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An international peace NGO held Religious Youth Peace Camp (RPYC), titled "Cultivating Peace: A Meditation Workshop for
Inner Peace." The event held in Auckland at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple brought together youth from diverse religious
and cultural backgrounds to promote religious harmony and understanding.
Amid persisting conflicts and disputes among religions, the host organization, Heavenly Culture, World Peace,
Restoration of Light (HWPL), has recognized the crucial role of religious harmony in building a peaceful world. Given
that most religious texts advocate for peace, justice, human dignity, respect, and harmony, HWPL’s initiatives focus on
these shared values and fostering mutual understanding to achieve global harmony.
The Religious Youth Peace Camp is an initiative designed to empower youth as pivotal agents in peacefully resolving
conflicts. It provides a platform for religious and cultural exchange among young people from around the world,
including members of various youth organizations. Since its inception, the peace camp has been successfully held 61
times in 32 countries, with the most recent camp concluding in March 2024.
The highlight of the camp was a special meditation workshop, "Cultivating Peace: A Meditation Workshop for Inner Peace,"
designed to help participants find inner tranquillity and reflect on the core values of their faiths that promote peace
and harmony.
One of the participants said, “Through these activities, participants widened their perspectives on religion and learned
to appreciate the diverse ways in which religious communities can contribute to establishing peace on Earth.”
The ultimate goal of the Religious Youth Peace Camp is to foster a generation of youth who are equipped with the
knowledge and empathy needed to bridge divides and build a more peaceful world.