The second session of the Grade 10 2026 YIIP program took place at the new venue, Sasnev Cultural Centre in Pinelands. Eight voices each with powerful stories of working for justice and truth presented themselves to the learners, in a rare and profound experience of shared mentorship.
Continue reading “The Diversity of Activism”
Peacebuilding workshop, Springfield Convent
On 19 March 2026, CTII held a workshop at Springfield Convent Senior School at their invitation, in which just under 100 matriculant girl students participated. The workshop was titled “Peace building and Human Rights” and was a designated retreat day for the matrics.
Local Eyes, Global Heart: Launching the 2026 Grade 11 Journey
On Thursday, February 26th, the Youth Interfaith Intercultural Programme (YIIP) kicked off an exciting new chapter for our Grade 11 cohort at a new venue, SASNEV Cultural Centre in Pinelands.
This year shifts the lens toward Active Citizenship and the question: “Who are we in the world?”
It was clear that the learners from such diverse backgrounds and circumstances, already had a rapport with one another. This was very gratifying to see, as the long-term aim of the CTII is to build socially cohesive community.
Aidon Allies, who graduated in 2024, and was part of the Cape Town Junior City council, has come into a leadership role in the YIIP. He is now studying at the University of Cape Town, and now has an opportunity to exercise his clear leadership skills.
Connecting the Glocal
The session, (ed: run by the author Sarah Oliver) titled “Local Eyes, Global Heart,” was designed to show our young leaders that while their work begins in Cape Town, they are part of a massive, global movement for peace.
Aidon started the afternoon with a high-energy game. Using a simple ball to illustrate how we approach social issues, the learners explored the interplay between local challenges and global strategies. It was a fun way to visualize how we need to work together as communities and how our actions can resonate across the world.
The learners then moved into a period of reflection, identifying local issues they are passionate about—ranging from environmental justice to social inequality—and examining how these same issues manifest on a global scale.
Voices from Around the World
One of the highlights of the afternoon was our Guest Panel. We were privileged to be joined virtually by three incredible youth leaders who are also members of the URI (United Religions Initiative), who are currently spearheading change in their own corners of the globe.
Anthonia Folashade from Building Blocks for Peace in Nigeria shared their story of wanting to make a difference particularly with regards to conflict between Muslims and Christians, and after being unsure of what to study at first, she became the first female to graduate in the Religious Studies Department at her university. She now works for Building Blocks for Peace Nigeria, training young people as peacebuilders across the country.
Mangesh Pol from Maher in India spoke about his own experience growing up as part of the ‘untouchable’ caste in India. He found belonging at the home for women and children ‘Maher’ a place where all are treated equally and all religions celebrated. He’s since grown up to lead interfaith initiatives for this organization with a deep commitment to LOVE as his religion.
Mehmet Halil from Bridges Eastern European Forum for Dialogue in Bulgaria inspired the group by sharing how he responds to stereotypes and assumptions because of his faith as a Muslim. He described making a choice in how he reacted and choosing to represent his faith through his behavior and choosing dignity over ego. Bridges is an organization in Bulgaria that runs a similar youth programme to CTII, bringing 16-17 year olds together from different religious traditions to learn about each other and the world.
Hearing these firsthand accounts bridged the distance between Cape Town and the rest of the world, proving to our learners that age is no barrier to being a “changemaker.” With “Local Eyes and Global Hearts,” these young leaders are taking their steps at expanding their horizons across borders for a more peaceful world.
The session really opened the eyes of all to the breadth and depth of connection possible across the globe. The freshness of youth that has not been compromised by time, combining with the solid experience of those like Sarah left everyone with a profound sense of hope and possibility. It promises to be the most cohesive group of interfaith youth yet produced by the program.
World Interfaith Harmony Week: A season to give
It’s February the 1st, and big day for us at the CTII.
For one, it’s the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week. We have a strong tie to this event: in 2019, the CTII were the joint recipients of its prize, for our “Prayers in the City” held in Elsies River (together with FHLM), a grassroots version of what had been a regular annual event. (The banner picture for our site is from this event).
Secondly, we have launched a 2-month fundraising campaign “CTII Schools Project 2026” on the BackaBuddy platform in which we hope to enable our very successful Youth Interfaith Program (YIIP) to run this year. This is a new step for us; up until now our funds have been via private donations.
We now want to expand our reach to meet the demand for interfaith education and organisation, and actively take up our responsibility as a competent and empowered NGO. Our goal is to raise R120,000 to make the two-year Schools Program possible for 70 Grade 10 and 11 learners in 2026. It costs approximately R1700 per learner.
As a key evidence to the effectiveness of the 2025 program, here are 2 quotes, from a Muslim and a Jewish learner respectively:
“Before I entered the Interfaith Programme, I pretty much saw my religion … as the only correct religion … But interfaith really … changed the way I viewed life. The Programme really helped me create friendships… those are friendships that will last a lifetime.”
“It taught me that different faiths don’t have to divide us, they can bring us closer through understanding and respect. I’m grateful to have had this opportunity to learn, to connect, and to see the world through new eyes.”
Interfaith is, by its very definition, an act of giving. Falling between recognised religious groupings, it can be viewed with skepticism and even suspicion. Believers are not quick to associate with those outside their circles, and religious leaders are often duty-bound to keep people inside their folds. To merely be present to “the other” requires a generous heart.
Giving is a universal virtue. And there are many ways to give. Pippa Jones quotes a profound teaching by August Gold of the Sacred Centre New York. Simply put, it is list of 4 ways to give:
- Time
- Talent
- Ties
- Treasure
Time means overcoming your busy-ness for the greater good. Being available, available for works of service, for prayerful considerations, for beautiful, or for brave conversations, for building a friendship.
Talent means bringing your strengths, your experience and expertise, and using these to build community. True leadership is not about gaining an upper hand in a game of power, but in doing the thing in which you excel. It also means collaborating where your talents might be limited.
Ties are our connections, the heart of ubuntu – I am (a node) because we are (a network). When we share not just what, but who we know, magic often happens. The sum becomes greater than the parts, and we can as the African proverbs says, go far together, not just fast, alone.
complete your task
seek no reward
make no claims [Daodejing 30]
The CTII is a thriving organization precisely because it is comprised of volunteers having given freely of their time, talent and ties. Our big challenge now, especially with our flagship YIIP program, is funds.
Treasure, then, is our resources in goods and money, are often the weak point in the life of NGO’s. Traditional religious organisation have their ways of doing this, for example through Christian tithing, Islamic sadaqah and zakat, and even barter-like giving systems like the Buddhist dana.
“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains…” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:261]
And sadly, due to many kinds of corruption, money it is too often the cause of great suffering and disrepute rather than the alleviation of that suffering.
So, despite these challenges, we are embarking on a program of fundraising and we invite you to be involved. You may be well-off and can afford to support us. Please do and take direct part in a better future for our world. Or you may have little or nothing in the way of money to contribute. There is no shame at all in this.
“All these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” [Luke 21:4]
But together, via our pooled resources – time, talents, ties and treasure – we can reach our target and continue building the interfaith and intercultural leadership of tomorrow.
Thank you for reading, and may you have a blessed week of harmony!
- “CTII Schools Project 2026” BackaBuddy campaign page – give directly here.
- Our video hearing it from the learners directly
- The 2025 schools report
- All the 2025 YIIP events
- CTII general donations
