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

In 2017, at Upper Hill School in Nairobi, Kenya, Anthony Arandi, driven by his desire to create a positive impact in the world, joined the WYA club. As he continued his involvement, his passion and dedication to WYA’s cause stood out, earning him the role of club leader during his senior year. Anthony fervently engaged in a variety of impactful WYA events throughout his high school years, including the 2019 Africa Emerging Leaders Conference (AELC), the 2019 WYA Africa Youth Summit, and the WYA Africa Furaha Camp 2019. These experiences allowed him to build connections with fellow WY ..read more

If you haven’t met Mohamad Radwan Al Omar, you probably will. Affable and enthusiastic, funny, very talkative, and unbelievably gracious; fittingly in charge of membership and outreach for the WYA Lebanon National Committee. He is known for his prolific WhatsApp posts in group chats and quotable quotes like, “the only problem is a lack of time” or “every day there’s a fight with life.” A lawyer by training, Radwan studied Law at the Université La Sagesse, one of the few law schools in Lebanon that is the door to enter their judiciary system after completing his higher education at IS ..read more

Roció Valdez lives in a small town in Paraguay. There are five schools in the town, and she approached each one to tell them about the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC). Of these, one gave her permission to present the HDC to the Director of the School and its teachers. She received permission to teach the HDC to the grade three students. And then the pandemic hit.  “At first, students were sent home and school activities were canceled. Then, despite the fact that the school was not allowed to do in-person instruction, the students were told they could go to school on Tuesday and Thursd ..read more