Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) Archdiocese of Harare will on 26 September 2026 host a Universities Training workshop aimed at strengthening youth leadership and advocacy for social cohesion, guided by Catholic Social Teaching (CST).
The half-day training will run from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Jubile Hall, Archdiocese of Harare Administration Offices. It will bring together Catholic students and leaders from universities and tertiary institutions across the Archdiocese.
Under the theme “Strengthening Youth Leadership and Advocacy for Social Cohesion, Guided by Catholic Social Teaching” and the tagline “Empowered Youth for a Just and United Community,” the workshop seeks to equip young people with practical tools to become effective advocates in their campuses and communities.
According to the Commission, the initiative comes at a time when Zimbabwean youth are navigating complex social, economic, and governance challenges that require principled, faith-rooted leadership.
In a statement contained on the invitation poster, CCJP Harare said the training will focus on grounding youth advocacy in the Church’s social doctrine rather than partisan approaches.
The Commission has outlined four key expected outcomes from the training.
Students are expected to understand Catholic Social Teaching as a framework for advocacy. This includes principles such as human dignity, common good, subsidiarity, solidarity, and preferential option for the poor.
Participants will also be trained to identify a priority issue affecting their communities, frame a case for change, and outline a stakeholder engagement plan.
Participating clubs or student body are also expected to leave the training with a draft advocacy action plan that can be implemented in their respective universities.
The workshop also aims to establish an inter-university network of Catholic student advocates to foster collaboration, peer learning, and joint action for justice and peace.
The training is being organized as part of CCJP Harare’s broader mandate to promote faith, justice and peace through civic formation and empowerment of lay Catholics, particularly the youth.
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace is the social justice arm of the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe. Guided by the motto Faith, Justice, Peace, it has been at the forefront of civic education, peacebuilding, and advocacy for good governance.
The upcoming universities training aligns with the Church’s renewed focus on youth participation in the synodal process and the call by Pope Francis for young people to be protagonists of social change.
By Tadiwa Madava
English