by Justin Fong, YFWP-USA

Forum speakers from top: Rebecca Cataldi, Nate Mull, and Becky Gitonga.

 Exploring the crossroads between American public life and the the nation’s founding spiritual principles, the Youth Federation for World Peace-USA partnered with Global Peace Festival (GPF) USA to launch the American Youth Leadership Series at a forum in Washington, DC, on October 16, 2009.

The event drew a diverse international audience and featured a short video on recent Global Peace Festivals, of which YFWP is a founding partner. The video highlighted the launch of two recent GPF initiatives: the Global Peace Service Alliance and the upcoming Global Peace Convention in Manila, the Philippines, in December 2009.

After welcoming remarks from Justin Fong, Youth Federation USA Director, and Kenshu Aoki, Director of Global Peace Student Corps, a short presentation on the founding spiritual principles of the United States was given by Nate Mull, Director of Youth Programs for GPF USA to introduce the night’s topic. Mull emphasized that principles of faith, not particular to any one religion, have been the driving force behind America’s ascendancy, principles that have challenged Americans to live up to their highest ideals.

The main presentation was given by Rebecca Cataldi, program manager at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) and founder of the American-Islamic Friendship Project. She described her experiences working to improve relations between the United States and the Muslim world. Working with ICRD to provide teacher-training for madrasas in Pakistan, she said, has given her particular insight into common ground that can be found through innovative education projects.

When engaged in a spirit of respect for faith, Cataldi, a Catholic, found that Muslim leaders who were previously skeptical about the project responded positively. Ms. Cataldi observed that faith has been central to the founding of both the United States and the countries of the Muslim world and is therefore central to resolving conflicts between the two. “Where conversations about politics have divided us,” she said, “conversations about faith have brought us together.” (see Rebecca Cataldi's full remarks, America's Values and Interfaith Cooperation)

The final speaker, Becky Gitonga, a Kenyan national and DC program director for Service for Peace, emphasized the importance of service in creating a common ground for cooperation among diverse peoples. She encouraged everyone to participate in the upcoming Martin Luther King Day of Service in January.

Though some participants have been Young Ambassadors for Peace for some time, many others were excited to join a network of global leadership in building peaceful communities around the world.

The Youth Federation for World Peace is a global alliance of young leaders and youth-related organizations dedicated to building a world of peace in which everyone can live in freedom, harmony, cooperation and co-prosperity. For more information on YFWP-USA’s peace building and leadership training programs, contact YFWP's U.S. chapter at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .