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Participants following a session during the conference

 

On 11 February 2017, Richard Kakeeto, an assistant for Globethics.net's East Africa regional programme, convened the 3rd Youth Chastity Conference. The event was attended by 715 young people from eight high schools, five universities and eleven youth groups. Under the mandate of the Centre for Social Justice and Ethics-CUEA, this year's conference focused on Chastity and Self-management. Speakers included Sr Rose Macharia of the Sisters of Mercy and Mr Dominic George Kamau the youth coordinator for the Archdiocese of Nairobi.

 

Participants were helped to understand the challenge of their generation. Globally the age of sexual maturity has been starting earlier than previously (see the American Academy of Paediatrics 2012 study) with the consequence that matters related to social responsibility need to be addressed earlier with young people. 

 

The chastity conference was held for the first time on 8 July 2014 and again on 8 July 2016. On this day the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St Maria Gorretti as patroness of chastity. The 2014 conference convened 120 participants, the one of 2016 had 430 participants while that of 2017 had 715 participants. This growth from strength to strength has seen young people increase their awareness about chastity. Slogans such as "Abstinence good but Chastity better" or "My C-Word is Chastity" are gaining momentum among young people as a form of resistance against engaging in sex outside of marriage. The next youth chastity conference is being planned to take place on 10 February 2018. Between now and then, Globethics.net East Africa has standing invitations to cover the same topic in several high schools and university campuses. 

 

During this event the Globethics.net East Africa programme set up a registration table where participants came for information about the programme. More than 60 of them registered as participants of Globethics.net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                   Richard speaking to participants                                                             Globethics.net desk set outside the conference hall