Featured Co-Existence Grants
2008
As part of the Righteous Persons Foundation funded radio series This I Believe, Eboo Patel told the story of how while in high school, he remained silent when a group of students scrawled anti-Semitic graffiti on desks and shouted at Jewish students in the hall. "I believe in pluralism," he read in his radio piece, [but] "I realize now that to believe in pluralism means I need the courage to act on it. Action is what separates belief from opinion."
As a way to act on his belief that religion should be a source of cooperation not conflict, Patel founded Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) — a network of religiously diverse college students and young adults who learn understanding and respect by volunteering together in their local communities. Ten years later, IFYC engaged over 23,000 people of religiously diverse backgrounds during the 2008 academic year through IFYC sponsored volunteer service programs.
To do this work, IFYC has partnered with media outlets such as Listen Up!, Youth Media Network, and NPR, along with YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace to get out their message of co-existence. IFYC sought funding from the Fund for Co-Existence to train a cohort of 50 youth leaders in how to shape and present their personal stories via video, audio, and written formats for a broad public audience. These stories will then be showcased in local papers, media outlets, and online.
