Young people in Africa today face many different challenges and circumstances.  These engender both hope and hopelessness among them, depending on their  particular context and on available support, resources and opportunities. Young people who are empowered easily find hope to imagine and create a good future for themselves – and  in turn to empower other…

A faith-based youth apostolate movement, committed to the principles and values of evangelisation, formation, social justice and advocacy, wants to expand in Africa In Africa, the YCS movement was first introduced in Madagascar in 1937, and has grown to spread to 34 countries, with a membership of over 3.2 million students in secondary schools and…

Pope Francis in a new book is calling for an alliance between the young and elderly:  “Young people need the dreams of the elders so they can hope in a future. Older people and young people move forward together, and they need each other”. In his Preface, Pope Francis writes: “Only the testimony of the…

The final document of the synod on young people has been just released. The document consists of 3 parts, 12 chapters, 167 paragraphs and 60 pages. The Rapporteur General, Cardinal Sérgio da Rocha, said that it is “the result of real teamwork” on the part of the Synod Fathers, together with other Synod participants and…

In the view of the Synod on youth which will take place in Rome this month, Tendai Karombo,   chairperson of the National Catholic Youth Council in Zimbabwe, explains what are the challenges  that face young people in the society and in the church in Africa. Zimbabwe just like any other African country, young people are…

A group of young people living in Nairobi who regularly meets at Shalom House has written a letter to Pope Francis on the occasion of the Synod to be held in Rome next October, during which hundreds of bishops will discuss on the theme “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment”. The letter has been…

It surrounds us, It is in every place we go, on the street, on the beach or the woods. We see it when we climb a mountain or go for a swim. It is there, evidence of our wilful neglect or ingenious inventiveness. It is our own man-made friend and already a destructive enemy. It…

The Spirit speaks and acts through the happenings in the life of each person, which in themselves are inexplicit or ambiguous, insofar as they are open to different interpretations. Discernment is required to reveal their meaning and to make a decision. The three verbs in Evangelii gaudium, 51, used to describe discernment, namely, “to recognize,”…

In view of the XV General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, dedicated to young people, to be held next October 2018, many local churches are organizing activities and events with the youth. A few examples. In Kenya, the diocese of Ngong has organised the Year of Youth whose theme is: “You are the Light of…

The lives of many young Europeans are characterized by uncertainty. Sarah Prenger, president of the International Young Christian Workers movement, points out the personal and social consequences. Young people are more often employed with precarious working conditions than older workers.On average, a third of young workers in the EU in 2015 did not have a…

At the end of pre-synod meeting, (Roma 19-24 March), more than 300 young people from different cultural and religious backgrounds, have released a document. It is divided into three sections: the challenges and opportunities of young people; faith, vocation, discernment and accompaniment and the Church’s formative and pastoral activities. A synthesis of the first part.…