• Art supplies

Participants create slogans and symbols to illustrate interfaith work.

Remind participants of this quote from the story:

At the conclusion of the Parliament, Charles Bonney, President of the Columbian Exposition, proclaimed, "From now on, the great religions of the world will make war no longer on each other, and instead on the giant ills that afflict humankind."

Offer these questions for discussion:

• What is your reaction to the quote?
• Was Charles Bonney realistic, or too optimistic? Does optimism have a place in the work of building religious pluralism?

Suggest that Bonney's statement could be viewed as the beginning of a rewrite of the story of religion, and that likewise, our work toward interfaith cooperation and religious pluralism can also be viewed that way, since it tells a story that is different from the most common story told today. In this way, religious pluralism is a counter-cultural movement.

Then ask:

• Movements can benefit from strong statements. What kind of statement or slogan about interfaith cooperation might we try to make today?
• Movements can also benefit from strong images. What kind of image might we use to promote our work toward religious pluralism and interfaith cooperation?

Invite youth to use the art materials and work in teams to create a symbol. After 15 minutes, gather the large group and share ideas.

Keep the artwork in the workshop space and tell participants they will have opportunities to continue working on the images and slogans with future partners.