Countdown to Ecumenical Youth Gathering...

Countdown to Ecumenical Youth Gathering: the contributions of young people to the ecumenical movement


The Ecumenical Youth Gathering to be held on 27-30 August before the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, aims to bring together around 400 young people from various churches and ecumenical partners to discuss a common message. The event is designed to provide an opportunity for young people to participate in intergenerational dialogue and develop a more inclusive agenda for the movement.



Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC
11 August 2022
Ecumenical Youth Gathering


The Ecumenical Youth Gathering prior to the assembly includes the Pre-assembly Youth, the Youth Leadership Program, and the Stewards Programme to celebrate the global ecumenical movement.

”It feels good to celebrate Ecumenical International Youth Day in Karlsruhe during the WCC assembly. I’m really happy that our Indigenous youth can gather together in Karlsruhe to meet, share, and learn from and with each other. It is also important to build bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. Hope they can find life-lasting friendships. I believe celebrating Ecumenical International Youth Day during the assembly makes our Indigenous youth more visible,” said Mari Valjakka, moderator, Indigenous Peoples Reference Group, WCC.

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The Ecumenical Youth Gathering recently released a book that is designed to help people reflect on the issues affecting Indigenous peoples. Moreover, the Ecumenical Youth Gathering has also released a toolkit that will help churches around the world prepare for a prayer event, “Reconnecting with Mother Nature and the planet,” that will be held on 12 August, marking International Youth Day. It will be held in conjunction with the Ecumenical Youth Gathering’s hybrid-style gathering in Germany on 30 August.



Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

“This year's Ecumenical International Youth Day toolkit is an invitation to partnership and active solidarity in understanding the importance of land to Indigenous peoples as well as creative ways of engaging in advocacy and activism from the perspective of Indigenous youth. In this respect, the toolkit is both an important contribution and resource to the global ecumenical fellowship,” said Rev. Dr Seforosa Carroll, programme executive, Mission from the Margins/Ecumenical Indigenous Peoples Network.

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