May 24, 2025 – Regional Youth-Led Webinar

The first session, held on May 24, featured a dynamic webinar titled “Voices for Our Common Home: Youth and Creation in Action.” Moderated by Paula Silewe (Indonesia), an IYTC intern from PMKRI, the webinar created a powerful space for dialogue, storytelling, and ecological spirituality grounded in Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’.

🎤 Speakers:

• Marian Sonali (Sri Lanka) – Freedom Fellowship Team (FFT), IYTC-CAYLAN
• Nelisha Lobo (India) – All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF), IYTC-CAYLAN

The session showcased youth reflections on eco-agriculture, waste reduction, climate awareness campaigns, and the integration of indigenous knowledge with faith-based action. Participants from over eight countries engaged in reflective dialogue, collective prayer, and shared personal inspirations on ecological renewal and justice.

Key guiding questions included:

• What does Laudato Si’ mean to you as a young person of faith?
• How are your communities responding to climate change?
• What personal actions are you taking to care for creation?
• How can youth lead the ecological conversion?

The session reminded us that young people are not only future stewards—but present leaders in environmental transformation.

May 31, 2025 – Youth Experiences from Indonesia & Vietnam

The second session, held on May 31, deepened the reflections under the same theme, highlighting concrete experiences from youth leaders in Southeast Asia. Moderated by Jesunia Milleni Fernando (Sri Lanka), a member of the IMCS AP Laudato Si’ Commission, this session emphasized youth-driven action rooted in Catholic social teaching.

🎤 Featured Speakers:

• Emanuel Odo (Indonesia) – PMKRI
• Xuan An (Vietnam) – Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM)

Emanuel reflected on Laudato Si’ as a spiritual call for justice, linking environmental destruction with poverty and social inequality. He described grassroots campaigns in Papua and the use of social media to advocate against environmental harm. Xuan An shared his role as a catechist organizing youth-led clean-up drives and environmental education in Vietnam.

Participants discussed ongoing challenges such as urban noise and water pollution, extractive industries, and the marginalization of local communities—while proposing concrete actions like tree-planting, lifestyle changes, and education.

Both sessions concluded with an invitation to support the Pax Jubilee Campaign, a global initiative launched by Pax Romana to collect 1 million signatures by 2027. These signatures will be presented to Pope Francis and the UN Secretary-General, affirming youth commitment to justice, peace, and care for creation. The campaign serves as a sign of hope and action in response to the interconnected crises of our time, echoing the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.

🌿 Looking Ahead

Participants were also encouraged to join the World Environment Day 2025 webinar on June 5, organized by IMCS AP and IYTC, and to live out the spirit of Laudato Si’ in their daily lives—personally, communally, and prophetically.

Together, these two youth-led encounters during Laudato Si’ Week 2025 showcased the transformative power of young people when faith meets action. Rooted in solidarity, dialogue, and ecological conversion, they renew our shared mission to care for our common home.