Interfaith Youth Café

The Milwaukee Interfaith Youth Forum was formed as a response to the events of September 11, 2001. Their purpose is to “Strengthen interfaith dialog, reduce misinformation, and promote peaceful relationships among all people.”

They have held different kinds of gatherings and retreats since their beginning. Most recently, they have invited young people and their adult leaders to a series of interfaith cafés. An Interfaith Youth Café is an event that is based on the “knowledge café” model.

As you enter an Interfaith Youth Café, you will see five or six tables that feature different religious traditions. During this past year, we have had tables that feature the following:

• Catholic Christianity
• Hinduism
• Bahá’í
• Christian Scientist
• Unitarian Universalist
• Sikh
• Islam
• Quakers
• Baptist
• Presbyterians

Each table has a vase of flowers, a cup of markers, and is covered with newsprint.

The flowers are a symbol of growth. The markers and newsprint are for doodling and drawing, in order to facilitate learning.

You will also notice plenty of food, and you will hear music playing.

As the Café begins, everyone is asked to sit at a table. Each table is usually staffed by  two teenagers and an adult from a particular religious tradition. While you are there, you will hear about the beliefs and most common practices of that faith community. For about ten minutes, the teenagers will talk about their faith. Then for another ten minutes or so, the participants will ask questions. The adult is there in case the teens are unsure about how to answer the question. 

Each table has napkins of a particular color. For example, if you are seated at the Jewish table, you might have blue napkins. When you hear music playing, that means the first round is done.  You are now invited to take your blue napkin, get up, have something to eat, talk to others, and choose your next table.

However, you are asked to not sit with anyone who is holding a blue napkin. That way, all the participants are mingled and get to meet new people.  When the music stops, the second round begins, and you will hear about another religious tradition, ask questions and acquire a napkin of a second color.

There is also a third round, and then time when you return to your home group, the faith community you arrived with. You sit down with your friends, show them your three napkins, and talk about the religious traditions you learned about. At the end of this time, each faith community has one representative share what they have learned while everyone else listens. Then the Café ends with a prayer that honors different religious traditions.

It’s a simple process that combines interfaith education with youth leadership and community building.  One Unitarian youth summed up his learning this way: “I learned two things. First of all, I came here with prejudices about different religious groups. As I met different teenagers, I realized my prejudices were inaccurate and wrong. Second, I learned that it’s not as easy I thought it would be to explain my own religious beliefs to another person.”