Youth

A group of Development and Peace youth members from across Canada are in Zambia on a youth solidarity trip to learn more about the work of Development and Peace and its partners.

A group of Development and Peace youth members from across Canada are in Zambia on a youth solidarity trip to learn more about the work of Development and Peace and its partners.

Who knew that a cookie could teach so much! This year, as part of our campaign A Voice for Justice calling for an ombudsman for responsible mining, we gave students the opportunity to understand the realities faced by communities in the Global South when a mining company doesn’t respect their rights. How? By mining cookies!

Thursday afternoon at the Vivo Rio English Welcome Centre, Fr. Thomas Rosica took some time away from managing the amazing live coverage of WYD by Salt + Light TV to say Mass for the Canadians gathered there. Nearing the end, he shared a quick story of his time after World Youth Day Toronto in 2002, where he was a key organizer. 

On the second day of activities for World Youth Day, and almost a week and a half into the journey for most pilgrims, fatigue and frustration should be starting to settle in. It’s been raining and overcast for the past three days, making temperatures in tropical Rio chilly enough to rattle even hardy Canadians. 

They say patience is a virtue, and that is never more clear than when you're facing mile-long lineups like at World Youth Day. Taking my place in the lineup to grab my WYD kit, I watched as different groups dealt with their anxiety in different ways. Some stood quietly, perhaps meditating, praying or simply dreaming of the front of the line or a cold ice cream cone. Others sat and sang songs, danced or played games with their fellow pilgrims. As I neared the front of the line after an hour or so of waiting, a hand-made poster caught my eye:

Development and Peace is going to World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Our Youth Programs Officer Shelley Burgoyne will be in the centre of it all and ready to help you take action as members of a vibrant faith community working for social justice. She will be on site to greet you at the Vivo Rio pavilion and share a special offer only available to Canadian World Youth Day Pilgrims!

On September 27th, Janelle de Rocquigny, a committed Manitoban youth member of Development and Peace, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal at the Government House, where Senator Maria Chaput presented her with the medal. According to the Saint-Boniface University website, Janelle received the award for “her great commitment to environmental issues, giving a voice to Franco-Canadians at the international level and her efforts to find concrete actions for sustainable development.”

Each year, Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon holds a Box Lunch Auction to raise money for Development and Peace. Homeroom classes create, assemble, and prepare lunches which are then sold off to the highest bidders. Students gather in the gym in the morning and for one hour lunches are promoted (by a real auctioneer) and then sold - always for a value far exceeding the actual cost of the meal! The spirit that overrides the event is not ‘how much can we get', but ‘how much can we give.' Thousands of dollars are raised as the school comes together in a spirit of community and generosity.

THINKfast is a dual-purpose program that provides an interactive, fun and social way for high school and university students to learn about the serious issues of injustice in the world and to raise funds for Development and Peace. The THINKfast kit is published at the beginning of each year and contains activities, prayers and reflections related to the current Development and Peace campaign.