Porto Alegre - WCC general assembly

On one particular alley of the campus there are thematic tents, and among them there is a Youth tent. Nothing special, you might think, but this particular tent is great fun because it offers nothing more but huge pillows inviting to happy careless siestas, some loudspeakers and a musicbox going randomly through a syncretic playlist. A huge board at the entrace reads Youth in several languages.

Youth is at the center of this Assembly and the issue is incessantly present on the lips of everybody. Don't think it's easy for the youth or that they are necessarily privileged. The youth representative at the first press conference came under press fire (yes, it was the only one time when the press here opened fire, ahem) and was questioned whether youth had any vision or any agenda, or at least a list of issues to be brought to the public's (read: grown-ups) attention. Then there was the amusing incident with the Oriental's bishop remarks and other funny incidents from which the most self-counscious among the young should have understood that they have to deserve the attention. Even at our workshop about ecumenical youth work, a Catholic Maronite bishop questioned us for vision and another clergy was very careful to point out that youth work is nothing new under the sun. (Yeah, alright, but we're doing it on the internet ;)).

But there are other twists to this. The youth political frey is continuing tonight, when all youth are invited to gather in front of the Master Palace stewards' hotel at 9PM in order to talk for the third consecutive night about WCC youth policy, mostly related to Big Sam's (Kobia in stewards slang) proposal to have a WCC global president for youth. It is a big issue for the Youth and those that really care about the subject should do themselves a favour and not miss it.

But let me get back to the Youth tent. It is a splendid manifesto for guilt-free indolence and nonchalant, blissful lazyness. It invites to rest and dreaminess, tranquility and downtime. So in the last days I'm tempted more and more by the irresponsible but jubilant thought that this is a youth vision as well. And this vision should be respected and taken advantage of. In my hurried passings through the alley I came to envy the happy people and their peaceful time. To heck with youth politics.

I am not sure what you would choose, but tonight I'll go to my favourite tent, I'll listen to some music and get lurid youth politics out of my mind, while lying slothfully, for Christ's sake, on one of the big pillows.
So much for the youth vision, but everything comes at a price ;)

Stay tuned,
Cristian