AMECEA: “Your Voices Matter,” AMECEA Secretary General Tells the Youth At Violence Prevention Workshop
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Young people in Kenya have been assured of their importance and potential, that their ideas, experiences, and contributions are essential in shaping the future of the Church and society.
Addressing the youths at Savelberg Retreat Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday, November 25, the Secretary General (SG) of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), Fr. Anthony Makunde, challenged the young people to engage more in social transformation, emphasizing that their dignity must be protected and potentials nurtured for the good of the Church and society.
“Your voices matter,” Fr. Makunde said at a workshop themed: ‘Arresting culture of violence through structured constructive engagement: The Church advancing the mission of Christ, of dialogue and conflict prevention,’ which focused on building a better world.
Reflecting on Pope Francis’ Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, which focuses on young people, Fr. Makunde underscored that the youth are not merely the Church’s future, but her “vibrant, living present,” a concept Pope Francis echoes in the document (CV 178).
The document released in 2019 reveals that Christ is alive and present in the world today, especially through young people, hence the Church must actively engage with and listen to them. Christus Vivit emphasizes that God loves young people, that Christ saves them, and that Christ is alive and active in their lives; thus, they are encouraged to live out these truths and contribute their “prophetic” voice to the Church and the world.
While the AMECEA SG highlighted the recent Synod on Synodality, which called on the Church to accompany young people, listen to their stories, and create space for them to use their talents and creativity, he further urged the Church to trust in the youth’s capacity to renew the institution with courage and creativity.
Besides, Fr. Makunde disclosed the reality that youth are often exploited as “instruments of violence” by political, religious, or ideological groups due to their energy and vulnerability, and passionately stated that this “does not have to be their story,” and instead focused on the positive role the young people can play.
Fr. Makunde pointed out that the message to the young people resonates with the theme of AMECEA’s Plenary Assembly to be held in 2026: “AMECEA’s Synodal Journey with Young People: Building Bridges of Communion, Hope, Justice, and Good Governance,” which speaks directly to the reality and dreams of the youth.
He expressed his hope that the conversation being held with the youth would inspire all stakeholders to propose “concrete and practical ways for young people to engage more deeply with society, working together to build a world free from violence and full of hope.”
May your “ideas and dreams become seeds of transformation for our communities,” Fr. Makunde concluded.
