Division of Tasks/Topics Pax Christi International

YOUTH ACTIVITIES – 2033/2006

Youth work and peace education

Pax Christi Makes Oral Intervention At General Assembly Of UNESCO In Paris

On 13 October 2005, Colette Petit, Pax Christi International’s delegate to UNESCO in Paris, made an oral intervention during the 33rd General Assembly of UNESCO, Commission IV. In the intervention, references were made to the situation in the Middle East and the Great Lakes Region of Africa, as well as on the importance of peace education. The text of Colette’s intervention can be found in French at

Help New Life in Hebron!

Library on Wheels for Non-violence and Peace, a partner organisation with Pax Christi International, and the Christian Peacemaking Team initiated a campaign "Help Bring New Life to the Old City of Hebron". The old city of Hebron is under Israeli control following an agreement signed between PLO and the Israeli government. Since the beginning of the second Intifada a strict curfew has been imposed on the old city and its surrounding neighbourhoods for long periods of time, and all the entrances of the old city have been closed. Furthermore, the Israeli Defence Forces, IDF, routinely issue orderspreventing shopkeepers from opening their shops in the old city even when the curfew is lifted. This negatively affects the economic situation and has made shoppers afraid to access the old city due to the aggressive practices adopted by settlers and IDF. The campaign focuses on promoting one day for shopping in the old city, each first Thursday of the month between 10 am and 2 pm. Each buyer receives a 'shopping coupon', which allows him/her to enter a prize drawing the Monday following the campaign. The first day of campaigning was on 3 June 2004. At the end of the day, 1272 people entered the old city of Hebron and 349 of them went out carrying bags and shopping coupons. On Monday 7 June 2004 the prizewinner received a refrigerator. During the second day of the campaign on 1 July 2004, 578 coupons were distributed. On 5 August, already 1308 coupons were distributed to the shoppers. In addition, the campaign got support from the local authorities in Hebron.

Youth peace work

Peer Mediation in Secondary Schools

Pax Christi Flanders organised a meeting on 15 May 2006 between peer mediators and teachers of two secondary schools in Flanders.In Peer Mediation, the pupils themselves search for a solution to their conflicts, with the help of two pupils who act as mediators. During this meeting, an exchange of experiences took place and information on the principle of peer mediation was given to teachers from other schools interested in starting up a peer mediation system in their own schools. For more information, please contact Myriam Debonteat Pax Christi Flanders:

Living Together in Europe

Between 5-9 May 2006, a group of 16-17 year old French and German pupils visited Brussels on the invitation of the French and German Pax Christi sections. The participants were the laureates of an essay contest, developedin teams of four pupils,on the theme 'Living Together in Europe', of which the first prize was a study visit to Brussels. During their stay, co-organised by Pax Christi International, the laureates and their teachers visited the European Institutions during an open day, participated in discussions on the future of Europe with Caroline Lucas, a Member of the European Parliament, exchanged with pupilsof a Brussels school, and visited the International Secretariat of Pax Christi International. The aim of the visit was to introduce Europe as an actor for peace and to present ways in which civil society constructively engages with European-level political decision-makers. Some of the volunteers at the International Secretariat explained their motivation to work for peace. On 24 May, a preparatory meeting for the essay contest 2006-2007 took place at Pax Christi France in Paris. For more information about the visit or about the plans for next year's contest, contact Michael Roekaerts at Pax Christi International () or Fleur Borgeat of Pax Christi France ().

Living Together

UM4P, the youth branch of Pax Christi Flanders, is organising a summer eventin Bulgaria between 1 and 10 August 2006. There will be Flemish and Walloon participants from Belgium, Catholics and Protestants from Northern Ireland, Russians and Estonians from Estonia, Bulgarians and Macedonians from Bulgaria all present at the event. The main theme will be 'living together', which will be dealt with in an artistic way, through drawing, theatre, and photography. The final product of the exchange will be a movie. For more information, contact

Promoting Interfaith Dialogue Amongst Youth

• Representatives of different European faith-based organizations, working together under the umbrella of the European Youth Forum, gathered for a seminar in Barcelona, Spain from 17th – 23rd January 2006. The aim of the seminar was to create a tool-kit to be used by youth who are interested in engaging in interfaith dialogue. The Council of Europe is interested in promoting the toolkit as part of its campaign “All different, All Equal” to be launched later this year. The seminar itself was a great success as it brought together a wealth of experience on inter-religious dialogue in Europe. Fleur Borgeat of Pax Christi France and Frances Murphy from Pax Christi UK participated in thisevent.
• Seven European faith-based organisations representing Christian, Jewish and Muslim youth gathered in Warsaw, Poland, 13 to 16 May 2005, to explore ways in which faith-based youth work contributes to a peaceful, democratic, tolerant and cohesive Europe. The participants developed a paper that was contributed to the Youth Summit, Warsaw, 15 to 16 May, and called upon the Heads of States and Governments of the Council of Europe, which gathered in Warsaw, 16 to 17 May, to preserve the rich cultural and religious diversity present in Europe. Michael Roekaerts participated on behalf of Pax Christi International.

European Route for Peace

Pax Christi France invites young people aged 18-35 to participate in the European Route for Peace, organised by the Franciscans in Vezelay, France, which will take place between 31 July and 8 August. This Route for Peace commemorates the 60th anniversary ofthe 1946peace pilgrimage which brought together 40,000 French and German pilgrims. The programme consists of 5 days of marching together, followed by 3 days of celebration and fun in Vezelay.

Benkovac Project in Croatia

The project of different German diocesan Pax Christi groups and Pax Christi Luxemburg in Benkovac, Croatia, recently issued their second newsletter of 2005. In July, around 50 young people from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Germany and Poland participated in a two-day music workshop on the Croatian coast. The next workshop is planned for the summer of 2006 in Ohrid, Macedonia. The full newsletter can be read in German at: EUR.01.G.06.

Pax Christi Member Organisation In India Holds Youth Convention

Harit Vasai Saurakshan Samiti (HVSS), a Member Organisation of Pax Christi, hosted a daylong convention for 1,200 youth in India on 15th November 2005. The theme of the convention was building relationships. Bishop Thomas Dabre of Vasai Diocese states that “consumerism is causing havoc in society, however many young people inspired by the Gospel principles have been leading responsible lives”. For the full story from Harit Vasai’s newsletter, Suvarta Diocesan Monthly, see:

Pax Christi France Co-organises International Peace Walk In Flanders Fields

Pax Christi France, in association with the youth services of the Dioceses of Bruges (Belgium) and Lille (France) organised on 11 November the first peace walk from Comines, on the French-Belgian border, to Ypres in Belgium. Before starting the walk, participants were invited to a round table discussion chaired by Mgr Stenger, president of Pax Christi France. During the fifteen kilometre walk and bicycle tour, through a region that suffered enormously during the First World War, the participants reflected on the war and peace in the past and today.

World Youth Days in Cologne, 15-20 August 2005

• The Pax Christi International Youth and Peace Education Forum together with the Youth International Catholic Organisations signed a common statement, calling it necessary to provide young people with basic resources including access to education, land, employment and information and communication technologies, as these are crucial for the personal growth of young people in the world today.
• A lecture on “Justice and Peace and Healthcare; Challenges, Problems and Solutions” was given to young religious people during a seminar in the Netherlands, preparing the World Youth Days.
• Also before the WYD 2005, participants were invited to visit Catholic dioceses in Germany and neighbouring countries to participate in a wide range of activities. In Luxembourg, Pax Christi organised a testimony entitled “Congo: an opportunity for peace?” Through a photo exhibition, the activities of Pax Christi in the Democratic Republic of Congo were presented.
• Pax Christi Germany organised an exhibition on methods of non-violent conflict transformation from 16 to 19 August 2005. The exhibition presented examples of successful conflict settlements and discussed the effectiveness of non-violent ways of conflict transformation.
• On 19 August, a group of 25 youth from the Arab Educational Institute, a Pax Christi member organisation, along with representatives of the Pax Christi Germany, Pax Christi Luxembourg and the International Secretariat, visited the exhibition and participated in a meeting on the current situation in the Middle East.
• The WYD 2005 Internet TV Station broadcasted a one-hour report, including interviews, about the youth visit to the Middle East organised by the local Pax Christi group in Lille, France, in August 2005.

Youth From Pax Christi Italy Make Peace Pilgrimage To Holy Land

In August 2005, 12 young members of Pax Christi Italy went to the Holy Land for a peace pilgrimage that was organised by Don Nandino Capovilla. The group was able to visit many places in Israel and Palestine. The pilgrimage was made in the context of the campaign “Bridges not Walls.” Read more in Italian at

Pax Christi France Honours Peace Education Essay Contest Winners

The Peace Education Commission of Pax Christi France organised two visits for the winning teams of the essay contest "Europe as an Actor for Peace." The second prize went to a class from the Institut Sainte Marie in Belfort. They were invited to a one-day visit to Strasbourg on 17 May 2005. The pupils visited the European Court for Human Rights, discussed issues of the environment and sustainable development with experts and toured the Council of Europe. The winning class, from the lycée St Marc of Lyon, was invited to Poznan, Poland, between 12 and 16 May. During their visit, the pupils had an opportunity to meet with Polish school students, a former government representative and a member of the Solidarity trade union. This visit allowed the French pupils to discover a new member state of the EU from the inside. For more information in French see and the text of the winning essays in French in

Pax Christi Benkovac Project In Croatia Engages In Youth Peace Work

• In January 2005, the Pax Christi project office in Benkovac moved to a new location in the centre of the town that they share with the local organisations Tintilinic and Srce Srcu. Both organisations grew out of the Pax Christi work in Benkovac. This winter, one of the German volunteers assisted in distributing food at the Caritas soup kitchen. The local association Tintilinic started working with new children's groups on peace education, art and computer classes. The youth club extended its work with movie and graffiti groups. In July, around 50 young people aged between 14 and 18 from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Macedonia and Germany will attend an international music workshop in Lovran, Croatia. The aim is to learn about one another's countries and traditions through music. The full report, in German, can be read in
• The staff of the Pax Christi Benkovac project (Pax Christi Aachen – Germany) issued their third newsletter of 2004. In November 2004, a strategic workshop with the board and active members of the local association Tintilinic took place. This workshop aimed at defining a workplan for 2005. A video that documents the summer 2004 theatre workshop in Zadar, but which can also be used as an educational tool for schools and youth groups, has been produced. In the summer of 2005, an international music workshop will take place in Croatia, involving youth aged 15-18 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Macedonia and Poland. For more information please see (in German) or contact .

Violence, Delinquency and Youth in Central America

The ecumenical Life and Peace Institute will hold its board meetings in San Salvador, 5 – 11 June 2005. In parallel with the international board meetings, there will be a seminar on “Violence, Delinquency and Youth in Central America.” Participants will have the opportunity to visit local projects of partners and communities in El Salvador. Maria Julia Hernandez, member of the Executive Committee of Pax Christi International and director of Tutela Legal in San Salvador, attended this seminar.

European Youth Forum

• On 22 and 23 April 2005, the half-yearly Council of Members of the European Youth Forum took place in Brussels. The Pax Christi Youth Work and Peace Education network is an observer member of the EYF. The issues that were discussed during the meeting included how youth organisations can provide responses to violence, the preparations for the 7th Conference of European Ministers responsible for Youth, in Budapest, on the topic "Human Dignity and Social Cohesion: Youth Policy Responding to Violence" on 23 and 24 September 2005 and the preparations for the 2006 Council of Europe Youth Campaign on Diversity and Participation. The aim of the Campaign, which will run from April until November 2006, is to encourage and enable young people to participate in building peaceful societies based on diversity and inclusion, in a spirit of respect, tolerance and mutual understanding.
• On 23 and 24 April 2004, the European Youth Forum held its Council of Members in Brussels. On the agenda were a wide range of topics concerning youth and youth policy in Europe, including youth mobility (including the issue of visas), the challenges posed by globalisation and the participation of young people in local and regional life. Future strategies for promoting youth work in South East Europe were also discussed.

Pax Christi USA Holds National Youth Conference

Recognising that the events of the past several years–including 11 September, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the war on terror, the recent US election and corporate globalisation–have highlighted the need for a unified and visible response from Catholic student/young adult activists based on their deep discipleship to Jesus and the teachings of the Church, Pax Christi USA organised a national youth conference from 8 to 10 April 2005. Catholic students and young adults from across the country participated in the event that included time for individual and community prayer, scripture study, culture critique and political analysis.

From Verdun to Caen: European Youth in Search of Peace

Between 22 and 31 July 2004, the congregation Fils de la Charité and Pax Christi France organised a tour of some of the main battlefield sites of last century in France: from Verdun (World War I) to Caen (World War II). 20 young people from France, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Rwanda and the DR Congo participated in this event. In the middle of the trip, a stop was made in Paris, where the participants were confronted with urban violence of today. During their stay in Paris, they also visited UNESCO. The aim of the project was to reflect on how Europe can be a space of peace and sharing among Europeans while at the same time being in solidarity with the whole world.

Seminar on Developing Viable Long-Term Cooperation in Eastern Europe - Georgia

This seminar, organised by the European Youth Forum, took place 19-24 October 2004, in Mtskheta, Georgia. It brought together 30 participants, of which a large majority represented organisations from the CIS countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and the Russian Federation). The seminar focused on how to improve the co-operation between the Central and Eastern European youth organisations as well as with partners from other parts of Europe. Michael Roekaerts, staff member of the International Secretariat, represented Pax Christi at this event and introduced the Pax Christi movement and its youth and peace education work to the other participants.

Palestinian Youth and the USA Elections

The Arab Educational Institute (AEI) is pursuing a campaign among Palestinian youths to write letters to President Bush, Senator Kerry, and their spouses. Over hundred letters have been written already. All speak from the youngsters' hearts. The letters have also been sent to the US media. A selection of the letters is available in

Student Peace Art Campaign - Cambodia