What is the Program?

The aim of the Program is to ensure as many young people from the Oceania region can attend World Youth Day in Sydney.

The Program is designed to link Host Partners, which are groups from Australia and New Zealand, with Pilgrim Partners, which are overseas groups. These partnerships will involve practical assistance, awareness raising and interaction between countries that may never before have been connected

Who is it for?

Parishes, dioceses, schools, communities, movements, chaplaincies, universities and religious communities are invited to 'partner' with an equivalent group in a disadvantaged country in our region to build a relationship of assistance for participation in WYD08.

When will it happen?

The Program starts now and continues to WYD08 when Australia welcomes international pilgrims for the event in July. Opportunities exist for longer term relationships to develop between the groups as appropriate.

Where will it happen?

The Program focuses on building relationships between groups in Australia/New Zealand and groups in Oceania. East Timor, Indonesia (West Papua) and Indigenous Australia may also be assisted as well as remote areas such as Christmas Island, Palm Island, the Cocos Islands and Norfolk Island. And of course the Program culminates in Sydney in July 2008.

How do I get involved?

Australian/New Zealand groups that wish to be host partners are invited to make links through already existing relationships or find a group to partner with through the table below. Use the form to contact a pilgrim partner group directly and, if you need help, Catholic agencies such as Catholic Mission and Caritas will offer information to host partners.