• admin
• November 18, 2025

Being a World Youth Alliance (WYA) member brings a lot of excitement, particularly when it comes to advocating for human dignity.

Was the Advocacy Fellowship a surprise? Yes! It was a complete surprise.

The initial circumstances were difficult and quite heartbreaking when, after being accepted into the fellowship, I realized I couldn’t travel to New York for the event. All hope vanished; I was certain the opportunity to attend the advocacy fellowship training was gone.

A few weeks later, when I had given up completely, an email arrived late one evening—around 8:00 PM local time—with preparatory details for the Advocacy Fellowship. At first, I didn’t notice the contents, but by 10:00 PM, I finally saw it.

I discovered that I would be attending the Advocacy Fellowship online. I was so overjoyed that my happiness was expressed only in a single tear that ran down my cheek. This was like a dream I had held onto for the longest time, and it was finally becoming a reality. Of course, I had really wanted to attend the event in person, but attending it online did not diminish the wonderful experience I had.

The seven-hour time difference was a major factor, but it didn’t prevent the program from being a success. YES! It was a tremendous success from both a personal and intellectual perspective. I got the chance to share my experiences in WYA advocacy in Cameroon and to listen to my fellow participants.

Every minute, session and every participant was interesting, especially when we, the trainees, had the floor to present on key WYA advocacy topics such as the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC), FEMM, Reproductive Health, Maternal Health, Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, and Coercive Policies.

The lectures were very contemporary and touched on all key aspects that affect our human dignity, especially with the rise of gender and Marxist ideologies and how they impact the human person.

The workshops were fun and productive, particularly the one where we got a closer look at how policy papers are reviewed and what language is necessary from the World Youth Alliance point of view.

I really appreciated that in every session, the speakers invited trainees to share their testimonies and experiences about the work they do and how they relate it to everyday happenings around them.

It is always a fulfilling experience to meet people from other countries and realities. The speakers were highly informed and kept us engaged throughout the days.

The lessons from my experience are short and simple: as we continue to advocate for human dignity based on the principles of solidarity, family, and freedom for excellence, those who seek to destroy these human values are working tirelessly to bring forward new strategies and arguments that question the true purpose of the human person.

We must remain vigilant in our work to:

• Recognize the inviolable dignity of every person from conception until natural death.
• Uphold the family as the basic unit of every society.
• See humans as not only the problem but also the solution.

Being part of the World Youth Alliance Advocacy Fellowship was an amazing experience to gain in-depth knowledge on WYA advocacy work globally. The memories will live forever, and I will always want to extend my gratitude to the WYA HQ and the African Regional Office for their key role in promoting and advocating for human dignity.