Approximately 500 volunteers are making the final preparations in Timișoara ahead of the 7th edition of the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth ITO 2023.
At the beginning of August, the volunteers met with Metropolitan Ioan of Banat at a youth centre to discuss their duties for the upcoming International Meeting of Orthodox Youth.
“All the volunteers were trained throughout the year in several training sessions carried out by specialists in the field. We had a working meeting during this period because we entered the straight line in an unprecedented dynamism of the meetings so far,” explained Fr. Nichifor Tănase, diocesan adviser at the Education and Youth Activities Sector of the Archdiocese of Timisoara.
ITO 2023, which will begin on August 31 and end on September 3, is expected to draw over 3,500 young Orthodox Christians to Timișoara.
“The training activity emphasised practical situations, teamwork skills, team dynamics, risk situations and crisis prevention or response,” Trainer Oana Moşoiu noted.
“At ITO 2023, there are several categories of volunteers: we have young volunteers and students, priests from the parishes of Timisoara, religion teachers and other categories of teachers who come with the support of the Inspectorate, which is also involved. These categories have a different profile, they will do different things, and at the same time, there is a coordination between them because the activities are all intertwined.”
“It is an event that allows increasing the local capacity to organise events for young people, in the context of the Church, which I think is a great gain for our Church.”
According to Marius Ciulu, responsible for the education and youth activities at the Archdiocese of Bucharest, the volunteers underwent two training modules, including group cohesion and conflict management.
Photography courtesy of Facebook / ITO 2023 Timișoara
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