Summer Camp Series: HIV/AIDS and a Person Centered Approach

33.3 million people in the world live with HIV every day. The incurable disease occurs in every part of the world – also in the first world. Yet being HIV-infected is still a taboo that most people are ashamed to talk about. Being a HIV-patient is associated with being an irresponsible person who has caused the disease himself. He […]

Summer Camp Series: Ahmed Elian

I can certainly say with no hesitation that camp has changed me, for the better obviously. As a kid, I always thought that having a solid, non-changing personality is best. But lately, I’ve been thinking of myself as a blob of clay that still needs to be shaped. I try to embrace change as long […]

World Youth Alliance at World Youth Day, Brazil

It’s funny how most of the coolest experiences of my life had happened since I joined WYA. I’m about to tell you one of the most incredible adventures I have had so far. I will briefly tell you about the trip I just made to Rio de Janeiro. You may wonder what I’m doing here […]

Solidarity: The Balanced Approach To Society

The west is again becoming aware of the fact that all members of the human family need and depend on each other. In my opinion, solidarity entails finding the right balance between oneself and one’s social environment. Individualist behavior is triggered by a false sense of security that results in a lack of self-respect. A person is […]

Educating the Human Person

When I was small my parents always claimed that I was the luckiest kid in town because I was given everything that the other kids had. At that point in time, learning English was in fashion and I even had a private tutor in English. Obviously, it was a luxury and my parents were so […]

Consider the Common Good

The past few days have been quite hectic politically. And all hasn’t gone well with Egypt’s Mohammed Morsi who was ousted by that country’s military on July 3. Millions of Egyptians protested prior to his ouster and they expected nothing but his removal. Morsi’s toppling by the army has sent frissons to Zimbabweans whose government […]

International Summer Camp Series

Each week, we will be publishing a blog post written by each of our International Summer Camp 2013 participants.  This is the first post of the new series! WYA International Summer Camp of the year 2013 – it has been great. I would even go so far as to say that it has been amazing, […]

My Experience at World Youth Day

I was 21 when a WYA member from Guadalajara sent me the application form to participate in World Youth Day with the World Youth Alliance in Cologne, Germany, in 2005. Although I had been raised in a Catholic family and went to Catholic school I had never heard about WYD, nor even experienced nor imagined […]

Ireland is legalizing abortion for…..suicidal mothers?

Last week, the Irish Dail voted to pass the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 after two marathon late night debate sessions, a party Whip was used, and a general cry for a referendum was ignored to ensure that it passed. The bill has moved to the Seanad (the Irish Senate) and is expected […]

Asia’s Rapidly Declining Population Growth: Implications for the Region.

According to United Nations, many East Asian countries have experienced a decline in their Total Fertility Rates in the past 50 years. In the period of 1965-1970, the average family had five or more children. From 2005 to 2010, the average shifted to below 2.1 children per family. There are many factors behind the rapid […]