YCS/YSM INDIA
Theme Statement of XXVI Study and Formation Session and XVII National Council, Greater Noida, UP
16-22 May 2016
We, the Student Delegates, Animators, Diocesan Youth Directors, Regional Youth Directors, NEXCO and Invitees, 130 members in total, representing 11 Regions of YCS/YSM India, gathered at YMCA, Greater Noida, UP, hosted by the Archdiocese of Delhi, Northern Region from 16-22 May 2016, for the XXVI Study and Formation Session and XVII National Council on the theme “Called to Believe; Begin; Become”. The theme had three key thrusts namely ‘Back to the roots’, ‘Media and Me’ and ‘Human Dignity’.
Through the input sessions by resource persons, exposure to relevant places, group discussions 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.Called to Believe, Begin and Become is a call to every YCS/YSMer. A divine call that comes from within to work for God’s Kingdom. The theme helps to reflect and introspect on self and to understand the purpose of life.
Called to Believe: Believing means to have faith in God and in one another. It is to have confidence in truth, existence, reliability and value in the Review of Life and Spirituality of the movement. We need to believe in God, ourselves and others around us in order to build a new society.
Called to Begin: Our role as human beings is to mutually co-exist in the society. We as social beings, need our families and community to support one another and live life in harmony.For the existence of a peaceful society, it is essential to Change Self in order to Change Others.
Called to Become: We all strive to become somebody in our lives, but at the end we need to know who we aspire to be? The process of Becoming an individual involves developing the values of love, equality, freedom and justice. We as YCS/YSMers attempt to become a responsible persons sensitive to others and free in spirit. We are called to Become God’s perfect creation.
On the basis of the theme, the thrusts call us to work on the factors that would strengthen the movement and bring change in the world.
Back to the Roots: We are in a world that is progressing, but in order to know where we came from and why we are here we need to go back to the roots. Reflecting and analysing the history of the movement and its teachings is vital for continuity and sustainability. We as YCS/YSMers shall imbibe the teachings of our movement to transform ourselves to be men and women for others.
Media and Me: Media is one of the largest social forums in the present era. Children and youth are the main users of this medium. We need to be aware and vigilant towards the constant changing role of media and its influence on young minds. We as YCS/YSMers need to be proactive in responding to media responsibly and help the young to be critical users.
Human Dignity: God created humankind in His image (Gen.1:27). The Indian constitution affirms that we all are equal and should treat one another with respect and dignity. We YCS/YSMers shall work towards the welfare of human beings by promoting human rights and justice.
Thus, we resolve to renew our responsibility towards the movement and bring back the true spirit with which this movement began; not fall prey to the pretentious previews of the media and work towards the cause of the human rights and dignity. Hence to actualize this, we need to be Believe, Begin and Become by following the true spirit of YCS/YSM Movement.
We, the family of YCS/YSM India shall 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’.