The young people participating in service-learning projects who have won the Uniservitate Award 2024 will share their experiences at the V Global Symposium held in Rome in person in November, with online transmission.
Firstly, they will do so in brief “flashes”, which correspond to the item of the programme “Students’ voices”, in which they will share through images the core of each project. Then, during simultaneous sessions, they will describe the activities developed and the academic knowledge acquired through them, the solidarity services provided and the link with the respective community partner.
From each of the seven Uniservitate regions of the world, at least one student and one professor from an award-winning experience will be in Rome and, in some cases, there will also be experienced representatives receiving Special Mentions of the Uniservitate Award.
Preparing these presentations, the Uniservitate team held an online meeting with students and educators who would travel to Rome. There, Andrés Peregalli, the Uniservitate general vice-coordinator, told them: ‘The Pope teaches that if education does not generate dreamers and poets, something might have gone wrong. Here we are gathered, not only dreaming but doing, because hope is built with concrete gestures and that is what your lives and your quests speak of’. And he encouraged them ‘to keep dreaming and to continue bringing about the fraternal world that we all deserve to live in.’
At the end of this online meeting, the participants shared their hopes for the V Symposium. ‘I hope to share unique moments, learn, laugh and meet many people from many different cultures,’ said one of the students, expressing a desire shared by others. Some participants also emphasized their intention to exchange meaningful experiences concerning their projects and foster bonds of mutual support among everyone attending the event. They believe that ‘Ithis Symposium will be a meeting not only to learn but, above all, to experience great love and faith.’