Date: 8 May 2025

Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Location: THI Offices

The second session of the Grade 11 program brought together faith, action, and dialogue under the theme Compassionate Service & Interfaith Solidarity. We were honoured to be joined online by three inspiring guest speakers from across the globe: Anum Mulla, Global Youth Strategist at the Charter for Compassion (India); Samira Baručija, Program Coordinator at United Religions Initiative (Bosnia and Herzegovina); and Kaluki Paul Mutuku, environmental scientist and activist (Kenya). Each brought powerful personal stories of navigating faith, activism, and ethical decision-making in their respective contexts.

This session also marked a special moment for the team as we welcomed Imaad Abrahams to the facilitation team. Imaad is an alumnus of the program and is currently completing his degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the University of Cape Town. We are fortunate to have Imaad join us — his lived experience in the program, deep commitment to his faith, and academic grounding bring a richness that will greatly support this year’s Grade 11 cohort.

Following the speaker panel, learners engaged in a short debrief, exploring what compassion and peacebuilding mean in practice. Students shared that peace “cannot be built alone,” and that compassion requires us to “see the humanity in others,” especially when working across difference. The conversation highlighted how faith and dialogue serve as anchors in this work — offering both guidance and a sense of belonging.

Although time only allowed for one scenario per group, learners participated in the Compassion Labyrinth — a gamified experience designed to explore ethical dilemmas through different societal roles. This activity prompted students to think critically about moral tensions, social responsibility, and the everyday choices that reflect (or challenge) compassion.

During the closing circle, learners reflected on the value of interfaith spaces and the shared struggles and hopes they saw mirrored in other communities. One student noted, “More compassion could help us solve the bigger problems,” while another remarked, “Compassion is not real until you do it.” These reflections captured the spirit of the day — a growing awareness that compassion is not only about helping others, but also about sustaining ourselves and making intentional choices, as young people, to serve with integrity and care.