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A hundred Muslim and Jewish young leaders daring to believe something is possible that everyone says is impossible

ach year, the Muslim Jewish During this year's conference the parti- deconstruct the perception that Jews and
Conference (MJC) gathers cipants visited the Srebrenica-Potoéari Muslims are enemies and a threat to each
E together 100 young Jewish Genocide Memorial and Cemetery, the other by showing how Jews and Muslims
and Muslim leaders from more than site of the worst genocide in Europe since have stood up for each other in the darkest
forty countries, allowing them to the Second World War. The MJC delega- moments of history, for example during
talk to each other for a whole week tion began their site visit in Srebrenica's the Holocaust or during the Bosnian War.
instead of about each other. During cemetery. At the conclusion of the tour,
this week they deconstruct their both faith communities offered prayers for lIja Sichrovsky started the conference
misperceptions about each other the lives lost -- the Muslim prayer, Sura in 2009 with fifteen volunteers from six
and work together on creating and al-Fatiha, was recited, followed by the countries. It has now expanded to include
implementing concrete and sustai- Jewish prayer of the Mourner's Kaddish. forty-five volunteers from almost twenty
nable projects on the ground and in countries. Sichrovsky explained that each
their communities. In 2003, the Srebrenica-Potoéari Geno- year they look for outstanding applica-
cide Memorial and Cemetery was official- tions from Muslims and Jews who have an
This year young leaders from Saudi Ara- ly inaugurated by former United States important perspective to share, but who
bia, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, are also interested in liste-
Israel, as well as Europe and the United ning to the views of others.
States, gathered for the MJC in July 2013 The conference also ac-
in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. The knowledges that it is not
conference participants represent a new only important to have
generation of Muslims and Jews, trying to a good balance between
overcome decades of mutual distrust and Jews and Muslims, but
build a brighter future for both communi- also a balance between the
ties through communication and co-ope- more secular and more
ration. religious participants.

The agenda for the MJC 2013 focused In four years, the MJC has
on six themes: conflict transformation; attracted more than 400
anti-semitism and islamophobia through young leaders from forty
cinema; hate speech and its influence countries to lead and par-
on public opinion; an introduction to President Bill Clinton. Every year, more ticipate in conferences in Vienna (Aus-
Judaism and Islam; gender and religion; mass graves are discovered, and following tria), Kiev (Ukraine), Bratislava (Slovakia)
and education and the effects of histori- DNA testing, the victims are buried every and now Sarajevo.
cal narratives. The diverse range of dis- year on 11 July, the anniversary of the fall
cussions caters to a wide audience, and of Srebrenica. In 2011, Muslim-Jewish One of the surprise benefits of the confe-
allows for a productive interaction among Conference participants visited the mas- rence has been the intra-faith conversa-
the international change-makers, activists sacre site of Babi Yar in Kiev, Ukraine, tions that take place alongside the inter-
and experts alike. and paid a similar tribute to the victims faith ones, as well as the dialogue that
that were killed there during the Second happens when participants return home
According to Founder and Secretary-Ge- World War. to their family and friends. When asked
neral of MJC, Ilja Sichrovsky, "gathe- about the organizers' measure of success,
rings around the world lack our simple A centrepiece of the MJC is the "Project Sichrovsky was quick to mention the six
approach: having a platform for this gene- Department," where conference parti- committees that the participants work
ration, created by this very generation. A cipants design, develop and implement on throughout the conference. But when
platform where the leaders of tomorrow concrete projects in order to address is- it comes down to it, success is something
can talk on their own terms and form sues identified during the week. Among much more basic: "It's not always what
innovative networks of co-operation, other projects this year, the Project De- you can measure, but the fact that young
beyond the borders of nations, culture partment created a movie showing that Muslims and Jews from around the world
and religion, in a safe space, without any not only are Muslims and Jews not ene- would journey out of their countries da-
agenda." mies, but how they saved each other in ring to believe something is possible that
times of crisis. The goal of the movie is to everyone says is impossible."))
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