Two Australian Young Christian Workers leaders travelled to Indonesia to take part in YCW’s Continental Cultural Immersion program. Source: YCW Australia.
YCW leaders Sisilina Saukuru from Adelaide Archdiocese and Sean Gehrig from Parramatta Diocese joined YCW leaders from Egypt, Ghana, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia in taking part in the program, held last month.
Community exchange programs are a long tradition of YCW to foster learning, cultural understanding, and knowledge sharing among different groups of young people.
The program enabled participants coming from different movements of the YCW to experience and engage with the local community, particularly the groups of YCW in Indonesia.
The delegates stayed in Ciheulang Tongoh Village, in West Java, to gain an understanding about the local way of life, traditions, and social dynamics of the host communities.
YCW leaders visited young workers at their places of work such as coffee plantations, livestock production, food processing, and handicraft houses.
The program included a seminar organised by the YCW on the relationship between social protection and climate justice.
Basma Mickael, the International President of IYCW, emphasised the importance of the Paris Agreement as a critical step in the global fight against climate change.
“Asia is the least responsible for global carbon emissions but is facing the highest risks from climate change. We need to develop our international solidarity and cooperation to not leave people with nothing,” Mikael said.
To put faith and beliefs into action, YCW leaders participated in a tree-planting action to revegetate forest areas surrounding the village.
Each tree was sign posted with the flag from each country as a sign of the YCW’s international solidarity.
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YCW Continental Cultural Immersion and Climate Justice Action (YCW Australia)
