Great opportunity for youth groups to apply for grants from UN Habitat.
Opportunities fund for Urban Youth-Led Development
Check out the small grants catagory for $5,000 – Deadline is June 15!
Monthly Archives: May 2009
Jovenes En Lidergazo: Tenemos Aportes, Sabemos Aprender
Here is a report on the leadership conference of the LWF member churches in Latin America and the Carrabean that took place at the beginning of May. Hellen Rios Carrillo has written it. She is one of the young delegates to the LWF General Assembly in 2010: Continue reading
Posted in Church, Latin America/Carribean, LWF, Youth, Youth participation
HIV and Aids – young people are key
“The scale of the HIV epidemic remains daunting and young people remain disproportionately affected, accounting for 45 per cent of new adult infections in 2007.” This one of the highlighted sentences in a report by UNICEF UK that was released last week. The title says already a lot: “Preventing HIV with young people: the key to tackling the epidemic.”
The report itself gives an overview of the challenges in different regions of the world. A striking finding is that in Africa young women and girls are much more likely to become HIV positive. That is not the case in other parts of the world. To cite again the report on page 8: “In Southern Africa, adolescent girls are 2 to 4.5 times more likely to get HIV than males of the same age.”
Many member churches of the LWF have HIV and Aids work and many also prevention campaigns. But obiviously, it is far from enough. Churches have to demand a clearer policy in their countries and young people themselves have to make it topic. Young people have to raise the issue for their own sake. That is also an act of Christian love. Those who are the most vulnerable to being infected are also those who are hard hit already: For examples those who don’t have parents. Christian love among people means also: More prevention efforts.
Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Church, HIV/Aids, Justice, Latin America/Carribean, Life, Poverty, Poverty/Affluence, UN, Youth
Youth take the lead at Ecumenical and Interfaith peace summit in Kenya
I just returned from organizing a Youth Peace Summit in Kenya held from April 13-18 in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting brought together 200 youth from around Kenya as well as Tanzania, Uganda, DRC and Rwanda. We had the meeting to talk directly about the post-election violence that happened in Kenya largely perpetrated by youth in 2008. Youth came from slums, different religions, former IDPs, one girl even brought her baby. During the meeting the Youth Minister of Kenya talked about the Youth Enterprise Fund, and we also had a peace march through the city center.
Part of my job was to coordinate the youth media team, we had about 24 people and we split into sub teams of video (the flip), photography, newsletter, blogger and public relations. Our PR girl called the media houses every day and we got in the Nation, on Citizen TV and on the radio. We produced a newsletter every day. They honestly blew me away they were so dedicated. They were on computers at all hours of the day even though they were always breaking and the flash drive modems constantly ran out of airtime. In the evaluation we did I expected to hear complaints about the technology, but they were so happy they hardly mentioned it. One said he is studying communications in the university but he learned more in one week doing it than he had in school over all. We take it all for granted – laptops, wireless, it is such a blessing and I wish I could have given these kids laptops as parting gifts because they have so much promise.The group has already had follow-up meetings in Nairobi, planning their next steps. As part of the program we have a small grants process participants can apply for, so we are sending out the application. Continuing to put youth leaders at the center, the grants that get funding will be chosen by a team of youth peer reviewers.
This was such an encouraging experience, young people want chances to lead. Church structures can both encourage and deny youth leadership – in this case, we rocked the house.
Posted in Life
Statement of the LUCCEA Youth to the political crisis in the Madagascar addressed to the youth organization of the Malagasy Lutheran Church
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
It’s on behalf of the youth organizations from the different Church members of the Lutheran Communion in Central and Eastern of Africa gathered through LUCCEA youth project committee meeting held from 19th to 22nd April 2009 at the KELC Youth centre, Nairobi, Kenya that I get this precious opportunity to send to you this friendship message.
In fact, after hearing the political crisis that happened in our beloved Country of Madagascar, we were touched with the situation.
Otherwise, we recognize that we are together through the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We call upon you to stand firm as the peacemakers since we are ambassadors of Christ. Hence, we don’t have to be manipulated for any violent action.
“Be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith and purity”. (1Timothy 4: 12).
Michel Ngoy Mulunda,
LUCCEA Youth Chairperson & LWF Council member, Ecumenical Affairs Committee
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo
150, Av. Kasai, Lubumbashi-DRC
P.O. Box: 23294, Kitwe-Zambia
Tel.: +243 995 367 031
E-mails: michelmulunda@yahoo.fr or
lucceayouth@yahoo.com
Posted in Life
