Face to Face/Faith to Faith is a multi-faith youth leadership programme that works annually with 70 Christian, Muslim and Jewish teenagers, from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, from Northern Ireland, South Africa, United States and the Middle East to engage in dialogue and interactive activities relating to issues of peace, violence and social responsibility.  This year long programme is sandwiched with a two-week intensive summer programme at a residential camp facility in New York. The programme works to enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of their own faith traditions; nurture an advanced understanding of other religions, cultures and people; inform participants about the call of religious teachings to engage in public and world issues; and increase participants’ ability to collaborate across lines of religion, culture, class and ethnicity to make a better world.

Face to Face/Faith to Faith began in 2001 and takes its name and inspiration from the biblical text Genesis 33:10
"For truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God", in which Jacob and his estranged brother Esau, the twin sons of Isaac, reconcile.

Currently we are looking for 16-18 year olds from across Northern Ireland to apply for the 2011/2012 programme. If you would like to find out more details please contact Emma Cowan, the coordinator of the programme in NI at emmacowan@corrymeela.org for more details of the recruitment pack. The costs involved in the year long programme are £400 – this includes flights, accommodation and residential opportunities in NI.

Expected outcomes and long term benefits for participants of the Face to Face/Faith to Faith programme:
•       Learn leadership skills that promote self-esteem and allow participants to become contributing members of their communities;
•       Acquire communication skills that teach youth to listen with the intent of deeply understanding the ‘other’ side’s perspective and to speak so that the other side can ‘hear’ their narrative;
•       Understand the universality of conflict by learning about the conflicts presented in the societies represented and that a global perspective is a useful tool in approaching their own conflicts;
•       Experience diversity in a safe and positive setting that helps break down stereotypes and see the humanity in the other side, thereby promoting alternatives to violence;
•       Exposure and exchange of dialogue about faith as a source for peace not war.
•       Recognize themselves as agents of change in their communities.

The Face to Face to Face/Faith to Faith (F2F) is a year long program. It is comprised of three parts:
Phase 1: 
We meet 5 times from April – June to get to know one another. We look at issues facing young people in Northern Ireland, South Africa, South Africa and Jerusalem and also have a parents evening and a social BBQ.

Phase 2:
Summer Intensive -  two week camp in  Upstate New York for all participants from around the world – dates 26th June – 10th July 2011.

Phase 3:
From September – April we meet monthly to integrate your experiences and continue your learning through social action, volunteering and cultural exchange.

This is a demanding program that requires you to participate fully in all three components of the program. Please be aware that you must be available for all orientation meetings preceding the summer, for the pre intensive phase, for the two-week intensive and for the follow-up program.

Program Fees:  
Participants are not selected based on their ability to pay.  Financial arrangements for participants will be negotiated after an applicant is accepted into the program. The cost for NI participants is £400.

If you are interested in taking part, please fill in the contact form where I ask for a few more details about yourself and your interest in taking part in the program. I will be in touch with dates for informal interview in early December or January.

Please get in touch if you have further questions, my email address is emmacowan@corrymeela.org.

Partner oganisation:
The Corrymeela Community partners with Auburn Theological Seminary, a leader in multifaith programming in New York City. For more information on Auburn and Face to Face, visit their website: http://www.auburnseminary.org/