About

 

ŻGĦAŻAGĦ AZZJONI KATTOLIKA - MALTA

Istitut Kattoliku, Floriana, VLT 16, Malta

ZAK is a national Catholic youth organisation with a number of youth groups within different parishes.

ZAK Logo

Aims Provisions

Its fundamental purpose is to provide programmes of spiritual and personal development. The aim of this process is thus to affirm an individual in his or her proper identity and involve him/her in relationship with God and others.

A ZAK youth group provides

  • Spiritual Awakening: to rediscover the God beyond all that has been identified through the young person's past years
  • Association: a place to meet friends and socialise.
  • Activities: new experiences and opportunities to exercise the body and mind.
  • Advice: a process which provides information, help and referrals
  • Action in Community: opportunities to help and assist in parish needs.
  • Access to life and vocational skills: to mediate transition from full-time education to adult life.

The above provisions are provided in various proportions to suit the needs of the particular parish group and even age range.

ZAK works with the following groups

  • 11 years
  • 12 years
  • 13 years
  • 14 years
  • 15 years
  • 16 years
  • 17 years upwards.

Each youth group is facilitated by a youth worker or youth leader who is either a priest or a lay person together with the young people themselves. The guiding principle is 'EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS'.

ZAK Structure

ZAK is made up of a President and a national team, however decisions are taken when leaders from all youth groups meet once a month for a support group. During the support group each group is given the chance to tell all the others what has been going on and also to advertise coming activities. National and international events are also discussed during the support group and decisions are taken on them. The leaders will then pass on any necessary information during the meetings held in the various parishes.

When planning activities, both on a national and on a parish level, ZAK promotes the use of planning groups. Anyone who wants can join in the planning group and help in organising that particular activity. This is of course very good as it promotes empowerment and gives a chance to experience responsibility.

ZAK Groups

Each ZAK group is parish based and the activities are very varied. Meetings are held weekly and this is where some of the activities are planned. The activities vary from those just for the group, to those on a parish level to those aimed at inviting other ZAK groups to attend.

A typical meeting will start with reflections and possibly a small group game. The meeting itself be a discussion or a group game which promotes working in teams and other similar life-skills. Processing is followed by a prayer.

ZAK Activities

Besides the many activities that are organised by the parish groups, ZAK is also involved in other activities, both national and international.

National activities held are rather varied. ZAK organises  a Summer Camp each year for it's members to reaffirm the members identity and formation. it also organises two social events - one in the summer and another in winter.  The leaders attend a Leadership Training seminar yearly.  ZAK also actively takes part in activities organised by the Maltese Catholic Action and other activities organised on a diocese level such as the Pentecost Vigil and Christ the King celebrations.

International activities are rather numerous. There are many opportunities for ZAK members to go abroad and participate in activities organised by both FIMCAP and EYCE of whom ZAK is a member. These activities could be leadership training, seminars on various issues, etc. There are also times when ZAK hosts international activities here in Malta and they are attended by foreigners. This gives the Maltese members a chance to take part in international activities without going through the expense of going abroad.

Synod in Action

Implementation of Synod Values through 2003/2004 within each ZAK group. Click here to read more.

ZAK T-Shirts

It is said that a picture can say a thousand words. If that is the case each ZAK t-shirt can write a whole chapter. If you have been a ZAK member for many years, your wardrobe will most certainly contain many ZAK t-shirts which all together can write a whole book. Click here to view ZAK T-Shirts.

ZAK Regeneration

Zak invests much in peer leadership.  Therefore young people within the organisation are encouraged to lead younger groups in their own parish or wherever the need arises.  Thus, specialised seminars are provided so that young leaders are given tools to practice youth work effectively.  A person cannot give unless that person first receives, so we firmly believe in the importance of these leaders' seminars, to which prospective leaders are also encouraged to attend.

Module 1 is called 'Ready'. This is aimed at prospective leaders or new leader and asks the question

'What is a ZAK leader?'

  • ZAK Aims
  • Commitment
  • Preparation and delivery of meetings and activities
  • Role model principle
  • Motivation
Module 2 is called 'Steady'. This is aimed at leaders of age 17 who will have completed module 1.
  • Ethical Issues
  • Relationships vs Limits and Boundaries
  • Spirituality
Module 3 is called 'Go'. This is aimed at leaders of age 18 who will have completed module 1 and module 2.
  • ZAK aims revisited
  • ZAK provisions
  • ZAK leaders and Education

ZAK Is a Member of :


F.I.M.C.A.P.

F.I.M.C.A.P. is an International Catholic Federation of Youth Organisations. The abbreviation F.I.M.C.A.P. comes from the original title : "Fédération International des Mouvements Catholiques d'Action Paroissale". Today, 36 organisations of 27 countries in 4 continents make up whole Fimcap (see map below).

Fimcap is a federation gathering Catholic children's and youth organisations not relating to a specific professional group, but having all children and young people - being in parishes or not - as target group. The organisations affiliated to Fimcap aim to bring children and young people together in groups during their leisure time. This community group life should help the members to live their own lives according to the values of the Gospel, and to share their insights and their work with others.

Fimcap wants to unite the member organisations in the spirit of fraternity and mutual help, in order to achieve the awareness of all members that they belong to a world-wide community of children and young people. Fimcap wants to help them discover and understand the specific problems and needs of children and young people all over the world. Fimcap wants to give concrete help to the life of organisations especially by educational and systematic exchanges.

Fimcap issues the Link magazine. You can read the editions for October 2007, December 2007, April 2008, July 2008, November 2008.

Click here for Fimcap Prayer

Organisation of Fimcap: