RYS - RYS - Your Help is Needed

Carol D. Pobanz
August 9, 2008

Dear RYS Friends and Alumni,

With the strong pressures of globalization, our global society is coming closer and closer together. Our knowledge of each other is growing and our interaction with people and cultures from all over the world is increasing day by day. Yet, it seems quite clear that the new possibilities for cultural interaction, in many cases, are not being met with the right attitude. Relationships between cultures seem unable to go beyond mere tolerance and respect, and a sincere curiosity about and appreciation of each other's differences is only rarely experienced by the average person. Contemporary society seems largely unable to deal with diversity. Rather than living in an inter-cultural society together with each other, we are creating multicultural communities that live side by side and only peripherally relate to each other. Is this really valuing our diversity?

Every year the Religious Youth Service (RYS) works towards raising youth leaders to respond to this social need for greater harmonization and integration. RYS encourages inter-religious and inter-cultural understanding by affording youth a safe environment to develop true friendships through realizing common goals by means of selfless service. In this way, RYS provides a wonderfully character-building experience. There are many youth, however, who are unable to have this opportunity because of financial restraints. I am therefore appealing to you, friends and alumni, to consider making a donation so that we can expand our work to include many more youth in RYS's outreaching, international projects.

In past years, RYS has leaned heavily on our parent organization, the Universal Peace Federation, for operation funds. With your additional help, we will be able to provide full and partial scholarships to deserving young persons who can become the needed future leaders striving to serve one humanity. To help facilitate your giving please visit our website at: www.religiousyouthservice.org/donate.htm Thanks you for your time and generosity.

Sincerely,

Carol D. Pobanz
RYS Global Management Team