On February 23, 2018, young leaders and clergy from the wide range of religious communities concluded the third cycle of meetings and discussions in Calgary.
Throughout the week, youth and clergy from 16 different religious communities representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Bahaism, and Buddhism, gathered under the auspices of Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan, Diocesan Primate, at the Memorial Park Library, to exchange wisdom about each other’s religion, and to reflect on Canada’s religious diversity.
The gatherings were made possible thanks to the support of the Federal Government of Canada for the “Celebrating Our Diversity Now” youth interfaith project initiated by the Armenian Diocese of Canada. The event was organized on the occasion of the World Interfaith Harmony Week proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on October 20, 2010.
The Diocese had elaborated the Project to mark the “2018 Year of Youth” proclaimed by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. On this occasion, Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan, Primate, gave his blessings to focus on promoting youth interfaith dialogue.
The first two meetings took place at the end of January 2018, in Montreal, QC, and at the beginning of February in Toronto, ON.
Vancouver, BC, will host the next gathering on March 5-9 2018, where representatives from local religious communities will come together in a friendly environment to enhance youth interfaith dialogue in our multicultural country.
A documentary movie and a website are being created to further promote the reflection on the importance of connecting youth from different religious backgrounds.
We are grateful to everyone who recognized the importance of this initiative and accepted our invitation.
