Be the change you want to see in the world

Mahatma Gandi

people want to see many changes in the world. They want an end to terrorism, domestic violence, conflict, crime, global warming, drug abuse, bullying, poverty and racism.

A new DVD, produced for National Youth Sunday, in association with Catholic Youth Services (CYS) and Pax Christi explores these themes with young Catholics and aims to equip them to be proactive and bring about change in our world.
Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Ghandi – the man internationally esteemed for his doctrine of non-violent protest – this year’s National Youth Sunday 2007 (25 November) will be inviting young adults to ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’. It focuses on experiences of conflict and reconciliation and how we can live in solidarity with others; building upon the success of last year’s Live Simply theme.

Over 6,000 ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ packs have been sent to parishes, youth offices, justice & peace groups, schools, colleges, chaplaincies and universities in England and Wales. The DVD-based resource is engaging, challenging and contains a wealth of resources – there is a series of six film clips which take a closer look at conflict in the context of the lives of the young people at a local, national and international level.

One of the clips looks at the story of Marie-Lyse; a young woman who, as a young girl, witnessed some of the atrocities perpetrated during the Rwandan Genocide. Her father, the Governor of the bank of Rwanda at the outbreak of hostilities, was initially able to take Marie-Lyse to safety but on their return she tells of her experience of accusations of murder from local peoples. Marie-Lyse came to England to seek asylum and has settled in London working for a charity, The Scarman Trust, which funds and enables a variety of projects to meet the needs of local communities.

“Our young people are often moved by the plight of those in the midst of conflict and I hope by inviting them to be the change they want to see in the world that we, as a Church, are encouraging our young people to think about difficult questions, take action where possible and make change happen,” says Development Co-ordinator for CYS, Adam Berry.

"To live in solidarity, we must move beyond sympathy and struggle with others for peace and justice,” added Pax Christi’s Hilary Topp.”The activities and film clips in the National Youth Sunday pack help young people to explore their own experience of conflict and reflect on how conflict affects the lives of others. It encourages them to think about how they can live in solidarity with others and be the change they want to see in the world."

ENDS

For further information or a copy of this year’s National Youth Sunday pack, please contact:

Grace Applewaithe
020 7901 4870
grace.applewaithe@cbcew.org.uk

or the

CCN
020 7901 4800
ccn@cbcew.org.uk

Notes to Editors
National Youth Sunday
National Youth Sunday is a national feast day always celebrated in conjunction with the liturgical feast of Christ the King aimed at celebrating young people and young adults and their importance in the church community.