ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Over 600 high school students took a trip to Nazareth on Wednesday for the 12th annual Global Citizenship Conference.
Students from across 30 different high schools attended the conference, including from schools as far out as Medina.
According to Nazareth, the goal of the conference is to teach students how to respond to intolerance. The conference also teaches about different religions and bridges the divide among people of different backgrounds.
Dr. Muhammad Shafiq, the Executive Director of the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue, says that it is important to teach the next generation to be accepting of diversity in all areas of their lives.
“Every year we have different themes. This year the theme is bridging the gap,” said Dr. Safiq. “There is a racial gap that the country is suffering from, there is a gender gap. There is religious hatefulness, and other social issues we see. We are here to expose the next generation of America to understand the globalization of the modern contemporary world.”
Dr. Safiq also said that being open-minded and inclusive is what The American Dream is all about and that the next generation should learn that.