Can you call your family your home?

Young People and Religiosity in the Socio-cultural context of Europe

Asian Pacific Group
Paolo Liu Qing Chun
Caesar Dizon, SDB
Grea Duzon Mendoza, DSFS

Group Sharing for 3 December 2008

In our group discussion, we think that the major problem nowadays with regards to the youth’s degradation of spiritual orientation and growth lies from their “ little world” which is the family itself. We all know and based from our experiences, as in the context of our Asian culture, our first spiritual values, learning and traditional orientation and personal consciousness had all started from our families. If they haven’t learned good things and not that founded from the family, which is the basic structure and reality of our young ones how could the society exist in such profundity of religious principles and beliefs?

We just want to ask our young people today: what can they say about their family? Is it the place they would call home, where they communicate something about love that would somehow transmit the spiritual values of what they believe in and for in the society they are living?

Here, plays a major role our parents and educators which keeps their faith truly to take the responsibilities of living a coherent life of faith in this complex reality. We just would like to challenge them as we are, to transmit and communicate in the language of the young their valued learnings and traditions which truly are essential in their bringing-up these little souls to a consciousness of the Truth.

Yes, it might be good to ask of what are the likes and dislikes of these youths regarding the practice of religion? The process of entering in the language of religiosity in the “youth world” might create more an impact if we know the point of entrance.

∞ Sr. Grea Duzon Mendoza

Una realtà giovanile assai complessa

I Giovani e la Religiosità nel Contesto Socio-culturale Europeo

Gruppo di lingua italiana
Martin Nguyen Dai Loc ∞ Pietro Migliasso
Paolo Misciagna ∞ Maria Teresa Gonzales

La condivisione del nostro gruppo a partire dall’esperienza di solidarietà, d’assistenza sociale e caritativa dei giovani d’oggi come argomento, ci ha portato a focalizzare un punto importante del loro vissuto che è quello dei “DESIDERI”. Sapendo che il mondo giovanile è un mondo di desideri, appare evidente ed urgente l’impegno educativo da parte di noi grandi (animatori-educatori) di aiutarli nella disciplina dei desideri partendo dalla loro povertà materiale (avere e possedere cose. ecc) e dalla loro povertà esistenziale (quella della propria creaturalità) per condurli alla ricerca dei valori duraturi e sopratutto del valore assoluto che è DIO..!

Questa realtà giovanile assai difficile e complessa, dove tutta parte ed influenza maggiormente il loro pensare ed agire, richiede l’esperienza vitale e un’autentica testimonianza della nostra fede vissuta profondamente. Non c’è nulla di più valido se non la coerenza e la fedeltà tra il nostro dire e fare, per trasmettere il grande e profondo desiderio di DIO, l’unico garante di una vita felice e realizzata.

∞ Sr Maria Teresa

I Giovani e la Religiosità nel Contesto Socio-culturale Europeo

Gruppo di lingua italiana
Pietro Migliasso
Paolo Misciagna
Maria Teresa Gonzales
Martin Nguyen Dai Loc

La condivisione del nostro gruppo a partire dall’esperienza di solidarietà, d’assistenza sociale e caritativa dei giovani d’oggi come argomento, ci ha portato a focalizzare un punto importante del loro vissuto che è quello dei “DESIDERI”. Sapendo che il mondo giovanile è un mondo di desideri, appare evidente ed urgente l’impegno educativo da parte di noi grandi (animatori-educatori) di aiutarli nella disciplina dei desideri partendo dalla loro povertà materiale (avere e possedere cose. ecc) e dalla loro povertà esistenziale (quella della propria creaturalità) per condurli alla ricerca dei valori duraturi e sopratutto del valore assoluto che è DIO..!

Questa realtà giovanile assai difficile e complessa, dove tutta parte ed influenza maggiormente il loro pensare ed agire, richiede l’esperienza vitale e un’autentica testimonianza della nostra fede vissuta profondamente. Non c’è nulla di più valido se non la coerenza e la fedeltà tra il nostro dire e fare, per trasmettere il grande e profondo desiderio di DIO, l’unico garante di una vita felice e realizzata.

∞ Maria Teresa Gonzales

Giovani che hanno un grande senso di appartenenza

I giovani e la religiosità nel contesto socio-culturale europeo

Gruppo Medio Oriente
Antoine Bou Younesse, Jean Abou Charouche,
George Wadia Fahim Farag, Mkhail Reda

Nella nostra discussione sul terzo capitolo che titolato i giovani e religiosità nel contesto socio-culturale europeo.

Abbiamo parlato delle nostre realtà dove vivono i nostri giovani nei nostri paesi (Libano-Siria-Egitto) e allora il titolo sarà i giovani e la religiosità nel contesto socio-culturale Medio Oriente
Allora la nostra discussione era in tre linee o in tre idee

• I giovani e la chiesa
• I giovani tra l’appartenenza e la libertà
• I giovani e la politica

1. Nel primo punto dei giovani e la loro appartenenza alle loro chiese orientale, abbiamo detto dalla nostra esperienza con i giovani che loro hanno un grand’amore e appartenenza alle loro chiese.

Ma è aperta un problema nella nostra discussione che riguarda i giovani e la loro appartenenza alla chiesa, è di : veramente questa appartenenza dei giovani alla chiesa nell’oriente nasce dalla loro libertà e loro amore? o perché non trova altri posti per andare e può dire liberamente le sue idee e anche può vivere la sua identità? e da questa domanda abbiamo questa discussione sul futuro dei giovani e loro appartenenza alle loro chiese e allora abbiamo trovato che se il giovane trova altri posti dove può realizzare la sua identità,allora allontanerà dalla chiesa per fare altri esperienza e qui abbiamo messo la realtà dell’Europa e come i giovani lontani dalla chiesa perché altrove trova tante possibilità e allora abbiamo suggerito questo impegno o compito per i nostri responsabili delle chiese orientale di lavorare tanto nel campo dell’educazione dei giovani specialmente dell’educare il loro senso di libertà.

2. A questo punto abbiamo fatto la domanda diretta ai giovani sulla loro appartenenza e il rapporto di essa con la libertà?

Abbiamo detto che i nostri giovani nelle loro appartenenza alla chiesa, hanno in mente l’idea del GRUPPO, che vuol dire loro fanno appartenenza ad un gruppo e non appartenenza ad una chiesa.

Come anche abbiamo visto che la cosa che attira l’idea dell’appartenenza ai giovani che trovano altri giovani, diciamo hanno la stessa età e le stesse pensieri.....ecc.

3. Per il terzo punto dove parliamo dei giovani del medio oriente e la vita politica, diciamo che c’erano differenze tra noi in questo campo, qualche paese il giovane viene inserito nella politica non perché piace questo, ma perché così può avere l’opportunità di vivere bene nella società e trovare lavoro....

Altro paese abbiamo visto che i giovani sono lontanissimi dalla politica e questo non viene da causa loro, ma perché sono cristiani (se anche io vedo grande voglia dei giovani di lavorare nel campo della politica, perché sono sicuro che possono cambiare tante cose...ma!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

∞ George Wadia Fahim Farag

Like fragile mud pots

Young People and Religiosity in the Socio-cultural context of Europe
Group Discussions - 3 December 2008

African-Asian English-speaking Group

Chalana Kalanga Aththidyage
Showrilu Chinnabathuni
Sebhat Hadgu Kahsay
Joseph Minja

The points that emerged from the group discussion…

The Situation of Youth in EUROPE

• Parents take no moral responsibilities in forming and instilling moral Christian values in them.
• The Exemplary life of Parents are very necessary in forming children in right path.
• The families of Europe are very small. like other nations (India/ Africa) there are no extend families or members where youth can be corrected and formed by other members rather than only by parents.
• Today the youth is constantly threatened by war, violence and terrorism thus, youth see other person as a threat. Therefore, youth is more lost or involved in defending themselves against all these social evils than thinking about God. There is a sense of God in each one but social evils take upper hand than God. Thus, youth think less about God and more about defending themselves from others or from the society.
• Pope Benedict XVI at Sidney in Australia exalted youth, putting a question to them “What do you pass to your decedents tomorrow? What you give your children will make tomorrow’s society.”
• One pitiable situation in Europe is There is less care of each other, either it be parents or children.
• Taking care of children from their infancy is very artificial and there is no deep rooted love and affection between them.
• From infancy both parents and children are separated from all activities. They are given their own bed, T.V, Recreation mostly children are independent of themselves then dependent. Children are distanced from parents. Thus, we find lack of personal and friendly dialogue with parents.
• Parents should take pains to train their children.
• Youth in Europe are not motivated to do further studies. Nither they are interested to do, because they lack nothing and everything is provided from infancy. The future is assured.
• The family or a parents have an important role in forming, directing, moulding, training, and giving moral and spiritual formation of the children or today’s youth. The youth are like fragile mud pots in the hands of parents ready to be formed or broken. The ball and the field everything is in the hands of parents in moulding the children.

Questions:

For youth:

• As a young what is family for you? How much value do you give to your family?
• Is it easy to enter immediately to the mentality of the society and religion which they found themselves and yet remain practicing what their faith teaches? (looking at the life of today, what type of families do we have? The situation where the youth find themselves in social life, psychology, life models, life motivations, emotions, education, work, the use of talents and knowledge, relaxing, charity, value of money and goods… are they helpful to direct them towards the whole life which is better for their life here and after?
• In this modern world of scientific, colourful world, what makes them distance form the transcendent or above reality?
• Today world gives them all that youth wants, all the opportunities to identify themselves as youth, still what they want? What they still looking for? In what they want to find full satisfaction and liberty rather than in God?
• Do youth have an aim and goal in life to reach and become someone special in the world as the images of God?

Animators/parents:

• What has been carried or passed on to youth has back ground of (family, religion, motivation, occupation, patriotism, social relations, contributions of Church and society ) because of these youth are standing as good models to be passed on to the youngsters of today. What is the rhythm of life, that needed to be inherited or handed on without much struggle or doubt?
• As parents (adults) how do you live family life what example do you give to the young? Is there love, equality, respect and peace between parents and children?
• How animators deal and accompany the youth in their achievement of gaols?
• How do you re discover the potentialities and talents present in the youth to stand on their feet to fight with the realities of life, and total formation of their self ?
• How do you make the youth God loving with their full energetic and varied potentialities.
• How do you make youth to realize that they are special and images of God?

∞ Submitted by Showrilu

Salesian Family as Extended Family

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER III

Questions for young people
According to me, faith grows where the following elements are found:
1. True family (father, mother, children).
2. Extended family members
3. The environment could be of C. Catholics, Christians or other religions or non believers. (Denominations, Muslims, atheists, pagans…). For THE Christians/Catholics, might make additional of the Small Christian communities, parish, diocese, dioceses, zone…

For the youth of today, is it easy, to enter immediately to the mentality of the society and religion of which they found themselves when they are born and yet remain practicing what their faith teachers? (Looking at the life of today, what type of families do we have? The situation where the youth find themselves – social life, psychology, life models, motivations in life, emotions, education, work, the use of talents and knowledge, relaxing, charity, value of money and goods…) are they to directing them towards their whole life here and after?


Questions for Adults (animators, educators, parents…)

What has been carried on in life as the back ground to the youth of today (family, religion, motivation, occupation, patriotic, social relations, contributions to the church and society that today they are standing as good models to be passed on to the youngsters of today? What is that rhythm/tune of life that needs to be inherited/ handed on to the youngsters? (Walking and living according particular faith/church, God/creator of life, family values, and sense of respect to life and responsibilities, patriotic life, true and deeper joy….)

Note: the concept of family and extended family ABOVE is strongly seen as the key factor to determine PRACTICALLY the LIFE of the youngsters. With regard to the European situation, perhaps the negligence to this has contributed in many negative situations of the youth. (for example: less dependence on God, individual life among parents and children, less sense of respect towards parents, child value and responsibilities towards it, charity and care, Life for human being and creatures as the gift from God, sacrifice/mortification and self giving among others.

Perhaps the Salesian family plays a big role as the extended family. Many youngsters who contact us, who share life with us, live with us THEY SHOULD find themselves different from other youth...because of the good values we pass on to each other.

Submitted: Joseph MINJA (Matricola: 15999T)

Spiritualità come Cammino di Fede Integrata (Schepens, cap. 3-4)