By Vatican News
The second edition of the Human Fraternity Fellowship Program organized by the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs has concluded.
With a series of virtual sessions over the summer and an interactive week-long study tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, the program brought together 10 student leaders from major universities around the world. Its goal: to carry on the legacy of the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
An investment in the future
During the tour in Jakarta, the students participated in advanced dialogue workshops and hands-on training to refine their skills in cultivating interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
The group met with humanitarians, diplomats, and public figures, such as Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, and Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, former vice president of the Republic of Indonesia and former Zayed Award for Human Fraternity judging committee member.
Also during the week-long tour, the 10 student leaders made visits to field sites which embody human fraternity, including a hospital run by Muhammadiyah and Dharma Bakti Chinese temple.
Two public events concluded the program: one at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Asia-Pacific site in Jakarta to focus on the legacy of Pope Francis and the Document on Human Fraternity, and the second was a gala dinner in partnership with the UAE Embassy in Jakarta.
Empowering a new generation
As the fellowship concluded, the Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, described the experience as having reached its goal of preparing a new generation of young leaders able to address world problems and promote unity.
“We are proud to empower these young people to become leaders of dialogue initiatives, bridge builders between cultures and religions, and role models in advancing the values of human fraternity worldwide,” he said.
The Vice President of Global Engagement and Director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Dr. Thomas Banchoff, also expressed the commitment shared by the University and the fellowship: “to preparing the next generation of leaders to engage across cultural and religious divides.”
Shahaan Shafi, a fellow from Georgetown University, said after Jakarta there was a feeling of empowerment towards advancing “Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb’s call for advancing human fraternity.”
These sentiments were shared with Aarushi Prasad from NYU, who explained the program had given them the privilege of meeting “several guests within the highest echelons of the Indonesian government and the spiritual and religious landscape to understand how the puzzles of interfaith fit together in the Indonesian context.”
Amna Al Baskati, a fellow from Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, stressed how proud she was to have partaken in the program. “As a fellow and a young Emirati, I firmly believe it is the responsibility of our generation to uphold this legacy and contribute to building a better future for generations to come.” – Vatican News
