Invitation Letter

Below is an excerpt from our invitation letter:

International Youth Leaders

Middle East Peace Initiative

Dear Young Leader,

You are cordially invited to join a dynamic delegation of fifty young men and women from June 22 to July 1, 2008 in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel for an exciting international service-learning experience. The International Young Leaders Middle East Peace Initiative (IYL MEPI) is cosponsored by Youth Federation for World Peace (YFWP) and Faithlink and is the second cosponsored project of YFWP in Israel this year. Dr. Hyun Jin Moon, humanitarian and international chairman of the Youth Federation for World Peace.

The IYL MEPI will give young leaders (ages 18-35) from the United States, European Union, Israel, and Palestine the chance to further develop their leadership, increase their understanding of all sides of the conflict in the Middle East, and make an impact both in the Middle East and in their homes upon their return. The role of young leadership in redressing regional conflict through means rooted in nonviolence, civic responsibility, and intercultural/interfaith collaboration is essential to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts.

At each juncture of great movements for justice and peace of the past century, young leaders stepped forward to lead nonviolent social change. The role of youth in bridging cultural divides in conflict ridden regions such as the Middle East holds great promise as the next generation of peacemakers emerges. This project is designed to strengthen a youth leadership cadre to tackle ongoing conflict resolution in the Middle East.

The core components of the program include direct dialogue among young people from different cultures and faiths, presentations on universal principles of youth leadership, and service together with international participants. In addition, the program will include touring Christian, Jewish and Muslim historic sites in the holy land of Israel, promoting the ideal of one family under God. During the program participants will live, serve, discuss, and learn side by side. YFWP will provide training on its Ambassadors for Peace initiative and award an appointment certificate to each young leader participant.

The IYL MEPI will bring youths together as ambassadors for peace to bring concrete recommendations and actions of service to the forefront of peacemaking initiatives. It will provide the opportunity for young leaders from around the world to have ongoing fellowship and extended service experiences together....

Sincerely,

Youth Federation for World Peace Head Quarters