The Young Catholic Students is an international Movement, present in over 80 countries, that empowers secondary school students to take action based on what they believe, in their student reality. YCS gives students the chance to be agents of change themselves. When we as students take ownership and responsibility for our Movement it allows us to develop the skills needed to lead an organization as well as those needed to play an active leadership role in our community with other secondary school students. YCS uses the Joseph Cardijn inspired method, “SEE, JUDGE, ACT” which enables students to SEE what is happening in the world around us and analyze the facts. We then JUDGE this in light of our beliefs and the Gospel and take ACTION to transform not only the world around us but ourselves. YCS organized in local groups, who collectively take action as a region. It has a national team which enables them to work together and a campaign for change across the country. They are currently campaigning for the more than ever relevant issue of Climate Justice.
- YCS Principles
The YCS Principles gives you some idea about what it is all about! It sums up the YCS mission, what it believes in? Why it exists? and how it works? The YCS Movement of Sri Lanka is led for, by and among secondary school students. It is inspired by and wants to live the mission of Jesus Christ among secondary school students. It has a specific task of formation and education of secondary school students. It believes in the Joseph Cardijn inspired Review of Life methodology as its method of education. This includes reflecting on the encounters of students, judging these encounters in light of their faith and developing action. Its faith in Jesus Christ challenges students to an active response among, with and on behalf of all secondary school students. It commits itself to working for justice and peace, especially among secondary school students. It is a Local, Diocesan, National and International Movement and accepts that it has responsibility at all these levels.
In the Katukurunda parish the YCS has had an active past a decade ago, but the last ten years has been an up and down journey with patches of success and mostly disorganized and divided situations among the student groups. Even today it is a difficult task to unite the adolescents of this age group under a proper leadership. During the last two years more than four attempts were made to form and organize this movement to no avail. The failures are due to the misconceptions of the present generation of parents who have prejudices against this student movement. On the part of the students, they are unable to sustain long term committed friendships within the Church community mainly due to alienation resulted by the educational pressures imposed by the parents upon their children. The Katukurunda Parish is still to have a consistently functioning YCS which is regular, in spite of teacher animators appointed and entrusted with the task of organizing this essential student movement.
Animators:
St. Joseph Vaz’s Church – Nimasha Fonseka (0740648442), Anne Rashmika (0770784254)
St. Mary’s Church – Dewmini Kaluwella (0713003513), Charuka Peiris (0722977224)
