Empowering Youth: A Fundamental Pillar of the Muslim Council of Elders' Work over 10 Years

Under the chairmanship of His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Muslim Council of Elders significantly focuses on empowering youth and enhancing their skills to meet global challenges. This commitment stems from the Council's belief in the crucial role of youth in fostering peace and promoting human coexistence, viewing them as the backbone of nations and their promising future.

A standout initiative by the Muslim Council of Elders to nurture young people's abilities and refine their skills in peace-making and human coexistence is the Emerging Peacemakers Forum. The first edition of this forum was launched in London in 2018, organized by the Council in collaboration with Al-Azhar and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The second edition was held in July 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland, in partnership with the World Council of Churches and the Rose Castle Foundation, each welcoming 50 young participants from around the globe.

The forum serves as a dialogue platform for young individuals aged 18 to 30, who are committed to developing innovative and lasting solutions for peace in communities. It aims to empower young people to initiate national and regional peace-building projects and to disseminate the principles of tolerance and human fraternity.

In its endeavor to spread and reinforce the values of human fraternity, tolerance, and coexistence among the youth, the Council launched the Global Student Dialogues on Human Fraternity program in cooperation with Georgetown University. This program aims to familiarize university students with human fraternity values and create a global network for students to exchange creative ideas that advance interreligious and intercultural solidarity in societies.