This fall, artists with integrity united for Break the Mold, a creative collaboration of song, dance, photography, and more!
The last Break the Mold featured performances by Andrea Lynn Cianflone, Marc & Melinda Heitzman, and the St. Michael’s Warriors Dance Company. You can read more about it here! Or check out our website! sites.google.com/site/breakthemoldnyc/
Break the Mold took place on November 21st at 7:30pm and 22nd at 2pm at Our Lady of Good Counsel Stage, 230 East 90th St. For more information about next years Break the Mold or the success of this years, contact Maggie Snyder at wyana.maggie@gmail.com or BTM staff at collaborate.nyc@gmail.com.
The outcome was extremely positive with people from all walks of life attending. The performances really portrayed the worth and dignity of the human person, and WYA was an important part of making that happen this year!
Dignity City Adventure
The WYA City Adventure was held October 24th were young people from all over New York came to search the City to find cultural sites. It was a rainy day but they all embraced it and went all over the city to find as many stops as possible. Sove of the activities and stops were a Mexican cultural dish, Philippine cultural dress training, a visit to an African burial ground, two stops in Central Park and a former church turned into a pizzeria. All the participants had a great day and said they would do it all over again and cannot wait for the next City Adventure. Over all the event was a huge success and the responses very positive.
Human Trafficking at Fordham University
Casey Downing, the North American Director of World Youth Alliance, gave a talk at Fordham University earlier this month on human trafficking, modern slavery and sexual exploitation.
An article was written about the talk in Fordham's college newspaper, "The Ram." You can read it here.
We held a two-day conference at Yale University to celebrate WYA’s achievements in our decade of work and to launch our vision for WYA’s future. All North American members were invited to join us for the event at Yale in New Haven, CT, which included events designed to encourage the physical, intellectual and artistic interests of the participants.
The conference included keynote addresses by internationally renowned bio-ethicist Margaret Sommerville, classical scholar and acclaimed writer Anthony Esolen and pioneering educator in the field of conflict resolution Dr. Robert Enright. The conference also consisted of panel discussions by distingushed speakers on issues such as the family, international health and human rights as well as a film screening with Invisible Children, a visual arts exhibition by young artists and a networking fair with other non-profit organizations.
For complete information about the conference, check out our DDD Website.
During the two days, students and young WYA members got the opportunity to meet each other and to engage with specialists from across the human rights spectrum. It was a fruitful and exciting time to learn more and to start developing ideas to take back and implement in our own schools and circles!
Visual Art CompetitionSolidarity Generation
World Youth Alliance is happy to announce the winners of our Solidarity Generation Arts Competition.
Winning pieces were displayed at the WYA North America Decade of Dignity and Development conference at Yale University from September 25th-27th 2009.
Here are the winners, along with what our judges had to say about the winning pieces.
Winner: Joli Reichel, Building Blocks
“…works of art are embodied meaning.” – Author Danto
Today’s suburban sprawl has allowed social alienation to become prevalent. You can pull your car directly into the garage, avoiding uncomfortable conversation with a neighbor who could be a friend. The idea of community led Benjamin Franklin to include row houses in his city planning of Philadelphia, as the close proximity of homes would give opportunity for interactions between people. Joli Reichel’s construction, titled “Building Blocks (Philadelphia)”, is an embodiment of the beauty of community.
Second Prize: Cherry Rain and Jennifer Soong
Cherry Rain: Anna
In this photograph Cherry Rain has best complied to the theme set-forth in your cover letter: adherence to the theme Solidarity Generation, essentially in their ability to combine contrasting elements such as light and dark or ideas such as new and old and create a piece that is diverse and yet unified, creative and moving'. We can see this in her use of light and the sense of "journey" towards the light that is implied by the walking figure.
Jennifer Soong: Subway
Her subway images are fun. The sense of movement combined with an uplifting palette that gives the sense of action but not of desperation is wonderful.
Runners Up:
Luc McFadden: Mercy
McFadden is expressing through his art work 'Mercy' art as an experience and not as an object. The human being considered as the center of the artistic experience, which provides sense to the art work. His work transmits a universal feeling, mercy, through a wonderful exploration of the human face. Through each of the face's lines, the passage of time cannot erase. Becoming witnesses of human experiences of happiness, pain, the forgiveness of mercy
Blacks and whites, lights and shadows. But with the prevalence of the light, leaving the darkness behind, pushing it with the embrace of mercy and solidarity.
Tiffani Taylor
Her art work charged deep psychological, locate the transmission of feelings and emotions beyond the representation of an objective reality, and represents a break with reality: breaking the established ways in order to express something very profound.
The work is full of texture and relief, mixed elements, music, bits of poems, pictures ... which all contribute to construct a human experience.
Summer 2009
Documentary Screening: Women in War Zones
August 27, 2009
7:00pm
World Youth Alliance in partnership with International Arts Movement successfully put on special screening of the documentary film Women in War Zones, a film that chronicles the plight of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo during and following a period of war. The screening of the film was followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers. Staff of World Youth Alliance and International Arts Movement were on hand to answer questions about their work, how it related to this film, and how you might become more involved. The screening was a resounding success with a remarkable turn out of over 60 people.
International Arts Movement Headquarters
Space 38|39, 38 West 39th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10018
The World Youth Alliance Coffee House 2009 turned out to be a fun and enjoyable evening for everyone who attended. We had more performers than we originally expected which contributed to an eclectic blend of music that lasted well into the night. There was a blend of folk, rock, classical and even a little standup comedy. Roughly sixty people attended, many of them for the first time, and many of them signed the charter.
We couldn’t have pulled everything together without the generous coffee and dessert donations from local businesses and from the wonderful, talented performers who brought the house down. We are glad to have been able to encourage such talent and to have provided a venue for such an uplifting evening. Thanks to everyone who attended and we look forward to having you come out again next summer.
Summer Camp 2009
Our second annual summer camp at Portsmouth Abbey, Rhode Island went even better than the first. We were joined by many of last year’s campers, plus a handful of new ones. This year’s program featured some of the same exciting games and lectures about human dignity and the human person, as well as some new activities such as making t-shirts to give as gifts to children in slums, and lectures on civil rights and human trafficking. We finished the week with a wonderful day of kayaking, some barbecuing and a dip in the pool, and an early morning frisbee roundup for the second year in a row. Thank you to all our wonderful campers and staff, and we will see you again next year for WYA Camp III.
World Youth Alliance at Night Sky
On June 16th and 17th, World Youth Alliance had the opportunity to participate in a conversation with audiences about an off Broadway play called Night Sky. After the performance on those nights, WYA North American Director Casey Downing was asked onto the stage to talk about World Youth Alliance, our work, and how it related to the message of the play, which dealt with the themes of communication, family, and human value that exist despite ones circumstances or abilities. We were received well by the cast and crowd, and were honored to be a part of this wonderful play. We will be working with the producers in the coming months to see about setting up more events like this one. Stay tuned.
Spring 2009
WYA Interns Meet Mary Ann Glendon April 16, 2009
WYA interns Zeina Ghazzi, Kelly Kirby, Kelly Schulz, Peggy Li, and Stephanie Schrevere (L-R) recently had the opportunity to meet Harvard Law professor and former US Ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon.
Ambassador Glendon gave the keynote address during a Symposium at the UN hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. The Symposium commemorated the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's address to the UN General Assemby. Ambassador Glendon spoke on the content of the Pope's address, highlighting the importance of keeping the person at the center of the human rights project and the universal and indivisible character of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Clean Energy: Clean World April 1 - 7, 2009
Last month, WYA North America welcomed twenty-one students from the LIA International School in Trentino, Italy to our headquarters here in New York, as well as several sites around the city, to talk about human dignity in the context of our natural environment.
Students learned about the practice of responsible stewardship and how human freedom requires the protection of what we have been entrusted with, all the while recognizing that human beings must remain at the center of development practices. Students had the chance to engage first hand in the climate change debate, and discuss the importance of responsible use of the natural environment. They also had the chance to explore some emerging technologies being used to enhance the quality of life of those using them that are also efficient and responsibly managing resources. Such technologies included green buildings, solar power and even effective business practices.
All told, it was an encouraging experience for WYA staff and for the students, all of whom now know a little more about contributing to a cleaner world.
UN Commission on Population and Development March 30 - April 3, 2009
Click here for details on WYA's participation in the UN Commission on Population and Development!
Happy 10th Birthday, WYA! March 28, 2009
On March 28th, WYA members and friends gathered at WYA Headquarters to kick off a year of celebration in honor of WYA's 10th birthday. Party-goers were encouraged to wear regional attire. (See E and Casey in Nigerian and American attire.) The celebration continues with the Decade of Dignity and Development (DDD) conference at Yale University from September 25th-27th, 2009. Click here for more details on the DDD!
International Solidarity Forum
March 22 -25, 2009
We welcomed WYA delegates from all five regions to the 6th International Solidarity Forum. This year's theme was "Dignity and the Human Person: Foundations of a Rights System." Click here for more details.
Irena's Vow on Broadway March 18
Approximately 55 WYA staff, interns, members and friends attended Irena's Vow, a new play opening on Broadway. After watching the play, we had the opportunity to meet some of the actors.
Irena's Vow is the riveting, life-affirming story about one of the most courageous and unsung heroines of World War II. During the German occupation of Poland, Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic, was forced to work as head housekeeper for a prominent German major. Over a two-year period of service, Irena would risk her own life in order to protect the lives of twelve Jewish refugees whom she secretly took under her care. Irena's Vow is the extraordinary true story of one woman’s choice and the twelve lives that would ultimately be saved – or lost – by her decision.
Members from all five of WYA’s regions participated in the 47th session of the Commission for Social Development from February 4th - 13th, 2009. The theme of this year's commission was "social integration," with special emphasis on integrating youth, persons with disabilities, and older persons.
Check out the WYA North America blog to see a video of Shannon presenting WYA’s oral statement on youth and families, read about Kelly K, Peggy, and Zeina’s interactions with UN delegates, and marvel at the UN’s language interpretation system with Kelly S.
Emerging Leaders U.S. Policy Seminar
January 29-31, 2009
Approximately 30 young people studying at American and Canadian universities and high schools gathered at WYA headquarters here in New York for the Emerging Leaders U.S. Policy Seminar (ELUSPS).
The theme of the seminar was "Human Dignity and Authentic Development." Participants learned about effective development strategies which are grounded in the dignity of the human person. They had the opportunity to interact with leaders in international policy-making, business, academia, and media and to network with other young leaders.
For more details, including a complete list of speakers, check out WYA intern Philip Waggoner's entry on the WYA North America blog!
Casey Downing, the North American Director of World Youth Alliance, gave a talk at Fordham University earlier this month on human trafficking, modern slavery and sexual exploitation. 
“…works of art are embodied meaning.” – Author Danto
The World Youth Alliance Coffee House 2009 turned out to be a fun and enjoyable evening for everyone who attended. We had more performers than we originally expected which contributed to an eclectic blend of music that lasted well into the night. There was a blend of folk, rock, classical and even a little standup comedy. Roughly sixty people attended, many of them for the first time, and many of them signed the charter.
Our second annual summer camp at Portsmouth Abbey, Rhode Island went even better than the first. We were joined by many of last year’s campers, plus a handful of new ones. This year’s program featured some of the same exciting games and lectures about human dignity and the human person, as well as some new activities such as making t-shirts to give as gifts to children in slums, and lectures on civil rights and human trafficking. We finished the week with a wonderful day of kayaking, some barbecuing and a dip in the pool, and an early morning frisbee roundup for the second year in a row. Thank you to all our wonderful campers and staff, and we will see you again next year for WYA Camp III.
iences about an off Broadway play called Night Sky. After the performance on those nights, WYA North American Director Casey Downing was asked onto the stage to talk about World Youth Alliance, our work, and how it related to the message of the play, which dealt with the themes of communication, family, and human value that exist despite ones circumstances or abilities. We were received well by the cast and crowd, and were honored to be a part of this wonderful play. We will be working with the producers in the coming months to see about setting up more events like this one. Stay tuned.
Last month, WYA North America welcomed twenty-one students from the LIA International School in Trentino, Italy to our headquarters here in New York, as well as several sites around the city, to talk about human dignity in the context of our natural environment.
Emerging Leaders U.S. Policy Seminar
