The Warsaw Human Dimension Conference 2024, held from 30 September to 11 October in Warsaw, Poland, focused on critical human rights and fundamental freedoms across the OSCE region. This 10-day event, organized by the 2024 OSCE Maltese Chairpersonship with support from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), provided a platform for participants to evaluate current challenges and trends affecting regional security. Participants included representatives from OSCE participating States, inter-governmental organizations, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders.
In addition to the main plenary sessions, the conference featured numerous side events that allowed participants to dive deeper into specific topics. One such event, titled “Young Voices of Hope in Times of Division”, was co-organized by the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) and the European Council of Religious Leaders (ECRL), showcasing the power of youth in interfaith dialogue.
Empowering Youth Through Interfaith Cooperation
An ISKCON devotee from Hungary, Gandharvika Prema Dasi, who is also a member of the ECRL, was invited to participate in this side event. The discussion centered on how youth can actively contribute to building peaceful relationships across different faiths and how religious communities can foster engagement in interreligious initiatives.
In her brief presentation, Gandharvika Prema Dasi emphasized two key initiatives from ISKCON Hungary. She spoke about the Bhaktivedanta College of Religious Science, which provides state-accredited programs in yoga and vaishnava theology, and Krishna Valley, an eco-village promoting sustainable living. These projects not only offer spiritual guidance but also practical solutions for environmental challenges, underscoring the role that religious communities can play in today’s world.
ISKCON’s Spiritual Contribution to Youth and Interfaith Harmony
At the conference, Gandharvika Prema Dasi, emphasized the importance of spiritual values in addressing the challenges facing today’s youth. Drawing from the vaishnava teachings, she highlighted that ISKCON not only offers practical solutions to worldly issues like climate change and social tensions, but also provides a deep spiritual foundation for inner peace and harmony among people.
In her presentation, she shared the success stories of ISKCON Hungary, where spiritual education and sustainable living practices based on Krishna Conscious principles are helping young people reconnect with their eternal spiritual identity and live in harmony with nature and each other. She stressed that beyond sustainability, Krishna Valley exemplifies interfaith and international cooperation, where people from different backgrounds— devotees from Ukraine, Russian, Romania, Turkey, and Israel—live and serve together peacefully, since they speak the common language of service to God.
Inspiring Contributions from Participants
The side event also featured insights from various other religious leaders and youth representatives. The Q&A session was vibrant, with many participants focusing on how to involve youth in interfaith work. A Jewish Rabbi shared how young people can be engaged through practical charitable activities, such as community service or food distribution to the needy. Gandharvika Prema Dasi added that social media platforms like TikTok offer another powerful avenue for reaching young people. She stressed that today’s youth are primarily reachable online, and once initial online connections are made, they can lead to meaningful real-life engagement. She shared a success story from Krishna Valley, where a mataji called „Vallabhi” has been able to effectively engage with young people by regularly posting content on TikTok. The discussions demonstrated a shared commitment to promoting peace and understanding through interfaith collaboration.
Collaboration for a Peaceful Future
The OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference provided a valuable platform to emphasize the essential role of youth in interfaith dialogue. As highlighted by ISKCON Hungary’s representative, Gandharvika Prema Dasi during the side event, based on experiences from their communication work, religious communities not only offer spiritual guidance but also practical solutions to the challenges facing today’s youth. The collaboration between states and religious organizations is crucial for building a sustainable and peaceful future, with young people playing a central role in these efforts.