We, the Student Delegates, Animators, Diocesan Youth Directors, Regional Youth Directors and NEXCOs, 125 in total, representing 11 out of 12 Regions of YCS/YSM India, gathered at Bethel, Barapani, Shillong, North East, 19-28 May 2013, for the XXV Study and Formation Session and the XVI National Council on the theme “Students’ Education in Modern Era”. The theme had three key thrusts namely 1Interculturality, 2Religious Pluralism and Universal Culture of Love and Life.
Through the input sessions by resource persons, exposure to relevant places and workshops, we reflected together on the theme echoing the methodology of the movement – Awareness, Reflection, Action and Evaluation, and drew up the following Theme Statement.
Interculturality, which has become an important aspect in the present day, should promote mutual enrichment of cultures. We understand that to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions primarily an attitude of respect towards the diversity of cultures in society is obligatory.
Religious pluralism is an existential reality. It should serve humanity as a unifying factor and not as a dividing one. A spirit of brotherhood/ 3sisterhood between all religions should help to make everyone feel equal. As lived and taught by Jesus the Supreme Animator we should embrace people of all creeds and encourage them to maintain their religious heritage.
In our deliberation, we discussed about the “Culture of Death” that is emerging in our present society prominently among the student/teenage community. Through education we should be equipped in facing the challenges emerging in our modern time. While focusing on academic excellence, the education should lead to the development of the whole person, emphasizing the intellectual, physical, spiritual and affective areas of students’ life.
Through the XVI National Council, we are enlightened about the various existing cultures, the reality of religious pluralism and the universal culture of love and life.We are convinced that it is important to accept each other as we are, with equal human dignity, especially in view of those who are stigmatized and neglected by the society due to religious barriers and pressures from personal, social and peer groups. The challenge is for US to change and not to change the people who are challenged.
Thus, we resolve to transform the lives of the young and the society by Changing Self and Changing Others. Education in modern era should make us conscious that we need to bring change in the society by making a choice to be aware, to be the change, and to lead the change. Hence to actualize this, we need to be sensitive and sensitize others by following the methodology of the movement - See, Judge and Act.
We, the family of YCS/YSM India pledge to transform our lives in the light of the Holy Scriptures and Moral Values in “Building a New Society” i.e. “God’s Kingdom”.
- Interculturality is very significant development with regard to the change in the perception of ‘the other’ by another cultural group of people towards another different cultural group.
- Religious Pluralism is more than the sharing of certain religious values or agreement on some social issues.
- Sisterhood is respecting the equality of feminine gender or gender parity.