Pacific Youth Intiative

CWM NEWS

PACIFIC YOUTH INITIATIVE: SHARING THEIR STORIES AND RISING TO LIFE

he recent CWM Pacific Youth Ini�a�ve that started on 3 October was a safe space for the young people to share their stories and challenges and in turn be challenged, empowered and mo�vated in Coral Coast, Fiji. On the first day, the par�cipants reflected on their journey through COVID-19 and the challenges faced by the youths including panic and fear, contrac�ng COVID-19, lockdowns, loss of jobs, being away from families, and studies and work being affected.

Discussing the perspec�ve of each person in the biblical story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:27-37) during the opening devo�on allowed the youths to realize that as church people, they some�mes ignore issues around them and that it is important to lend a helping hand even if the one in need is different from them. Upon reflec�on, the young people said that the church has an important role to play in such challenging �mes as they work towards rising to life from the pandemic.

On Tuesday, par�cipants studied Scripture in Genesis 16 and 21 and discussed how Sarah and Hagar, as mothers protected their children. As they con�nued this discussion, it led them into the sessions on Child Protec�on and Safeguarding led by the CWM Pacific Programme Associate, Fuata Varea-Singh. Par�cipants discussed what child protec�on means to them, child protec�on policies in their churches, and what they can do to protect children. A�er group discussions, they read and discussed Scripture from 1 Kings 3:16-28, Exodus 2:1-10, and Luke 15:11-32. The eye-opening session allowed youth to express themselves by sharing stories of child abuse they had gone through and their hope that churches can draw up child protec�ons policies and put them into ac�on.

The third day of the programme had the youths travel to Suva, to visit the HART Village in Narere, which houses single mothers, widows, and families in need. The group sang songs, led a devo�on session, and shared a meal with the families. The trip to the village helped the youth par�cipants become more aware of the issues people face and the help that is needed, and understand that selfless love is needed to render assistance to the people around them.

The last two days of the Youth Ini�a�ve programme included presenta�ons and learning sessions on deep sea mining, ecological stewardship, a beach clean-up, and mangrove plan�ng. The youth par�cipants in the programme represented CWM member churches in the Pacific region and they were joined by five Kanaky (New Caledonian) youth from Pacific Theological College (PTC), two youths from Kioa (EKT) who are se�lers in that island and two youths from the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma. At the close of the event, they issued a statement acknowledging their stewardship of God’s crea�on, denouncing deep-sea mining, and re-affirmed their spirit of gathering in solidarity, accountability and collabora�on, among others.