Port Moresby – Monday 28 July 2025 – The Youth Against Corruption Association (YACA), held its first-ever teachers’ workshop in Port Moresby over the weekend. The event was aimed at empowering educators to foster principles of democracy, civic responsibility, and integrity among Papua New Guinean youth.
The workshop brought together teachers to delve into the core principles of YACA, a dynamic, youth-led, membership-based organization committed to combating corruption in PNG. The YACA’s mission is to provide a vital platform for young people to express their concerns, develop leadership skills, and become positive influences within their communities. Founded by Fr. John Glynn in 2002 at Jubilee Catholic Secondary School, YACA is run by students and young people with technical support from Transparency International PNG (TIPNG), Fr John Glynn and teachers.
In delivering his remarks, Fr John Glynn said: “The purpose of the Youth Against Corruption Alliance (YACA) is to help young people to develop a strong sense of personal identity.”
The YACA is centered around an affirmation that young people are encouraged to recite everyday. The YACA Affirmation is aimed at influencing young people to take conscious control over how they see themselves, in a way that is a deliberate rejection of the negative influences of the society in which we live.
“We want our young people to be governed by high moral principles that they fully understand and willingly adopt. The YACA Affirmation gives you a strong and clear vision of the person you want to become in the near future. Describing it, and thinking about it in the present tense is a very powerful exercise,” said Fr John Glynn.
The workshop marks a significant step in strengthening the foundation of integrity within PNG’s educational system, aligning with the nation’s goals for Integral Human Development and promoting Equality and Participation for its youth.
The workshop was attended by teachers from De La Salle Secondary, Marianville Secondary, Gerehu Secondary, Port Moresby International, POM Grammar, St Josephs International Catholic College, St Charles Lwanga Secondary, Jubilee Catholic Secondary and La Salle Technical College.
