First of all, let me thank the World Youth Alliance for the invitation. I was asked to talk about the  “New Totalitarianism,” and my remarks will largely be a re-elaboration of the insights on this topic by  Augusto Del Noce. As some of you will know, Del Noce was an Italian Catholic philosopher who died  in 1989 and I have translated into English some of his works, including a short essay from 1970 titled  precisely “Towards a New Totalitarianism,” which is now included in a volume titled “The Crisis of  Modernity.” Before we talk about the “new” totalitar ..read more

The four days of the International Solidarity Forum (ISF) were packed with lectures and presentations from experts and distinguished speakers. Professor Carlo Lancelloti spoke about the “new form of totalitarianism” that has taken over our contemporary times; Dr. Ethan Haim, shared his story as a whistleblower, exposing the secret transgender program at the world’s largest children’s hospital; Mr. Cheng Guangcheng, a human rights lawyer and advocate, has risked his life in bringing awareness to the crimes of the CCP; and WYA’s very own Mislav Barisic and Clare Halpine, spoke about the hi ..read more

Thank you, George. Tonight we are thrilled to present the Mary R. Smith award to Lauren Green McAfee. Mary R. Smith was a beloved and early friend of the World Youth Alliance. I spent many happy weekends with her at “the farm”, sharing our vision with her, and explaining all the hopes and dreams we had for WYA. I think one of the amazing things about WYA is how clear the vision was to us from the beginning, and how constant our work and development has been. The past 25 years have been a consistent march towards the development of the organization, and its projects, which we envisioned fro ..read more

February 28, 2024 Foreign aid typically entails the transfer of capital, goods, or services from a country or international organization for the benefit of the recipient country. In targeted disaster relief and humanitarian efforts, it often succeeds. But foreign aid in itself is fraught with problems.  Most troublingly, foreign aid can be used as a tool for coercing recipient nations into adopting policies and legislation that undermine national laws and the principles of human dignity alike. In such cases, foreign aid becomes a form of ideological colonization. It is sometimes depl ..read more

The first few weeks of the new year always carry with them a little extra freshness—that feeling of possibility and change.  By late January, that feeling starts to fade. Don’t let it! As you’ll remember in reading this newsletter, the work you do with WYA is opening new horizons for young people around the world.  Look no farther than our feature story on how our Human Dignity Curriculum has changed the lives of students at a Cameroon high school.  Or revisit WYA’s Declaration on the Family, which affirms the immense role families play in shaping children, citizens, and ..read more

For the last three months, Jervis Lyonga has been commuting to Bishop Rogan College, an all-boys school in Cameroon, to volunteer teach the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC).  “The trip is only fifteen minutes,” he says modestly, before eventually admitting that “the roads are not the best, given the security challenges . . . and the rainy season . . . but if you’re lucky enough to get a taxi . . .” He typically leaves his home around 8am to be on time for his 11am class. Jervis sits quietly in front of a wall of books. He’s a student himself, pursuing his master’s degree in conflict ..read more

To all our members, alumni, and friends, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! In anticipation of WYA’s upcoming 25th Anniversary, we present 25 Good Tidings of Great Joy! 01  A study on HDC is conducted by the University of Florida and St. Mary’s University, in a public school in Kansas and a private school in Canada; publications forthcoming in 2024. 02 The Kenya National Family Policy adopts WYA advocacy language on the family. 03 WYA Asia Pacific is awarded a grant from the Philippines Commission on Human Rights.  04 WYA attends the March for Life in D.C ..read more

For the last three months, Jervis Lyonga has been commuting to Bishop Rogan College, an all-boys school in Cameroon, to volunteer teach the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC). “The trip is only fifteen minutes,” he says modestly, before eventually admitting that “…the roads are not the best, given the security challenges… and the rainy season…but if you’re lucky enough to get a taxi…” he would typically leave around 8am to be there on time for 11am. Jervis sits quietly in front of a wall of books; a student himself, pursuing his master’s degree in conflict resolution, international law and hu ..read more

November 4, 2023 – World Youth Alliance Europe hosted the Emerging Leaders Conference 2023 (ELC) with a strong delegation. In collaboration with the Southeast Europe office, the event was carried out in Zagreb, Croatia, under the theme European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.  For the first session, a panel discussion was conducted by Aleksandra Markić Boban, Head of the Zagreb Office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, and Hrvoje Debač, Head of Division for Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, with Ramón Barba Castro, Regional Director o ..read more

It was Instagram that led Juliana Antonelli, from Brazil, to the World Youth Alliance. As a graduate of the Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás with a degree in law, Juliana felt WYA’s values aligned with her own. “I live in the interior of Brazil, and I have seen the impact of lack of education for young people. This is what I want to develop even further, and WYA connects education with the dignity of the human person, as the focus for the organization.”  Juliana took the Certified Training Program (CTP) and the Advocacy Academy (AA) offered by WYA. Now, as a WYA Latin Ame ..read more