A workshop of future

Through a "workshop of hope", the Italian Church is drawing close to the youth at a time of crisis. The 25th national formation course for diocesan directors and animators of the "Policoro Project", promoted by CEI in 1995 through three different bodies (pastoral care of work, pastoral care of the young, and Italian Caritas), which involves 100 dioceses, took place in Rome April 21-25. On Wednesday 25, during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square Benedict XVI delivered an address to the youth conveying his hope that "in the light of evangelical values this project may sustain all those committed for the working problems of the young generations". The "Policoro project" is an "evangelization project" created 16 years ago to help young unemployed in the southern regions of Italy. "In order to prevent the ongoing job crisis from becoming a life crisis, the Italian Bishops’ Conference has drawn up an ecclesial response to unemployment, black labour and exploitation, which affect entire generations of young people. The proposed solution – explained Msgr. Angelo Casile, director of the CEI Office for Social Problems and Work – is a joint commitment to evangelize the working and living environment; for education and formation for dignified work, and to express together mutual solidarity". The initiative involves at various levels (national, regional and diocesan level) different stakeholders that include the directors of the three pastoral care departments (work, youth, Caritas); ecclesial bodies (ACLI, CISL, Confcooperatives), community formators and diocese animators, whose formation is based on the Social Doctrine of the Church. Their activity includes: guidance for the youth, creation of a new mentality for employment, promotion of youth entrepreneurship. In 16 years, with the formation of 800 animators, the Project led to 500 concrete initiatives (cooperatives, small enterprises, consortiums, etc.) and employment for thousand of young people who now have a job and children. The project was launched in 3 regions of Southern-Italy, and today it involves almost all Italian regions, with the participation of 98 dioceses (86 in the South 12 in the Centre-Northern regions). The adhesion of the latter is a novelty of recent years: while previously unemployment involved Southern Italy, with the crisis the situation is worsening across the whole Country, and the youth feel the need to pave the way to new initiatives marked by a renewed sensitivity for ethical enterprise. With hope in the crisis. "Today we need hope like our daily bread": the message that echoed during the meeting, was conveyed by CEI Secretary General Msgr. Mariano Crociata, who underlined "the precious service" of the "Policoro Project" for the young generations "looking for a job, which is also much more: namely, courage, meaning and hope". These are difficult times, but faith leads to the courage to never give up. "Our service – he said – isn’t only to accomplish things, but to give hope. Our effort may amount to be very little, if doesn’t help to build a future for us and for others". Participants in the formation course also claimed that the crisis can act as an opportunity "for education to a new culture of Christians, capable of being in the working environment as responsible lay people". They added that the youth involved in the Policoro Project "are already the true presence of a future loaded with hope". A mosaic of ideas. A token of this commitment are the 500 cooperatives that were created, a mosaic of an economy that focuses on ethics, on social questions and on fair trade. Its highlight is the "Nuvola" consortium: over 15 cooperatives that offer a service of systems integrated for the human person (services to the disabled and old people, kindergartens, reception centres for immigrants, prevention of drug-addiction). In order to encourage youth entrepreneurships the Project is sensitising the dioceses to microcredit. The philosophy consists in overcoming difficulties in accessing banking accounts, making sure that "dioceses allocate a ‘guarantee fund’ for the youth in local banks, while a Committee supports the realization of projects. Thanks to the initiative "Working together to grow together", created to promote mutual exchange between animators belonging to the same formation year of two dioceses from different regions, further "mirroring" initiatives are being carried out. These include seminars in universities and formation courses for the creation of enterprises, refresher courses in schools, education to dignified work, initiatives aimed at rediscovering forgotten professions, reconnaissance of diocesan property (land, property, cultural patrimony) to bring about economic activity (tourist services, cooperatives, etc.). Their philosophy is "networking". In a word, a sign of hope.