28.11.2014 /
120 students from 20 cities of Turkey, academics, thinkers and journalists participated in the EU Youth Forum on "My Rights, My Identity: Freedom of Religion, Faith and Conscience" held on 23-25 November, 2014 in Istanbul. Mr Bela Szombati, Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation and His Eminence Professor Elpidophoros Lambiriniadis, Metropolitan of Bursa, Abbot of the Halki Holy Trinity Patriarchal and Stavropeghial Monastery welcomed the participants in the morning of 24 November in Istanbul's Feriye Restaurant. The final youth forum debate took place in the historic Halki Seminary on 25 November.
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The Youth
Forum aims at engaging young people to work together for a common future based
on shared values, to build dialogue, mutual understanding and empathy so as to
achieve a better and more open society in the future. Participants attended sessions dealing with topics such as fundamental
rights, freedom of religion, faith and conscience, the role of religion in a
secular state, and belief groups and communities in Turkey.