WYA Newsletters | June 2005
Dear Friends,
This month we bring you news from our regions and an extended invitation to apply to our International Roundtable on Human Dignity and Solidarity to take place during World Youth Day in Cologne Germany on August 16.
Please take note activities coming up in your region as well!
For a culture of life,
World Youth Alliance
Deadline past for World Youth Day registration
The deadline has passed for registering with the World Youth Alliance for World Youth Day, in Cologne, August 15-21. For other options to register go the World Youth Day website - www.wjt2005.de.
If you plan to be at World Youth Day please come by the WYA site for trainings, Culture of Life parties and an opportunity to meet WYA staff and volunteers! We will be hosted by St. Maria’s Parish in Bonn. We look forward to meeting many of you in August!
Still accepting applications for International Roundtable on Human Dignity and Solidarity
We have extended our application deadline for our International Roundtable, scheduled for Tuesday, August 16 at WYA’s World Youth Day site in Bonn, Germany.
We are no longer able to offer registration to World Youth Day, but if you will be at World Youth Day or can travel to Bonn, we encourage you to apply for the roundtable. The application may be downloaded at www.wya.net. The new deadline is July 16.
New WYA website coming soon
In the coming months the WYA website will begin to take on a new look as we strive to offer our members and web visitors more information and access to WYA and information on our activities. Please bear with us as we move toward the new, improved site!
WYA-NORTH AMERICA
International Negotiation Training
WYA-North America is organizing a training for law students and others interested in issues surrounding international migration and maternal health. This one-day workshop will include an introduction to the ideas of WYA and how these ideas relate to some of the most pressing challenges facing human development internationally. The training will take place on July 27 in Washington DC. Please contact WYA-North America Director Cole Siemion (cole@wya.net) by June 10 if you are interested in attending.
Encourage your Senators to Ban Human Cloning
After four years of debate the General Assembly at the UN adopted a declaration on March 8, 2005, calling on member states “to prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life.” Now it is time to fulfill the UN’s call to ban human cloning at the national level.
Countries like Australia, Canada, Germany, Norway, and many others have already thankfully passed legislation banning all forms of human cloning. There is some chance that the US will pass legislation to this same effect, but it will be close.
We are calling on all our American youth to submit letters to their respective senators to support this legislation.
· Click here to view list of current bill co-sponsors to send a letter of thanks and support.
· Click here to view list of other senators to send a letter requesting their support.
Please send this to other young people who would support this legislation.
Exciting New Opportunity in Mexico
We are proud to say that one of our allied organizations North American Educational Initiatives Foundation is co-sponsoring an exciting new opportunity for young people committed to preserving human dignity and culture. This will entail an interdisciplinary course in philosophy, history and indigenous culture to be held at the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City from July 1 through 25, 2005. The cost of the course is $150 USD which includes course registration and materials, visits to indigenous communities, cultural excursions, housing with a Mexican family, breakfasts, evening dinner, campus amenities such as computer labs, weekly bowling league and more. Interested students from Canada, Mexico and the United States may find additional information and an application form on the website of the university´s Philosophy Department: http://www.up.mx/rama.php?fdoc=9534&fcategoria=17
There is a course limit of twenty students for this inaugural session, and space is almost full so act fast!
WYA-EUROPE:
Recent Events:
Budapest WYA-E Conference - 6th-8th May 2005
In recent weeks the WYA-Europe held a conference, “Human Dignity and the Future of Central Europe” in Budapest, Hungary. Young people and top speakers from a variety of disciplines and countries explored the concept of human dignity with reference to the role of law, policy and culture in Europe. The conference examined how totalitarian systems and practices denied the inherent value of human life and denigrated the human person, deeply affecting social structures and human relationships. The talks examined contemporary social problems, human dignity at the beginning and end of life, and the question of human freedom. The many testimonies received from young people who attended the conference demonstrate the clear need to continue facilitating such discussions:
…It was also a pleasure and great opportunity to meet you again and spend so much fruitfull time together! Thank you very much for everything. I had a wonderful time listening to the thoughts of great professors and individuals. I cannot say enough how much I appreciate your work and initiatives. Every WYA event is so unique and special and I always feel that these occasions are valuable gifts of life for spending time with great people from all over the world and realize that we have many things in common and we look upon and judge things in a similar way when considering human dignity. Especially, this conference was very interesting for me obviously because of the Hungarian "touch" and also the people.
WYA Seminar - House of Lords, London - May 5th
The World Youth Alliance-Europe hosted another event in recent weeks, the title of which was 'What is Man? Human Dignity in the Economic Sphere'. The room at the House of Lords was filled to overflowing with young professionals, bankers, lawyers and top students. We witnessed an intense discussion on approaches to economics and development: how can these reflect or contradict human dignity? Do they allow for integral development? Also included was a detailed discussion on work, leisure and culture and how each should reflect and deepen our understanding of the nature and dignity of the human person. Please email europe@wya.net to find out more.
"It was a pleasure to see you again in London last week, and to speak to the group of people you organized at the House of Lords. I enjoyed meeting the people who attended, and I appreciate the opportunity to help them think through some questions that they may not have, in some cases, considered before.. The WYA is doing important work in Europe, so it was good to know that the messages that you are articulating are being received well throughout Europe. The wider the net of contacts grows, the better."
Upcoming Events
23rd June - Munich - WYA-E receives Award
On the morning of Thursday June 23rd at 11am in Munich, the World Youth Alliance-Europe will receive an award from the Ja zum Leben Stiftung in recognition of its work for a culture of life in Europe. Please email europe@wya.net by June 14th to have a chance to be included on the guest list! The prize-giving will be attended by some of the most generous supporters of WYA-E from Bavaria and beyond, many of whom will stay in Munich for a fundraising event for WYA-E hosted at Castle Maxlrain the next day. We thank all of our kind and generous friends in Bavaria for their longstanding support which sustains the work of the WYA in Europe!
1st - 3rd July, Brussels - WYA-E Committee Training
The European region of the WYA is also looking forward to its Committee Member Training to be held on 1st - 3rd July 2005 with European staff and Anna Halpine, President of WYA. Participants are asked to arrive in Brussels by the evening of June 30th. The training is free of charge, but participants will be asked to pay their own travel and accommodation.
There will be an additional session at the end of the weekend, specially dedicated to training people to become 'Certified Members' of the World Youth Alliance: this session is exclusively reserved for those interested in working more closely with the WYA. Extra preparatory reading will be sent out before the training and must be read by those wishing to become Certified Members. Please contact europe@wya.net if you are interested in applying.
Please email europe@wya.net ASAP for more information.
WYA-AFRICA
World Youth Alliance Africa first international Conference
In February 2006, from 8th to 11th, the World Youth Alliance will unite its members from 23 African Countries. The theme of the conference will be ‘Joining young people for poverty reduction and peace in Africa’.
For more details please visit our website on http://www.worldyouthalliance.org/regions/aya/afic.shtml
Trainings in Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania
In June 2005, from 11th to 12th, we will have our first visit and training in Kigali, Rwanda. We will be able to meet our existing members and new aspirants who would wish to join the Alliance. We will also have a chance to train key young people who will in turn train other members in their country. We plan to be doing this in all other countries during our visits.
Our first training in Mombasa, Kenya will take place on 28th to 30th September 2005.
Our second training in Tanzania will take place on 13th to 15th October 2005. We plan to have training in Dodoma and Dar-es-Salam respectively.
In-House training in Nairobi
Our office in Nairobi, Kenya holds weekly training sessions in-house. For more information on how to participate, contact africa@wya.net.
Membership
WYA has increased membership from Nigeria and Ghana!!!! We encourage our members to invite more young people to join!
WYA-ASIA PACIFIC
Our newest region is growing quickly and has just begun an extern program. Contact asiapacific@wya.net for more information.
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