When I think about this fellowship and the year ahead of me, the one word that springs to mind is solidarity. Despite all of our different backgrounds, I feel a sense of connectedness with every other fellow. This is obviously partly due to our commitment to the eradication of malaria, but also because of our individual faith commitments.

I was first struck by an overwhelming sense of solidarity at the Regent Park Mosque yesterday. As I watched the huge diversity of Muslims praying shoulder to shoulder I realized that all around the world Muslims would be gathering to say these very prayers and perform these very acts of worship. It reminded me of how I felt at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin last Sunday as I stood beside strangers and yet felt a strong sense of belonging as I recited many of the same prayers I had said over and over at my home church in Toronto.

Even though the thirty of us have just met, and are strangers in many respects, I'm comforted by the fact that we all share certain values. Just as religious practices can connect strangers from around the world, so too can a shared commitment. Faith and social action, two ideas that I think we would all agree are central to this coming year and to the direction of our future lives.

Hilary Keachie, 22 year old Christian from Toronto

The Faiths Act Fellowship brings together thirty young leaders aged between 18-25 drawn from different faiths from the US, UK, and Canada to embark on a 10 month journey of interfaith service.