From Ximena, a WYA member from Mexico:
“In this summer camp I’ve been practicing my dignity through different talks, but also in a dynamic way. We have gone through different topics that in my opinion are very necessary for the whole society nowadays. I met people from different parts of the world and I could get to know more about their cultures, languages, traditions, religions, ways of thinking, etc. Sharing two weeks with these people and being away from my family, friends, home and even my country has been one of the biggest challenges I have ever had. This summer camp taught me that even though we are from different places, probably with different beliefs and cultures, we can get to be great friends. I think that despite all our differences we share one big thought, we have human dignity! I have learned so many things that all I want to do is share it with everybody. This is something that probably we all have been unformed about but something we are not familiar with.
If we all recognize ourselves as human persons and treat each other with the value we deserve, I think the world would be completely different.
We are young and we share the same purpose and the same thought and we want every person to be conscious about their value and everyone else’s. Thanks World Youth Alliance and thanks to all those who helped me to be here today.
I’m pretty sure that participating in this summer camp has been the best experience I have had and everything I learned will be very useful.”
From Joanna, a WYA member from Taiwan:
“Over the past week I’ve learned many different things that allowed me to become a more knowledgeable person. Not only did I learn the importance of human dignity, but I also learned to implement this idea. Everyone in this camp came from different cultures and backgrounds but we show each other respect. (Stories of their experiences are mind blowing. For example, my new friends from Egypt don’t even live near the desert. And I have another friend from Ohio who has 9 sibilings-mind blowing) Each person is unique and through all the different thoughts and ideas that they propose, I have bale to learn from each person and become more open minded.
Through our discussions, I also learned that each person has the power to make a difference in the world. Standing up for a certain belief will attract others who believe this idea as well. (At camp there was an activity called WYAlympics. I realized that teamwork and support can make a huge impact.) Even though it’s really difficult to change the way people think because everyone always wants to be “right”, change is still possible through team effort, dedication, passion, and compassion.”
