Jobless young people are being given a chance to work in retail through a Hawke’s Bay social enterprise. Jody Hamilton (pictured, left) who founded LIFT Youth Employment says the new initiative aims to connect with and help young people who want to work in retail or have entrepreneurial goals. LIFT’s vision is for 100 percent Read more
A group of teens built a campfire and started to cook sausages on the grounds of First Church In Dunedin. They fled at the first sign of trouble, leaving the fire unattended and the sausages to burn. The communications adviser said it was definitely one of the more bizarre things she had seen in the Read more
Young people — including those who are religious — do not see religious leaders as trusted adults, according to a new study. Only 8% of respondents ages 13-25 who are affiliated with a religious group say they have a trusted religious leader they could turn to if needed. In contrast, 45% said they could turn Read more
The incidence of prolonged loneliness for youth increased significantly during the lockdown. For youth aged 15-24 years (General Social Survey) or aged 18-24 years (other surveys), the incidence of prolonged loneliness increased from 5.8% of youth before lockdown to about 20.8% during the lockdown. It fell slightly to 17.0% post-lockdown. These are the findings of Read more
New Zealand had the highest number of suicides in 10 years in 2016, according to the latest provisional data released by the Ministry of Health. It was up from 529 in 2015, and 510 in 2014. Males were the most represented in the figures, with 412 committing suicide in 2016, compared to 141 females. Continue Read more
According to Barna.com, Generation Z (people born between 1999 and 2015) are the “first truly ‘post-Christian’ generation.” In fact, the number of teens who associate themselves with atheism is twice as much as the general population, according to Barna. The decline in religion among teens is at a staggering 29% among 8th graders, 25% among Read more
Pope Francis has published a new document dedicated to youth, bringing full-circle a process of consultation that began last year when the Vatican reached out to young people around the world ahead of an October summit of bishops on how to better approach them. Called Christus Vivit, the document is 180 pages long and takes Read more
In the central rotunda of Keating Hall on the campus of Fordham University, there is a unique statue that is often overlooked by the the busy students and faculty who walk by on the way to class. The statue depicts Jesus at 18, the average age of an incoming college student. According to Aloysius Hogan, Read more
Pope Francis warned youth attending the synod in Rome not to be taken in by populist ideologies that exclude others. Populisms that make us see the other, the foreigner, as evil, as an enemy to be pushed away are to be avoided he said. “Today populisms are fashionable, which have nothing to do with the Read more
Sex abuse and economic scandals involving the Church are driving younger people away, Pope Francis admitted to a gathering of young Estonians during his visit to the Balkans this week. “We know – and you have told us – that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they don’t feel we Read more