Malaria Day crosses religious divide

TORONTO - Student advocates for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation mobilized their school communities to take action against malaria in cities around the world for World Malaria Day April 25.

The foundation, created by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, aims to promote respect and understanding about the world’s major religions and show how faith is a powerful force for good, using the eradication of malaria as a common goal. Students in Toronto were no exception.

“Creating opportunities for youth to understand the importance of helping people in need and having them feel the satisfaction of helping others is the only hope for creating great leaders,” said Erica Spracklin, a Unitarian Faiths Act Fellow, one of eight Canadian student leaders trained by the foundation to advocate for action in their communities.

Spracklin, with a group of  students at the University of Toronto, marked World Malaria Day by hosting a Knick Knacks for Nets yard sale, April 24. The group collected nearly $900, which will be matched by the Foundation.

But equal to helping others is the interfaith element of their initiative, student organizers said. With one Catholic volunteer at the yard sale among a variety of other faith traditions, the Toronto hub leaders had no shortage of insight regarding the benefits reached through interfaith dialogue.

“We all have the same questions and search for the same things: peace, justice, truth and the sovereign good,” said Muslim Faiths Act Fellow Areeba Jawaid.

“During my time in this fellowship, I have learned that people like to learn about the differences in each other’s beliefs but are more excited to learn about the overlap and similarities.”