The Interfaith Center of New York and the Hindu Temple Society of North America invite all New Yorkers ages 14 to 24 to join us on July 7th for a free youth conference.
Youth Speak Out – On Religious Diversity and the Future of New York
Are you a young New Yorker or youth group leader? Religious, secular, spiritual, or somewhere in between? Interested in diversity, and the future of the city we love? Want to meet your peers from other faith communities? Concerned about the current climate of religious bigotry and xenophobia?
The Future of New York Depends on Us All!
The Youth Speak Out conference is the 32nd Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer Retreat for Social Justice, the Interfaith Center of New York’s flagship program for local community leaders. This one is for the leaders of tomorrow – young New Yorkers, age 14 to 24, of all religious or secular backgrounds.
Please join us on Thursday, July 7th, to meet your peers from diverse communities, share your experiences of growing up in New York, learn from youth leaders and each other, and develop positive responses to the recent rise in religious bigotry and xenophobia.
When: Thursday, July 7, 2016 from 9:30 am – 4 pm.
Where: The Hindu Temple Society of North America, 143-09 Holly Avenue, in Flushing, Queens.
Who: Diverse New York high school and college students, grassroots religious leaders, and faith-based activists. Speakers will include youth leaders, community organizers, and you!
What: Learn from youth leaders and each other. Share your story, speak your mind. Visit the city’s oldest and largest Hindu temple. Meet your peers from diverse communities. Work together to fight religious bigotry and build a more inclusive city.
Why: The Future of New York Depends on Us All!
Practical Details:
Free Transportation will be available at Penn Station Leaving at 8 am sharp to the Hindu Temple Society of North America (also known as the Ganesh Temple) in Flushing, Queens. There will also be a bus returning to Penn Station after the Conference ends. If you’d rather travel yourself, here’s the Temple on Google Maps:
Vegetarian lunch and snacks will provided for all participants at the Ganesh Temple Canteen. If you have any dietary restrictions we should know about (strictly Kosher, for example) please let us know.
Registration:
We Are Pleased to Introduce the Distinguished Panelists
Sara Fredman Aeder
Ms. Aeder works at the Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at New York University (NYU), where she is heading up a new and exciting initiative aimed at fostering strong and meaningful interfaith relationships on campuses. She is working towards her Masters in Public Administration, and her Masters in Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU as well, and lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. Sara served as the Assistant Director of ACCESS Global, the young leaders department of the American Jewish Committee, coordinating advocacy, diplomatic, and interfaith efforts in 11 cities across the United States and abroad. Sara attended NYU for undergrad as well, concentrating in the Sociology of Extremism and Deradicalization at the Gallatin School for Individualized study, and spent time interning at the Clinton Global Initiative upon graduation. Perhaps her biggest claim to fame is that Lin-Manuel Miranda follows her on Twitter.
Aber Kawas
Aber Kawas graduated in 2014 from The City College of New York’s International Studies Program with a concentration in Latin American Studies. Aber has interned at CAIR New York, Urban Justice Center’s Street Vendor Project and is now the Youth Lead Organizer at the Arab American Association of New York where she previously worked as a Fellow in 2012 registering over 800 voters with the Verazzano Bridge Coalition. She has worked with several organizations in the city around issues such as immigration, police surveillance, racial profiling, and hopes to work to improve the conditions of immigrants in the New York area by providing programs and services to both them and their children. In addition she has focused her academic career thus far on studying parallels between Latin America and the Middle East. She hopes, through her work and studies, to bring together several ethnic and religious communities in the future to advocate in unity against social injustices.
Iman Khalid Latif
Imam Khalid Latif is the University Chaplain for New York University and Executive Director for the Islamic Center at NYU. In 2005, Imam Latif was appointed the first Muslim chaplain at NYU. At NYU, Khalid initiated his vision for a pluralistic American Muslim community, rooted on campus and reaching out to the city. In 2006, Imam Latif was appointed the first Muslim chaplain at Princeton University. In 2007, Imam Latif’s position was fully institutionalized at New York University, and so he committed himself to that institution and the building of a Muslim community. Today’s Islamic Center is a leader among American Muslim organizations, uniquely shaped to contribute to the future of Muslim practice in the West. Also in 2007, Mayor Michael Bloomberg nominated Imam Latif to become the youngest chaplain in history of the New York City Police Department. He was 24. Since then, Imam Latif has dedicated himself to America’s largest Police Department, and has developed tremendously valuable skills as a spokesperson for co-existence, mutual understanding and productive relationships between cultures, communities and religions.
Sharon Lin
Sharon Lin is a full stack developer, designer, writer, and social advocate. She has conducted research in applied mathematics, computational neuroscience, and thermoelectricity and organized CodeDay NY, StuyHacks, and Local Hack Day. When not working with computers, Sharon can be found reading and studying about Ch’an Buddhism. Sharon rediscovered her Buddhist roots after she signed up to volunteer at the soup kitchen of a small Buddhist temple in Queens. She is now a devout follower of Ch’an Buddhist philosophy and has written for the Huffington Post about how Buddhism inspires her to find the bravery and compassion to be her own hero.
Dr. M.G. Prasad
Dr. M.G. Prasad is on the Advisory Counsel of the Hindu Temple Society of North America. He was a spiritual disciple of yogi-seer Sriranga Sadguru, founder of Ashtanga Yoga Vijnana Mandiram, Mysore, India. Dr. Prasad is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey. Dr. Prasad has written four books in Hinduism and was the coordinator of the Hindu group at the inter-faith prayer during the 50th anniversary celebrations of United Nations in New York, in 1995. Dr. Prasad has lectured on Hinduism at various places including universities such as MIT, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, and Rutgers. Dr. Prasad has received several research and cultural awards including, “Distinguished Community Award” by the Association of Indians in America, New York Chapter in 2008, “Vishwa Hindu Ratna” title from the Forum for Hindu Awakening, USA in 2009 and “Bharat Gaurav Award” by the India International Friendship Society, New Delhi, India in 2010.
Jaspreet Singh
Jaspreet Singh is a Youth Leader with the Junior Sikh Coalition. A musician, athlete, follower of spirituality, and member of the Junior Sikh Coalition, Jaspreet Singh, is a passionate activist who wishes to become a strong leader in his community. He believes that by understanding each other and creating unity of the people, one can break the cycle of hate and ignorance which is prevailing in America today. Jaspreet is beginning at the Grove School of Engineering at City College in the fall.
Rishi Singh
Rishi is the Director of Youth Organizing at DRUM- Desis Rising Up & Moving. Originally from Trinidad, Rishi migrated to the U.S. in 1995 with his family at a young age and grew up in New York City as an undocumented immigrant. Rishi joined DRUM in 2003 through the YouthPower! Summer Youth Organizing Institute and has been organizing ever since. He has served as a Youth Organizer from 2004-2007 building DRUM’s Education Not Deportation Campaign. Rishi also served in various roles including Board Member, Operations coordinator and fundraising coordinator while also graduating from Hunter College of the City of New York with degrees in Psychology and Accounting. In 2013, he coordinated the NYC Peoples Global Action on Migration Development & Human Rights which included addressing government leaders at the United Nations on International Migration policy as a recent DACA recipient. Rishi has been a leader for DRUM’s immigrant rights work as an undocumented youth since 2003 and is currently the lead organizer for DRUM’s Educational Justice work.
Reverend Dr. Alfonso Wyatt
Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt, is the founder of the nonprofit consultancy Strategic Destiny, and is currently a consultant to the Casey Family Programs Faith-Based Child Welfare Initiative, where he has worked with the Casey Family Foundation, ACS, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, and other partners, to develop innovative child welfare ministries in New York City churches. Rev. Dr. Wyatt is a thought leader for New York’s faith-based and secular nonprofit sectors, and has worked with three generations of young people as an educator, counselor, program developer, administrator, mentor, and advocate.