Interfaith youth meeting promotes tolerance through shared fasting experiences

Mar 28, 2025

YOGYAKARTA: Youth representatives from six religious traditions gathered on March 15, for an Interfaith Youth Meeting hosted by the Interfaith Relations Team of Paroki Maria Marganingsih Kalasan (GMMK) to explore the spiritual meaning and practices of fasting across different faiths.

Held under the theme Fasting from the Perspective of Different Religions, the event brought together young people from Catholicism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Confucianism.
Members of the Srikandi Interfaith Community (SriLi) also took part in the gathering, which forms part of GMMK’s Community Program.

Bernardus Purnama of GMMK’s Interfaith Relations Team said the initiative aims to promote interreligious understanding and tolerance among youth.

“The interfaith youth gathering serves as a platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and understanding of fasting traditions. Through this initiative, it is hoped that young people can gain a deeper understanding of one another and foster tolerance,” he said.

Karolina Ratna from the Srikandi Interfaith Community welcomed the initiative, emphasising its potential for future collaboration. “Through meetings like this, we can develop other collaborative activities, such as interfaith visits and social service projects,” she claimed.

The event reflects ongoing grassroots efforts in Yogyakarta to foster interreligious harmony through shared dialogue and engagement among youth. --LiCAS News