Four of our student leaders were fortunate to attend the Catholic Youth Summit at Notre Dame University in Fremantle last week, enjoying a full day focused on communication skills, personal and spiritual growth and effective leadership skills.
The summit began with students hearing from Fablice, a refugee who is passionate about raising awareness of the plight of refugees and spreading his message of peace through music. Fablice and his family fled civil unrest in their home of Burundi, only to be caught in the struggle of the Tutsi refugees against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, leaving his family in limbo. Fablice told the story of the death of his parents, his initiation as a child soldier, life in a refugee camp and, finally, his humanitarian acceptance into Australia as a refugee.
This amazing presentation was followed by a young woman called Mimi who uses media and communication to promote social change. Mimi works with a network of associations that fight violence and injustice against women. She discussed gender issues and empowerment and was a most impressive young leader who inspired the students with her personal story of her road to strong leadership.
The rest of the day saw students in smaller groups learning about resilience in our complex world, faith in action and the importance of meditation and stillness in our lives. It was a pleasure to attend the conference with Delaney Wilson, Thomas Gunda, Marli Enslin and Rohit Waugh. They were all enthusiastic and open to the ideas and challenges put forward on the day.
.wp-post-image{display:none;}