Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka – UPF-Sri Lanka and the affiliated Religious Youth Service (RYS) carried out a Youth Leadership Development Program from August 9-15, 2024 in Dimbulagala, 238 kilometers from Colombo, in the historic Polonnaruwa District. The project, which benefited over 300 students in a village school, involved installing a water filtration system to provide clean drinking water. Participants worked in teams to build and refurbish the supporting structures, including painting the filtration room, constructing a cement basin, and cleaning the school compound.
The weeklong program was conducted under the theme “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” In addition to the service project, it included religious observance through meditation and cultural nights, led by participants from the Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Unificationist faiths. There were education sessions on pure love and peace leadership, as well as team discussions and presentations, team bonding activities and visits to religious sites.
The program also included a celebration of the United Nations-designated International Youth Day on August 12. About 100 people participated in a ceremony at which former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena delivered the keynote address. He was preceded by a welcoming address by Secretary General of UPF-Sri Lanka Dr. Chula Senaratne, an introduction to UPF by Secretary General of UPF-Asia Pacific Mrs. Ursula McLackland, and a message from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres read by Mr. Alvin Pang, coordinator of RYS Global. The event featured cultural performances by professional troupes and concluded with a Peace March led by a 34-member Western Musical Band.
The educational and group interactions profoundly impacted participants, fostering a shift toward intercultural and interreligious harmony and a broader perspective on global peace. Many experienced, for the first time, meaningful exchanges with people of different faiths, leading to mutual respect, understanding, and thoughtful discussions that revealed common ground.
By Alvin Pang, Coordinator, RYS Global August 15, 2024
