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| Fr. Ferdinand Lugonzo, AMECEA Secretary General |
AMECEA Secretary General Fr. Ferdinand Lugonzo has told youth gathering at the 11thPan African Assembly of International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) that they must make deliberate moves towards building peace and making societies instruments of peace.
Fr Lugonzo was speaking to the youth during the Pan African International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) held in Lusaka, Zambia from 4th-10th October 2014. He said, “Africa is blessed with a youthful population. Unfortunately these great majorities of the population are engaged in war and conflict,” he said.
Fr. Lugonzo who is also Chaplain of International Young Catholic Students (IYCS) said that youth should deliberately seek peace which is the result of integral development by acting as responsible citizens. “While responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in political life is an obligation,” he added.
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| Participants of the Assembly took procession with their banner |
Fr. Lugonzo said that there are three areas that IYCS must be presented in the society in order to promote full human development and pursue the common good. “These include dialogue with states, dialogue with society which includes cultures and sciences; and finally to dialogue with other believers,” he said.
“If we have to make an impact, we need to be well founded in our faith. Is IMCS providing a solid foundation to its members?” Fr. Lugonzo said adding that “This should lead the group to reflect on the kind of programmes which accompany their activities.”
According to Ms. Catherine Wangui Njuguna, the Coordinator of Pan African Assembly of International Movement of Catholic Students, every four years, the IMCS Family in Africa holds its Pan African Assembly which is the highest decision making body of the movement at the African Level.
During this particular assembly IMCS Gender Policy will be launched as well as conducting of an election for new Pan African Team comprising of a Pan African Chaplain and two coordinators for a period of 4-year.
“The Pan African Assembly has the duties to evaluate IMCS relevance to the young people in the continent, to the Church, to the community and generally its impact to humanity through its programs both at Individual, National, Pan African level,” said Ms. Njuguna.
The assembly also evaluate the strength of the movement structurally in its different National organs as well as the work of the Pan African Coordination Team and how they have implemented the orientations of the previous Assemblies.
At the same time the assembly give voice to the African Youth to determine what issues they wish to help address in the continent for the coming 4 years (Thematic Areas of Focus 2015 to 2018).
Source: Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Social Communications