Sixty youth leaders who met in Goa for the CCI Youth for Change conference have asked the Church and society to include young people when formulating policies.
The Jan. 6-8 conference also stressed the need to restore people’s dignity and work among the poor more seriously, ucanews.com reports.
The conference drafted a “Goa Declaration” (See below) that promised “optimum participation of youth” to build peace and sustain development.
Speakers said the Church had failed to give young people due representation or allow their full participation in its affairs.
The participants resolved to strengthen youth organizations and build young communities to implement Second Vatican Council teachings. They also resolved to ensure that every child goes to school and become responsible citizens.
It also called for the study of new social networks and relationships to meet the challenges from commercial and consumer interests that target the youth.
Other plans include encouragement to inter-religious networking, collaboration between youth groups and Cardijn Community International as a common platform for coordination.
Various groups presented their reports highlighting their interventions in various social and environment issues.
SOURCE:
Youths demand role in decision making (www.ucanews.com)
‘Youth 4 Change Conference’
India Today: The Youth, Church and Social Commitment
6th to 8th January 2011 Pilar, Goa
Goa Declaration
We the young people gathered here at Pilar, Goa, on the theme “INDIA TODAY: the Youth, Church & Social Commitment”, during the International Year of Youth make this unanimous affirmation:
- Having analyzed the reality in India, we acknowledge the need to restore the dignity of people, to take the side of the poor and to work towards building civil society organizations or strengthening organizations working with different sections of people.
- We recognize the powerful and potent role of the youth in bringing about change at all levels in society.
- We feel the need to listen to the voice of the youth at all levels of decision making and execution.
- We begin with our own lives- being more responsible and committed persons in our family, our neighborhood – community and the society at large.
- We promise to work towards peace building and sustainable development.
- Having studied the social teachings of the church and the actual ground reality, we feel much has to be done to ensure the optimum participation of youth. We shall build communities of young people that put Vatican II teachings into practice.
- We resolve to work towards strengthening the existing youth organizations in the church in India and also start new networks and organizations where nothing exists.
- We will work in our areas/States to ensure that every child has an opportunity to go to school, enjoy their childhood and at the same time equip themselves to live as respected and responsible citizens of India.
- We resolve to initiate a study on new types of social networks/relationships in order to be prepared to face the onslaught of commercial and consumer interests targeting the youth.
Inspired by the living testimonies of actions and lives of people living the Review of Life See-Judge-Act, we commit to do the following:
1. Inter-religious component of networking
2. CCI will be a resource group for conducting training sessions, seminars, formation programmes and for information and guidance on specific issues/problems
3. COLLABORATION between different youth groups to be promoted
4. Coordination between existing youth organizations to be initiated
5. New networks and groups can function as CCI groups if they accept the methodology and vision of CCI. Already initiative of grouping youth from various areas and categories is being initiated in Jharkhand. This group will gradually become CCI group.
6. PROGRAMS LIKE THIS MUST BE ORGANIZED in different places and on a regular basis to review the follow up and to update
7. CONNECTION WITH CCI – CCI AS A COMMON PLATFORM FOR COORDINATION
8. SEE-JUDGE & ACT methodology to be adopted by in the groups and networks
9. HYDERABAD –– UTILIZE SOCIAL NETWORKING INITIALLY to revitalize YCS
- YCS/YSM HYDERABAD PAGE ON FACEBOOK—UPDATES AND ACTIVITIES
- START ANEW
- CAREER GUIDANCE PROGRAM (for youth completing 10THStandard)
- LINK/NETWORK WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR WORK/CAREER POSSIBILITIES
- START YOUTH GROUPS IN THE PARISH IF IT IS NOT EXISTING
10. INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENTS:
- CREATING A PLATFORM FOR REGULAR UPDATING/REPORTING AFTER Y4C