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YWCA/YMCA Week of Prayer 2011

Focus on Youth for Rights & Justice

 

10/10/2011

YWCA/YMCA Week of Prayer and World Fellowship 2011

This year’s Week of Prayer will take place from November 13 to 19 and the theme is “A Voice to Influence: Young People Speaking Out for Rights and Justice.”

Week of Prayer Booklet 2011 in English, Spanish & French:

 

The YWCA/YMCA Week of Prayer is a tradition dating back to 1904. Each year in the month of November, the YWCA and YMCA movements issue a joint call for prayer.

This year the Presidents of the YWCA and YMCA movements Deborah Thomas Austin and Ken Colloton invite us to honour young people with respect and responsibility as partners in the Kingdom of God. Young people bring life energy, change and fresh ideas to the world and the selection of prayers reflect upon how God has channelled the voices of young people throughout history to bring about positive change. Their message reminds us that while the voices of youth may vary in terms of reality and context, they nonetheless have a common purpose: to speak out for the rights of those struggling against the weight of injustice.

The reflections in this year’s Week of Prayer booklet show the rewards that can be reaped when we invest in young people and when we remember to include them and listen to them Throughout the week let the scriptures guide our thanks to the millions of young people that have chosen our Movements over the last 150 years.

The reflections are written by different people from around the world, most of them young. The booklet includes daily prayers and thoughts on how to reflect, discuss and pray together on how we, as a Movement, can prove to young people that we believe in them. Encourage your associations and members to use this booklet - it is an opportunity to think about whether the voices of young women are heard strongly enough in your communities and association, what kind of leadership are you promoting in your association to develop self-respect and confidence in young people, and whether the YWCA is a space where young women’s voices are nurtured. It is also an opportunity to engage young women from your communities to affirm their role in society and to offer them an opportunity to participate in your programmes.