Conference Overview:
In an era of global religious conflict, idealism has a new face: interfaith leadership through service. We believe there will be no peace in the world without religious pluralism and no religious pluralism without the leadership of young people. Interfaith leadership through service is the key to ensuring that the 21st Century is defined by cooperation, not conflict, among the world’s diverse religious communities.
Leadership in a Religiously Diverse World is Interfaith Youth Core’s 6th Conference on Interfaith Youth Work. The Conference is international in scope and gathers all of the faces of the interfaith youth movement: interfaith activists, scholars, policy makers, religious leaders, foundation representatives, media professionals and, of course, young people!
Space is extremely limited, so register now!
Conference Structure:
Plenary Sessions
The Conference has six plenary sessions featuring dynamic visionaries working in the interfaith youth movement. Look forward to hearing from activists, religious leaders, policy makers, scholars, young people and more! Reverend Jim Wallis, President and Executive Director of Sojourners and Dr. Eboo Patel, Founder and Executive Director of Interfaith Youth Core will deliver keynote addresses. Check back often as we announce more speakers!
Workshops
Leadership for a Religiously Diverse World features over 50 diverse, interactive workshops led by interfaith activists, service organizations, civic leaders, educators, policy makers and more. To learn more, click here.
Networking
Meet new partners in the interfaith youth movement! Connect to those with similar interests who are near you geographically and who are doing similar work. Participate in sector-based discussion on how you understand your role as an interfaith leader and help the movement define what interfaith leadership looks like in the 21st Century.
Special Tracks
IFYC’s Interfaith Leadership Training: IFYC is providing 50 full scholarships for select student leaders to attend the Conference and participate in the debut of our new Interfaith Leadership Training. This is a special opportunity, and IFYC expects that recipients will use it to their full advantage, utilizing the interfaith leadership tools they acquire when they return to their community. Recipients are expected to both bring in a set of skills and have a vision for how they hope to grow as an interfaith leader in their community. The scholarship application process is now closed.
Media Training for Interfaith Leaders: When you turn on the television or open a newspaper, what’s the story you hear about religion? Through a series of interactive workshops, learn how to use inexpensive tools like cell phones, flip-cams and a home computer to put forward positive stories of religion into the world. Participants will complete short media pieces by the close of the Conference.
Interfaith Leadership and Seminary Students: Seminary students, are you ready to minister in a religiously diverse world? Join Rabbi Or Rose and Reverend Jenny Peace of the Center for Interreligious & Communal Leadership Education at Hebrew College and Andover-Newton Theological Seminary for a series of cutting-edge workshops geared towards emerging religious leaders.
Building the Field of Interfaith Leadership: In the same way movements like environmentalism and human rights have corresponding fields that give a theoretical framework for grassroots activism, IFYC is working with partners across disciplines to build a field of interfaith leadership. These partners will gather for engaging discussion; look for opportunities throughout the Conference to join in the conversation!
Interfaith Service: Put these ideas into action! Stick around Tuesday afternoon to get involved in city-wide interfaith service project organized by Northwestern University student leaders.
Who Should Attend?
Leadership for a Religiously Diverse World is a gathering place of the interfaith youth movement. We welcome religious leaders, educators, researchers, student leaders, community activists, civic leaders, media professionals, funding professionals, policy influencers and more.
Space for the Conference is extremely limited, so register now!
Registration:
Registration is $350 for regular attendees and $125 for students (with a valid student I.D.). All fees are waived for Conference student presenters; all other workshop presenters pay the student registration fee of $125. The cost of registration includes participation in all sessions and six meals. Click here to register now!
Scholarships:
The Interfaith Leadership Training Scholarship application process is now closed.
In addition to the Interfaith Leadership Training Scholarships, IFYC has a small scholarship fund set aside to offset registration costs for deserving conference attendees. Please email Amber Hacker at amber@ifyc.com for more information.
Conference Venue:
The Conference is co-hosted by Northwestern University's Center for Civic Engagement and will take place at the Norris Student Center on Northwestern's Campus. For more information, visit the travel page on the Conference website.
Accommodations:
IFYC has contracted discounted room rates for the 6th Conference on Interfaith Youth Work at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center Chicago North Shore. Book your reservation under 'Interfaith Youth Core' to get the discounted rate: $129/night for single/double (tax not included and subject to change without notice). Click here for more information.
Tabling:
If you would like to request a display table at the Conference, please contact Katya Maslakowsi at katya@ifyc.org.
Questions?
Email Amber Hacker (Amber@ifyc.org) with general questions, and Cassie Meyer (Cassie@ifyc.org) with questions about the Call for Proposals.
About the Interfaith Youth Core:
Interfaith Youth Core is a Chicago-based international non-profit building a movement of young leaders committed to building cooperation across lines of religious difference. For more information, visit http://www.ifyc.org/.
