Youth

Catholic and Muslim youth gathered in Melbourne last weekend to exchange notes on issues affecting young people in Australia today.

Organised by the Australian Intercultural Society, the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and Selimiye Youth, the event allowed youth a forum through which to discuss the issues concerning them, addressing the theme “Living our faith in contemporary society”.

This event is one of the many projects that fall under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Australian Intercultural Society and the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.

‘The night was an opportunity for youth from both faith denominations to get to know one another and share their experiences’ said Murat Sahin, Australian Intercultural Society Youth Group representative.

‘Nights such as these are imperative if we are to move forward as a community and nation at large.’

Youth socialised over Turkish food, while discussing the excitement of either starting university, entering the workforce or the pending examination period.

The burgeoning relationship between the two faith communities is reflected worldwide with the Pope’s recent establishment of the Catholic-Muslim Forum, bringing together about 130 Muslim scholars in October this year and founded to further relations and increase collaboration between the two faiths.

The Australian Intercultural Society and the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in July 2007, entering into a formal understanding for the three year period 2007-2009.

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