Coexister – Interfaith Youth Movement

SOLIDARITY - "Les Cafés de rue"
https://www.facebook.com/events/914768482230402/

During the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2020, on February Wednesday 4th, young members of Coexister in Paris, France, united forces to take care of homeless people. Coexister is an independant interbelief youth organization in Europe, for volonteers between 15 and 30 years old, created in 2009. During the "Cafés de rue", hot drinks and madeleines (a French cake) are distributed in the street, near the city hall, in the center of Paris (at the corner of rue Saint-Martin et avenue Victoria, next to the tour Saint-Jacques). We don't serve meals because we are a poor organization, managed by students and young professionals, but we have an agreement with Caritas France to serve coffee, hot chocolat, tea, madeleines. We organize this event every Tueday since 2014.
There was around 20 members of Coexister that week, and more than 50 homeless persons, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. After that, all volunteers had dinner together rue du Renard, and raised a toast for the World Interfaith Harmony Week!

Agathe explains: "What's nice in the event is that we create frienship with people we would never talk with otherwise. Intefaith dialogue is all about forging ties. Here we don't do exegesis or structural debats to seperate and identify our deep beliefs that evening. Christians, Muslims, Jews or Atheists, we unite for lonely people." Samuel: "I joined Coexister after November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. I felt it was urgent to buid peace and common understanding. France is a pluralistic nation, and religion is a part of the diversity of believes and identities.  I go to intellectual events, but also to social ones, like the Café de rue of tonight, for the World Interfaith Harmony Week."
Mateus told us: "I arrived in France five months ago and sleep under the bridge of Carrousel du Louvre. I knew nobody in Paris, and social center don't have time. Here I met young French, a warm welcome and a hot drinks. They advised me." Ahmed added: "I like to come here, to talk with folks living in the street like me. The smile of a friend is as much important as food. Elsewhere in Paris I find food but no smiles."

-- WHAT IS COEXISTER --

A YOUTH MOVEMENT
Coexister is an independent youth movement, initiated by young people and for young people from 15 to 35 years-old in 2009. Youth is both the fuel and the drive of our movement, a chance for those who want to act without waiting to grow old. It is more than ever necessary to offer a space where they can express themselves fully and freely.

OUR MEANS OF ACTION
Recognized of public interest, Coexister now gathers more than 2,500 members, including 350 volunteers holding responsibilities in about 50 local chapters in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Our workshops in schools and universities have allowed us to meet 120,000 youngsters, and sensitize them to secularism, freedom of thought and freedom of expression.

ACTIVE COEXISTENCE AND SOCIAL COHESION
Active Coexistence is an interactive method that teaches us how to better live together building on our differences. By considering diversity as a strength and by inviting people to get to know others, Coexister offers a society model whereby social cohesion is created not “in spite of” but “thanks to” differences.

SECULARISM
Secularism rests on 3 pillars: the fundamental freedom to believe or not believe, the neutrality of the State, and the separation of the State and the cults. We intend to defend those three pillars, no more, no less. State neutrality does not entail the neutrality of individuals in public spaces.


-- THE 3 STEPS OF THE COEXISTER PATHWAY --

1• MEETING EACH OTHER In an open and friendly atmosphere, each Coexister local chapter organises visits of places of worship, debates, conferences, shared meals, exhibitions or even movie nights. These dialogue events are the opportunity for all to discover one another, discuss and develop a deeper knowledge of one’s self and of others.

2• ACTING TOGETHER Coexister regularly collaborates with other organisations during solidary operations in order to go beyond mere dialoguing and act together to serve the society. Around the motto: “different faiths, common action”, we cooperate on clothing and toy collections, blood drives, mobilisations in favor of the environment, actions for the homeless like Les Cafés de rue in Paris, and many other activities.

3• RAISING AWARENESS Awareness-building workshops drive our members to testify together of their experiences of commitment and friendship at Coexister. We present to middle schools and high schools workshops that create a neutral and safe space for exchanges around prejudices, secularism, diversity and youth involvement.  

ACTING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER LIVING TOGETHER
For social cohesion not “in spite of” but “thanks to” differences.


You want to act for a more inclusive society? You want a positive experience of diversity? You want to meet youngsters who don’t share the same beliefs or faith than you? You want to share your vision of the world? Stop hesitating: join us on www.coexister.fr and find the closest Coexister chapter to your home!


Images for this event

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logo 100px Coexister France