Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (CECF) held the 55th BUBW conference in Baltimore, Maryland from April 23rd-27th where students, young leaders from different religious, economic, ethnic, cultural background were engaged in discussion on religion, culture, caring for humanity, international diversity, discrimination, radicalism and extremism, women’s empowerment and global citizenship. We also engaged in an “Interfaith Program” by visiting Church, Synagogue, and Mosque on Friday April 25th.
The 55th BUBW Conference in the USA, which was attended by students from 19 countries, have been full of incredibly rich discussions, which removed many misconceptions participants had of one another through education and personal interactions. The positive impact sent a ripple effect that has made CECF feel compelled to bring these conferences to exchange students from all over the world. To hear from some of our participants, please check out the videos which was made by the BUBW participant from Kyrgyzstan Aizhanat Talantbekova, FLEX program:
“And even though this conference lasted only five days, the connections I made felt incredibly deep, like I had known these people for my whole life. The BUBW community truly became my second family.” (Olha, Ukraine)
Events:
- Lecture “The World Today – The Family of Adam and Eve: The Need for Crossing the Cultural Divide as We Discover Current Realities in Our World” – Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat
- IYS Session I – “Samples of Conflicts Around the World & Why?” – Discussion
- IYS Session II – UN Architecture for Genocide Prevention and the Framework of Analysis Training Workshop and Breakout Session by Dalila Sadinlija
- Student Presentations
- Interfaith Program: Visit a Church, Synagogue and Mosque & Panel
- Discussion “Moving in the World Forward Together with Fr. William Au, Rabbi Daria Jacobs-Velde, Dr. Fatih Kanca and Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat
- Baltimore Harbor and Aquarium Visit
- Leadership, Youth Involvement, Global Citizenship – Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat
- Guest Speaker – Rizma Ilfi Yahya, Lecturer, Darunnajah University, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Washington D.C. visit
- Banquet: Awards Ceremony, Student Performances, Panel Discussion
“BUBW was one of the best and pivotal days of my exchange year” (Muhib, Tajikistan)
“This conference has really opened my eyes to new cultures, religions and conflicts around the world” (Lujain, Kuwait)
Considering all the things mentioned above, the BUBW Conference 2025 in Baltimore undeniably became one of the most insightful highlights of the year for lots of passionate ones. It is certainly true that every single conversation there did carry way more behind it than meets the eye. Last but not least, the conference definitely can be distinguished not only by its efficiency and productivity but also the miracle of how fast those having the same mindset become bonded together for a great cause. This truly proves the relativity of the definition of time when it comes to dealing with the power which cannot be observed on a surface level and requires a more profound comprehension.
Conference Reports