Summer School on Laudato si’ “On Care for Our Common Home"

Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria in partnership with
GIFSEP is organizing the inaugural edition of Benue Summer School on Laudato si’ “On Care for Our Common Home.

Goal: To raise advocates on Laudato Si “on care for our common home”.
and to form a Laudato Si movement in the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria.

Objectives:
1. Create awareness and build positive attitude about the

environmental conservation among people
2. To empower and expose the youths to the untapped
opportunities that abound in Environmental conservation
3. To equip participants with action-oriented approach to care for
the environment

Venue: Divine Mercy Minor Seminary Makurdi
Contact: +2348188889984
www.gifsep4climate.org

Pope Francis in his second encyclical Laudato si subtitled “on care for
our common home” wrote that the real problem lies in the fact that
humans no longer see God as the Creator. Thus, we see “other living
beings as mere objects subjected to arbitrary human domination” and
do not realize that “the ultimate purpose of other creatures is not
found in us’’. Francis says that instead of viewing humanity as having
“dominion” over the earth, we must see that everything is
interconnected and that all of creation is a “kind of universal family”
Nature cannot be seen as something apart from humanity, or merely
the place where we live. He says that our social and environmental
crises are thus one complex crisis that must be solved holistically.
Environmental education and capacity building is an area that is in
dire need of a wide range of publicity especially among the youth, it
creates a sense of awareness about environmental-related issues
such as global warming, climate change and pollution, it helps
individuals to adopt to a greener way of living and thinking.
Environmental education promotes critical and creative thinking skills
and inspires the youth to become more engaged with their
communities, it provides them with the building blocks needed to live
eco-friendly and sustainable lives.
Through education and practical actions, the youth can contribute to
every aspect of environmental awareness. When empowered, the

youth can reduce vulnerability of themselves and those of their
communities and also contribute to environmental stewardship and
sustainable development. It is in view of the foregoing therefore that
this Summer School is proposed which is the first of its kind in Nigeria
to target selected youths within the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi,
Benue State, Nigeria to expose on current environmental issues and
to build their capacities and empower them with practical application
of skills and identification of huge opportunities that exist.