The International Young Catholic Students (IYCS) successfully organized a regional interfaith dialogue and training session in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from September 2 to 8, 2023. The theme, “Promoting fraternity, peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and respect for diversity,” aimed to foster a compassionate understanding of religion, challenge stereotypes, and build bridges between individuals of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.

The session focused on dispelling negative perceptions of various faiths, emphasizing religion’s essence in followers’ character and actions, and creating an environment for friendships across religious boundaries. Thirty-three participants from different Asian faiths engaged in interfaith dialogue, human fraternity, peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and respect for religious diversity.

The initiative successfully achieved its goals by fostering understanding among participants from various faiths, breaking stereotypes through one-on-one discussions with Buddhist and Muslim representatives, and visiting religious centers. Leadership development was also facilitated, with new leaders elected and a strategic action plan formulated during the statutory meeting, ensuring the project’s objectives’ sustainability.