Youth Day Toolkit: “Young people and Their Voices from the Warzones”

The World Council of Churches has released a second edition of the “Ecumenical International Youth Day 2024 Toolkit: Young People and Their Voices from the Warzones.”

The Commission on Young People in the Ecumenical Movement, in collaboration with the Ecumenical International Youth Day planning team, will continue discussions on the impact of war and violence on young individuals.

The toolkit will guide young people, congregations, and families in celebrating Ecumenical International Youth Day. From background information, to a suggested programme, from liturgy to workshops, the toolkit is adaptable to different countries and contexts.

The toolkit invites and prepares churches worldwide to participate in a prayer, “Journey of Justice, Peace, and Unity: A Call to End Violence,” that will be held online 12 August.

The publication is founded on the premise that despite efforts by the international community, various organizations, and groups to call out countries and groups responsible for war and violence, the struggle in many countries and communities continues.

“We are not doing the event for the sake of having an event for the Ecumenical International Youth Day. We are advocating for our neighbours who have suffered, and those who are still suffering at present due to war,” said Abigayle Bolado, WCC programme executive for Youth Engagement. “Addressing the realities young people face in the world today represents a moral imperative for and a crucial aspect of peace-building.”

Former programme executive for Youth Engagement Joy Eva Bohol, who conceptualized the first edition of the toolkit, noted that “War is the worst enemy of human rights, as articulated by UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk. The devastating impact of war and conflict disproportionately affects children and young people.”

According to the UNHCR, over 42% of the nearly 110 million forcibly displaced people worldwide are children under 18 years old, and approximately 60% are under the age of 30.

Through the World Council of Churches Ecumenical International Youth Day toolkit, young people, using their own voices and perspectives, highlight the realities and impacts of war and conflict in various parts of the world. They call for churches to take a proactive and strong stand against war, conflict, and violence, inspired by Jesus’ message of “abundant life for all” (John 10:10).

“Churches must recognize, affirm and mobilize that while young people are often the victims of these atrocities, they are also powerful instruments of hope and agents of change,” added Bohol.

Through this toolkit, the WCC Commission on Young People in the Ecumenical Movement will draw attention to the situation of young people living in the realities of wars, conflicts, and injustice; whether in civil or cross-border wars.

“We are looking ahead to gathering a diverse array of participants, and drawing them closer together with a sense of spiritual solidarity, so that we may all be intentional as we bring the message of peace on August 12,” said Bolado.

“The toolkit relaunch and the 2024 International Ecumenical Youth Day activity realise the affirmation of the WCC 11th Assembly to foreground the agency of young people in ecumenical work. Peace-building is one of the key priorities in the 2023-2030 strategic period. We thank God for the prophetic witness of young people on an urgent global concern,” reflected Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, Programme Director for Unity, Mission, and Ecumenical Formation.