Not just here in Australia, but worldwide, the youth of this world face a myriad of challenges. This youth generation is the largest the world has ever known and sadly, they are faced with issues such as access to education and job opportunities, climate change and multiple forms of inequalities and exclusion.
The concept of youth empowerment was born from the need to enable young people to have a say in decisions which affect them. Empowering young people means creating and supporting the conditions under which young people can freely act on their own behalf, and on their terms, rather than the direction of others.
Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA, USA), the Buddhist Council of Victoria (BCV), the Interfaith Centre of Melbourne, and with the support of the Victorian Multicultural Council (VMC), held Youth Empowerment Workshops in Melbourne. The workshop was hosted by Reverend Helen Summers, the Founder and Director of the Interfaith Centre of Melbourne and led by Venerable Chang Ji, assisted by Venerable Guo Chan from DDMBA. Both Venerables are passionate about their roles in interfaith dialogue, protecting the environment, peace-building and developing youth leadership.
The purpose of the one-day intensive workshop was to teach young people how to take control of their lives and achieve a new sense of self-worth, direction and empowerment. The workshop highlighted the influences of the social environment, our attitudes, our goals, and how to bring about awareness to our sense of self. The activities of the day aimed to make the “invisible” parts of life visible to us, so that we might fully realize our potential and perform at our greatest capacity.
Dates held:
13th June 2015
30th July 2016
For more photos, please go here.