and find peace and compassion.

"Compassion and patience are our natural virtues. Faith and gratitude are our foundations for being human," she added.

Virtual Games and Activities

In one activity, youth listed down all their commonalities. Groups of 15-20 individuals listed as many as 43 items, such as the shared love for music, dancing, and arts.

Youth also had opportunities to share about where they were from, including childhood stories, native delicacies, and folklore of their area. James Nartates, a camper from the Church of Jesus Christ, shared, "It was very nice to know that though we all have differences, we can be united. I love how there are so many things we have in common."

On another occasion, youth shared how the virtual event allowed them to meet people from as far as Zamboanga in Mindanao.

DZ Ambros, a camper from Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple and Guang Ming College, shared about VegePlan. This initiative promotes a healthy vegetarian diet that will help care for the environment, encourage sustainable living, and ethical treatment of animals.

Elder Steven R. Bangerter, First Counselor in the Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said in his closing remarks, "One of the great miracles I experienced today was I saw Sharon, a Hindi youth, minister to someone in her group. It was wonderful to see how our love transcended beyond our differences."

He also shared an experience he had years ago in which he organized the youth of the Church in his community to aid in the search and rescue of a group of individuals from another faith who had gotten stranded in the mountains on a hiking trip.

He expressed, "Our shared values caused love and a sense of urgency to act. It was that commonality and belief that there is something greater beyond us that brought us together."