New York Asks the Important Questions

Contributed by Justin Okamoto

On Sunday October 2, the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) America hosted an event at Camp Sunrise to support and uplift young adult communities in the New York district. More than thirty people gathered for the event including youth and students, pastors, and members of Kodan. This was the first stop in the national Discovery Tour recently initiated by CARP to ignite young adult communities across the country. This was a very personal event for me since I’ve been involved with the leadership of the young adult community in New York for the past three years. However, since my wife and I are moving to Japan next month, this was, in a way, our final offering.

What will make a difference?

As I’ve been reflecting on the investment I’ve given these past three years, I asked myself, “Did I make a difference?” I had to be straight with myself and confess that there was more I wanted to do.

The question then turned to “What will make a difference?” and “What will alter the direction of our community?” This one-day event set out to explore these questions with the community. Rather than coming to give an answer or solution, we trusted that the answer would emerge with honest dialogue from the people who sincerely wanted to help.

“I thought that by coming to the event, we would just simply learn how youth can become the next leaders of the future. Instead, I was captured by passion and inspiration.” – Reina

Asking the Important Questions

The event centered around answering a few simple questions. The first asked about the biggest challenges facing the young adult community.

Biggest Challenges in the NY Young Adult Community:

• Detachment from the core teachings and a lack of Divine Principle education,
• A lack of connection to our purpose and vision,
• Relationships between young adults, including those that have become distant,
• A lack of dialogue around taboo subjects

Participants gathered in groups based on these challenges to create solutions. The next question, “What do we want these areas to look like?” gave people the chance to be creative and shift their focus. Rather than focusing on the problem, we looked at what we actually wanted to create.

Finally, we looked at “What can we do to make these dreams a reality?” Each group created a project and action steps that will move us toward a community we want to live in. It was really exciting to see young adults take ownership over creating the community that they wanted to live in.

“It inspired me to be more involved in my community and help make it even better than what it already is.” – Helio, Queens, NY

It’s very easy to simply complain and be a victim to our circumstances. It takes courage, honesty, and an open mind to see beyond our current situation. Participants left with a sense of mission, a sense of purpose, and a new future.

“If Justin didn’t organize this event, I felt our community would be somewhat hopeless. I felt really inspired.” – Ray

Sometimes to move forward, we don’t need the answer; we need to ask the right questions. We may not always be certain of the next move. Often, what really makes a difference is having the curiosity of a child, willing to discover something new in every moment. CARP aims to host similar events in each district to help inspire young adult engagement. We hope to create a revolution of consciousness where our young people are leading the way to create a generation of global citizens.