Category: Young people

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Three things that can change the world

“Almost exactly a year ago I gave a TedX Youth talk called ‘Three things you already have that can change the world’,’ writes former Perth YCS leader, Sophie Stewart. “It’s now online!”

“I touch on some of the awesome work I’ve gotten to be part of with Social Reinvestment WA, Swim For Refugees, and Olabud Doogethu.

“If you think you don’t have the tools to change your world, think again,” TedX comments. “Sophie has successfully campaigned to change unfair laws, supported refugee communities and helped towns reduce youth crime. And through those experiences she has learned that there are fewer barriers to making change than you imagine.”

“Doing this talk was a real challenge- distilling big, unwieldy ideas into something concise, and you don’t have any notes as a safety net. I was almost hyperventilating back stage. Thanks to Rob, Ben, Joel, and Tamkin with TEDxPerth and TEDx KingsPark for helping me make some big ideas into something comprehensible and to Edd, and my friends and family who came to support me on the day. I hope you enjoy it!”

“And literally…. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk,” Sophie concludes.

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Three things you already have that can change the world (TEDx)

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Young people share views on Synod

Last week, the Vatican has hosted a seminar on today’s youth in preparation for next year’s Synod of Bishops’ gathering on “Young people, faith and vocational discernment,” La Croix International reports

A group of 21 teens and young adults took part in last week’s invitation-only even, where they joined in discussions and made concrete proposals for the Synod.

Stepping through the doors of the conference room, visitors may have been surprised to find that gray hairs were in the minority at a seminar organized by the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops last week.

Participants did not hesitate to challenge the academic presenters at the event or to raise the stakes by freely expressing their views during the debates.

In fact, they even protested when the presentations of the experts exceeded the time limit and ate into their precious discussion time.They also criticized the Vatican survey addressed to young people which was considered to be too long or poorly translated.

“The pope asked us to ‘make chaos,’ that’s precisely what we’re doing,” said Lucas Barboza with a smile.

“You have galvanized us,” said Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, in his concluding remarks.

He graciously welcomed the young people’s critiques, including on the content of the seminar, which failed to address subjects such as personal relationships and sexuality, or the lack of non-European representation among the young people invited (only one representative was from Africa).

FULL STORY

Young people make waves at Synod meeting (La Croix International)

Catholic youth have something to say – and the Church is listening (Catholic News Agency)

IYCS leader Richard Apeh (left) with other delegates

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110,000 respond to Vatican youth survey

More than 110,000 young people from around the world have responded to an online survey posted by the Vatican secretariat for the Synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment in 2018.

“In the roughly three months it has been online, more than 110,000 young people have responded to the questionnaire,” says Synod secretary-general Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri. “It’s a significant number considering the absolute novelty of the initiative, and one that is bound to increase in the coming months.”

The response rate, he said, “demonstrates the great desire of young people to have their say.”

Meanwhile, twenty people under the age of 35, along with 70 theologians, priests and academics are meeting from September 11-15 as part of the preparatory process for the 2018 Synod of Bishops on “young people, faith and vocational discernment,” Catholic News Service reports.

Several young people participating in the seminar urged the Vatican and the bishops themselves to be opening to listening to youths talk and ask questions about love, sex and sexuality.

Therese Hargot, who leads sex education programs at Catholic schools in Paris, told the gathering September 13, “it’s surprising we are looking at politics, economics, etc., but not at sexuality and affectivity, which are very important topics for young people.”

Ashleigh Green, an Australian delegate to the seminar, said that going around Australia in preparation for the synod she found that “a lot of young people feel like they cannot talk about issues that matter to them” in most church settings.

However, Cardinal Baldisseri told the seminar that Pope Francis wants the synod in October 2018 to not just be about young people, but with young people, assuring they have a voice.

FULL STORY

Don’t be embarrassed to talk about sex, youths tell Vatican officials (Catholic News Service)

Synod website

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