(28 July 2006) : The fourth Asian Youth Day celebrations began on Friday 28 July in
Hong Kong, under the theme – “Youth, Hope of Asian Families”. Similar to the World
Youth Days, Asian Youth Days are a gathering of young people, this time from all over
Asia. Youth Commissions of Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences have organized
the event which will end on 5th August with a number of spiritual and cultural
activities. Thousands of young Asian are participating in the events.
Sirikanya
Kulawanichnun from Thailand, who runs the Catholic Youth Commission’s Public Relations
Committee, said: “I attended all four AYD events organized so far. The first was held
in Thailand in 1999 in Hua Hin district. These events brought me into contact with
new friends who I am still in contact with. In 2001, in Taipei, the theme of the second
AYD was how youth can be a light for others. We tackled the problem of daily difficulties
we meet to live according to the teachings of Jesus. It was important to get to know
many youth and to learn to live together and to share capabilities. In Bangalore in
India, in 2003, I understood that there is the need to pay attention to ways of improving
ourselves. For this fourth WYD, I have the task to describe, to friends of other countries,
the Thai culture and our family values,” she said.