For the past six years, Play for Peace has intentionally integrated interfaith reflection and learning into our peace building work. This year we're joining global efforts. February 1-7, as part of the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week. Faith informs our deepest beliefs about the world around us. It is what we trust as true about ourselves and helps us to relate to others. Creating understanding and cooperation between different systems of faith—not just organized religion—is key to building a more just and peaceful world. Interfaith understanding is crucial for cooperation between people of different religions and belief systems, as well as in our Play for Peace communities.
An annual event observed during the first week of February, World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), was conceived to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence. It was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010. In the resolution, the General Assembly points out that mutual understanding and inter-religious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace and establishes WIHW as a way to promote harmony between all people, regardless of their faith.
Play for Peace hosts four Global Games events every year, which focus on connecting people across divides, caring for our planet, celebrating peace movements, and sharing our youth leaders’ successes with others. The Global Games give us an opportunity to experience the richness of our diversity, show compassion toward others, and care for our earth through collective acts of laughter, compassion, and peace. In February our Global Games focus on Interfaith Harmony activities. Our youth leaders help build interfaith friendships and reach out across the stereotypes and misunderstandings that lead to religiously-motivated violence. They reinforce the idea that, regardless of religion or belief tradition, every human deserves respect. Their work this week is founded in the belief that interfaith interactions live out the core values that are shared by most faiths—values like compassion, respect, love, hope, and peace, which are necessary for sustaining life in all communities.
Download our Interfaith Coopertive Play Guide, which includes cooperative activities designed to promote interfaith harmony and enhance religious understanding in a fun and engaging manner among children and youth. Enjoy exploring your own faith and learning more about the faith of others.
