What are you hoping to get out of World Youth Day?

Here at WYD Administration, we'd like to know, so that we can prepare things to suit the people who are coming, and afterwards, find out how things went for you.  We figured the best way was to ask you.

We would love everyone to have their say, and everyone will be given an opportunity to do so.

So when you are invited to take part, please say yes! 

Your replies will be anonymous and strictly confidential: we've asked an independent research team based at Australian Catholic University (ACU) to undertake the research; they will be doing some personal interviews and internet-based surveys.  The researchers are: Dr Michael Mason (Australian Catholic University), Associate Professor Ruth Webber (Australian Catholic University) and Dr Andrew Singleton  (Monash University).  They are calling the research project "Pilgrims' Progress 2008".

To preserve the privacy of the information you provided to World Youth Day Administration when you registered, the researchers won't know who you are or have any means of contacting you.  We'll send you an email inviting you to participate, but your responses will go straight to the research team, not to us at WYD administration.

Nothing you say in an interview or survey that could be traced back to you, will be communicated to anyone outside the research team – not to us at WYD Administration, not to your diocese, parish or school, not to anyone.  So you can feel free to be completely frank in what you have to say. 

Here's what's happening:

Interviews: on behalf of the research team, we have contacted some registered pilgrims via email, and invited them to take part in a interview with a member of the team.  The researchers are also asking for volunteers from WYD groups based in schools, parishes, or other organisations.

Internet survey: next May, we will send an email to ALL REGISTERED PILGRIMS requesting that you respond to an internet survey on an independent website having no connection to WYD.  Only the research team will have access to the individual responses to the survey.

During WYD week itself in July next year, the research team and their assistants will be present, and will ask some participants for a short interview.  (Ask to see the WYD ID of anyone who approaches you for an interview, so you know they are part of the official research team. Otherwise tell them to get lost!).

And some months after the events in Sydney, we will send out email invitations for a different internet survey – this time asking about people's experience of WYD08.

The payoff  from the research project for the WYD organisation is that we get to understand, from the research team's reports, 'where people are coming from' – that will help us prepare; and afterwards, we'll get an idea of how things went for the folks who attend preparatory events, the week of WYD, and the follow-up activities.

The payoff for you is that you'll get a chance to think through your WYD experiences, which will help you get the most benefit from them.  Completing the survey is part of your participation in WYD2008.

We want to hear from you, so when you are contacted, please put in your ten cents' worth!  Have your say!

Geoff Morris
Director, Pilgrim Services and Support
World Youth Day, Sydney 2008