Need to sustain and support the young

Basic models and foundational experiences
1 December 2010

African-Asian Group

Joseph Baru Uri, Sabitha Stephen

Hani Polus Yonu Al-Jameel, Hedwing Musanga Ataku

Our discussion was first centered on the question of the method of passing the Christian message to the youths.

We found out that Christian parents are the first catechists. The parents have to take up the first responsibility of Christian instruction at home. This they can by their way of life in their families. This means that they have to live exemplary Christian life in their families. This then becomes a very important base for the Christian education of their children before they receive other formal Christian instruction in the church.

We found out that the current method of instruction does not help the youths much. The question and answers method is not involving neither provoking. The Christian message needs to be passed to the youths in a way that reflects their own situations now and that makes them participate actively. The church as a body then has to look into the method of instruction that is relevant. The method must not be just the passing of doctrinal message but that of life.

Connected with the method, we discussed the personal issue, the teachers of Christian instruction (the catechist). The instructors should have some formal education in the doctrines of the church and that is important. However they should have done some things on youth ministry i.e. how to work with the youths today. They should be in touch with the situations of the youths and move from judgmental mentality to acceptance and understanding of the youths. The exemplary life style of the Christian instructors is also important. They should be sensitive to the language they use. This is because the youths are very sensitive and are prompt to misinterpretation. Be able to draw also from the scriptures for youth discussions that address some current issues of the youth, like the gospel passages that talk about being with children, eating in the house of his friends Martha and Mary, Jesus who is merciful and loving, Jesus welcoming sinners. Even the Pauline letters that about love, human weaknesses and the Grace of God in those moments of weaknesses etc.

Focusing on youth, we found out that they become very active when they are involved, when they consulted or asked their own contribution. This gives them a sense of responsibility. This would defuse in them the feeling that the church dictates on them or imposes things that they have to do and not to do. They need to be listened to even though we may not agree their points of view.

As a church, we need a certain degree of flexibility and adjust considerably in order to accommodate the youths today. For example they like active liturgy of dancing, singing, clapping hands, sand hared reflections. This means that in the celebrations of the liturgy a lot of adjustment that draws the attentions of the youths would ensure the sustenance of the youths in the church.

Also encouraging the youths to recollect themselves we found would give them the opportunity to discover more of the interior life and be able to be in touch with the reality of their environment and how to relate among their peers within the environment. In this however we realized that they need to be guided.

We concluded that as a church we can sustain the young in the church environment and thus stop them from running away. We have the capacity to evangelize them, but we need to be flexible in our approach and the way we look at the realities. We must be able to move with current.

Text by Joe Baru

Photos by Joe Boenzi (Discussion group 1 December 2010), Albert Kitungwa (Youth catechesis, Ivory Coast, 2008), Hani (Jordanian kid fest 2010). 

Experience is the best educator

Spirituality as a holistic faith journey: what genetics and psychology can teach us

African/Middle Eastern Group:

Joseph Baru Uri, Joseph Kachelewa

Hani Polus Yonu Al-Jameel, Hedwing Musanga Ataku

GROUP WORK CHAPTER FOUR

The first discussion based on four questions made to young people had the following responses:

Young people are being brought up in a way that does not encourage them to become independent. They grow up with that mentality, seeking somebody behind in order to act and this creates that scene of doing this better or worst in group:

• Participating in a function brings positive results when they are in peer groups.
• Making a decision for then is easy when they are in a group.
• Solving a problem or causing a problem is done in a group.

This lack of independence is really a lack of convictions. This attitude becomes a problem if one is to make a concrete contribution in life. It will take time to choose or even the choice to be made, will not be made based on reflection and deliberation, but will grow out of the need to confirm one's choices according to the opinion of the group. Young people find it much easier to rush to their friends but not to their parents.

•  When youths who are completely idle (unemployed, unable to complete their education), life becomes hard for them. Personal identity nowadays is defined in terms of possession: I am because I have! i.e. one feels okay if is having high class mobile phone, expensive cloths, shoes. Without this will develop low self-esteem, insecure, feels that life is not complete, with this in mind, if the situation has no solution life looses meaning. 
•  We have values of the culture or society under going this culture, positive response will be obtained only if in the return will favor them, like: the 18th birthday. In Africa we talk about the circumcision ceremony. It marks a sign of adulthood, maturity, capacity to make decision and the commitment to take responsibility for one’s life. It also marks capacity to possess family property, for example, to receive and administer an inheritance.

The second discussion based on four questions made to educators took a different direction. In order to create good environment that will allow educators to address the needs and desires of the young people, it is important to take several elements into consideration. Among others, our group concentrated on the following elements:

• As we well know, experience is the best educator; education must depart from living experience; youths are good observers.
• Educators should create friendly relationship with the youths in order for them to open up themselves in case of any problem.
• Educators should set the youths free, so that initiatives, to be raised by them. Incase of any problem judgment should be avoided. Judgment leads to lack of trust, lack of openness, low self esteem.
• Young people need to be accompanied; having being brought up in the environment of security from parents, at home, same thing extends even at school.
• Young people needs to be listened, as a sign of communication; they will be able to create that sense of belonging, affection, trust, maturity (physical, mental and spiritual) if they are given responsibility and encouraged to take their part in the decision-making process of the community. 

Submitted by Fr Hani Polus Yonu Al-Jameel
Photos: Don Orione in Jordan, courtesy of Fr Hani Polus Yonu Al-Jameel

How can the Church better reach the young?

Youth and Religiosity in the Socio-Cultural Context of Europe
10 November 2010

Discussion Group: 

Patrick Anthonyraj Alexander, Srimal Gajasinhage

Tessa George, Varghese Pallipuram Matthew

Augustine Toppo, Lijo Vadakken

Group discussion on youth spirituality in Europe, as understood from our reading and from our own experiences of living recently on this continent.

• Young people often seek for an immediate joy and happiness. “Here and now” is a kind of watchword for them. But the Church’s message always has an eschatological tone where this Joy and Happiness is seen as something that comes later on. So how can we build a better rapport between the Church and the young without at the same time sacrificing or diluting the Gospel values? 
• We also need to be very open to the positives aspects in the young. Our starting point could be exactly the good that we find in them. There is need for a serious examination of conscience to see what exactly the Church’s attitude towards the youth is. 
• Very often the youth are not culpable but victims. Many of them find themselves victims of discrimination, social injustice, the social set up etc.
• Often the Christian ethics places too much stress on Sexuality.  Good or bad is often decided upon basing one’s sexual conduct.  The youth find this attitude of the Church very frustrating.  
• The youngsters have also lost the sense of sacredness of the body. 
• The tendency of the Church at times is to bring the youth into its world of thinking without making any effort to enter into their world. If we have to be effective in our approach towards the young what is required would be to enter into their world and see the good in them and start from there. (Love what the young love, and they will begin to love what you love! Don Bosco)
• We also come across a group of youth that shows itself to be very active, full of initiatives, with regular meetings, sharing etc. But what exactly is the motivation behind this coming together? Is it that they are really interested in Gospel values and their Christian identity or is it because they want to satisfy some of their own basic personal needs like need to be together, social status, personal benefits from the Church etc.
• At times there is a tendency to make the youth involved in accomplishing so many activities (for example, during the summer the youth who make a trip to Lourdes to help the sick, or a group that takes up a project work to help missions etc. ) But then, it lasts for that summer and then comes to a standstill. Instead of creating a fragmented spirituality of this sort we need to educate the youth for an integrated spirituality.
• Great events like World Youth Day (WYD) try to give a clear message to the youth that the Church is really interested in them. But these events should also be used as an occasion to communicate the Gospel values in a deliberate manner.  
• The principal persons in the lives of the young are Parents, Teachers, Priests, Nuns etc. and so these persons should be well motivated to pass on the values to the young.

In the Indian context we have a very good example RSS or VHP people who have a clear cut strategy in brainwashing the young in spite of the differences of caste and creed and language. If not going to such an extreme of fundamentalism, we also see the need for a clear strategy even in our evangelization especially among the young.

Secretary: Lijo
Photography: Joe Boenzi, South Asian Discussion Group 10 November 2010

Youth in a notoriously religious culture

Synthesis of the Group Discussion on Spirituality in the Christian Context

African/Middle Eastern Group: 

Joseph Baru Uri, Joseph Kachelewa, 

Hani Polus Yonu Al-Jameel, Hedwing Musanga Ataku

Our discussion was focused mainly on the theme of religion and morality, the attitude of the youths towards religion and sensibility among the educators in presenting religious matters.

We realized that the youths are conscious of the existence of God and in one way another they all sense of spiritual life among the youths. Each member of the group contributed from his/her personal experience of the awareness among the youths in regard to the experience of God. We realised that the youths are always searching for a meaning in life. This desire for a meaning in life has no ready-made answers.

There is however the need to strike a clear distinction between religion and morality. This is important because it appears that most of the youths do not practice their religious beliefs or have a fear of belonging to institutionalized religion since they hardly can draw the difference between what is religious and morality. The question that halted the group is the “why” of such resistance or rather resentment towards religion by the youths! The group being composed of four members from different nations and cultural background, was able to notice that such attitude among the youths comes from the way religion is being introduced to them either by parents, catechists, religious men and women or the hierarchy of the church.

It is very interesting to note that institutionalized religion and morality can hardly be separated; they need each other thus going hand in hand. The moral concepts make possible living the religious values and practices. However, we observed that equilibrium should be made between religion and morality. If morality is over-stressed, they you end up have a common phrase like “I live in God and live religiously, but I do not want to belong to a specific religion.”

Africans, for example, are said to be “notoriously religious” and religious practices permeate all cultural aspects. This means religion is part of our culture and we are brought up in that. It is a very rich culture that makes it even easier to accept the moral implications.

What we need to do, therefore, for the young is to find the means of communicating the Christian message or even the religious message without creating in them the fear about belonging. Prudence in explaining our religious beliefs should help us to understand that “religion is profoundly connected with moral values and morality helps us to live our religious practices”. This is the role that educator/parents are called to do.

Submitted by: Joseph Baru Uri, Joseph Kachelewa
Photography by Slawek: Festival of Light, Zambia 2007

Our young people in context

The World of Youth in Today's Context              

GROUP MEMBERS

Varghese Pallipuram Matthew

Augustine Toppo

Srimal Gajasinhage

Lijo Vadakken

Patrick Anthonyraj Alexander

Points discussed in the group

• The young are basically interested in spiritual activities. That is the reason they flock to the centres and movements of new spirituality.
• The content of the new spirituality is same as the catechism or homily of our parish priests and parents when we were young.
• The youngsters are not careless; but cared less. The second part of the chapter ‘ nuovo interesse per la spiritualità’ indicates clearly that the young have a longing for the spirituality. The reality that the young not frequenting the church gives us (parents, animators, etc)  the challenge of offering a new and creative sprituality that will satiate their spiritual needs.
• They combine psychology and spirituality and offer to the young in a way that attracts them. Only the form is different. In the catholic spirituality we have more profound and deeper experience.
• The experience of Buddhistic sprituality in Sri Lanka is simple, participative, profound and involves greater preparation on the part of the youngsters. It helps them to have an experience of God. Even the meditation with chanting.
• It is a challenge for animators, catechists, formators and parents to create innovative and meaningful forms of spirituality and offer them to the young.
• Youth spirituality in the context of religious pluralism will have to be given a serious thought. Good elements/values can be taken from other religions – inculturation. 

Youth do not show much interest in participating in the traditional religious practices. They are looking for some new experiences of spirituality. Are we prepared to give them what they are looking for?

Secretary: Patrick Alexander
Photography: "Kids at the Pastoral Centre, Shillong," 2009, by Joe Boenzi

Young people in the changing contexts of India

THE INDIAN CONTEXT
13 October 2010

Discussion Group: 

Tessa, Patrick, Lijo, Varghese, Augustine 

The Indian context is characterized by a blending of various cultures, languages, religions and ethnic groups. The Indian society is undergoing tremendous changes in all spheres. In such situation the youth that we find are those who are looking for guidance to adapt themselves in changing environment.

Social Context:
Youth find themselves amidst clash and confusion of values. Some practices which were considered as taboos in the past are freely accepted as normal practices. eg. smoking.

Breaking of social bonds of families have great impact on the youth.

Educational context:
There are youth who have no access to higher education.

On the other hand the youth who have access to education is more of employment oriented rather than quality education for the formation of life of the young.

Economic context:
Under the impact of globalization and other economic forces,  young people are able to earn lot of money in a short time. The city culture is creeping in i.e., youth from the periphery are moving to the urban areas and the cities in search of jobs.  In such situation the desire to earn more money, to get rich by quick money and other such economic desires are those which control other aspects (religious practices, time table, family life etc.).

Religious context:
For some religion and ethics is considered more as a private affair. At the same time, there are youth who show great interest on prayer and their sense of belonging to the church. ‘Jesus Youth’ movement has attracted many youth and they show great interest in prayer and greater participation in the religious activity.

There is a greater openness towards new religious movement, search for spirituality and new ways of meditation.

Secretary: Augustine Toppo

Photo "Youth of Rural Meghalaya",  by Joe Boenzi

Who are the young?

Our Young People - What young people are we talking about?
(Social context, educational context, economic context, religious context, ethnic context).

Group Members: 

Al-Jameel Hani Polus Yonu, Ataku Hedwing Musanga (Secretary), 

Uri Joseph Baru and Joseph Kachelewa (President)

After a careful reflection and evaluation of our own experiences with the youths, we found it inevitable considering our youths from the social context. Social context becomes the centre of all the activities of the youths as it brings them together. A youth who is out of social context in today’s world is out of touch with the massive communication. Unless one is physically and intellectually impaired will such a one contradict the existence of social network among our modern time youths.

However, experience has also taught us that the youths participate in most social realities but they are less enthusiasm to be fully involved in the social life.  The majority distances themselves from the social activities because they are afraid of loosing their freedom, thus loosing their individuality and autonomy. This assertion entails that they participate in activities where they know that their freedom will not be limited.

It is actually the social context that has lead many youths to persevere academically. The desire to be identified with a certain class of the elite in their own societies has led them to persevere the hardships that they encounter in education setup. Here, we are mostly referring to those coming from very poor families.

It is social context that has lead many youths to visit places where they can discover the world as it presents itself to them. Luck of social context in considering the youths will actually hider the very meaning of being a youth.

The great numbers of the young people believe in God and are convinced that God exist. However, it seems hard for them to enter into the spiritual realm of meeting a personal God. We could say that they are religious but without becoming Christians. Very few go to/in Church because they are convinced that the Church limits their freedom. Experience has reviewed that the youths would not like to be involved in any activity that has laid down structures. This is because they would like to discover the realities themselves. Therefore, even coming into Church means the moment to meet with others.

Youth animators, Ondo (Nigeria)

Due to low esteem, they choose places according to their standard of life. The youths are constantly searching to be known and find solidarity with others. We cannot talk about solidarity among the youths with social context. For them, solidarity means social network. The positive aspect of social contest is that they youths are able to share life and ideas with anyone within there social environment without discrimination.

This aspect leads to vital solidarity which initially comes from mere curiosity of knowing themselves and others. This social network which we could wisely call solidarity offers the possibility for creating relationships among themselves. Therefore, there is something in exchange in whatever area of activity they found themselves.

Secretary: Ataku Hedwing Musanga

President: Joseph Kachelewa 

Photo: ANS ©2007