Advocacy can occur on at least three levels: advocacy for the place and importance of young people within the Church; advocacy for young people who are marginalised within society; and providing opportunities for young people themselves to be involved in advocacy for others.
With formal authority comes responsibility.
For advocacy to be truly effective the whole Church community must be included in issues of advocacy for and with young people in the Church and in the world.
Advocacy requires the Church to examine its priorities and practices to determine how well young people are integrated into the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community. We need to create opportunities for truly listening to young people and fostering dialogue, encouraging youth to advocate for themselves and others. The needs of youth cannot be assumed.
We need to provide strong moral leadership; to stand up for young people and stand beside them, especially those who are voiceless or powerless in society. This may involve speaking on behalf of those affected by issues in education, housing, employment, health and safety. Good youth ministry advocacy ultimately empowers young people to become advocates in Christ for themselves and others and encourages young people themselves to advocate for equality in such issues. |
Vision 
