Australian Young Christian Workers and Young Christian Students held their annual national conference at the Edmund Rice Retreat and Conference Centre in Sydney with the theme “Lead, Develop and Outreach”.
Inspired by Pope Francis’ call to reach out to the margins, 20 YCW and YCS leaders from across the country gathered last month to reflect on the realities of young people today, using the YCW’s famous “See, Judge, Act” method.
Participants reflected on their personal mission to reach out to other young people in their places of study and work as witnesses to God’s love, and on their collective mission to raise up the voices of young people to bring about a more just society.
YCS and YCW leaders started the conference by discussing the important issues affecting young people today, including the cost-of-living crisis, violence against girls and women, racism, mental health issues, drug use, and the exploitation of international students and young workers through wage theft and other forms of modern injustices.
Participants also expressed concern about the breakdown of community both in Australia and internationally.
Leaders heard from guest speakers, including Sharmila Falzon, from Parramatta City Council, and international YCW president, Basma Louis from Egypt. Their presentations encouraged the YCW and YCS leaders to reflect on their mission as young people committed to living out social justice in their daily lives.
The conference had a focus on the call to leadership and personal testimonies were shared. YCW’s new national president, Achut Thuc, spoke of her leadership journey, coming to Australia as a teenage refugee from Sudan to becoming a community mental health worker in Melbourne’s social housing estates.
The leaders agreed on actions to continue reaching out to the margins in the coming year, including holding workers’ rights seminars for young workers and migrants and continuing to run food service programs.
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