Dear Leadership Team,

It has been a joy, over the last few months, to have grown and be formed together as the leadership team for our pilgrimage. We thank you for your faithfulness and dedication. We can't wait for you to accompany and lead our pilgrims in this encounter of faith. Next week, our first group – Footsteps of Jesus – will leave for the Holy Land.

In this special update:

• WYD Leadership team briefing this Thursday
• Commissioning Mass volunteers callout
• Resources and documents
• Phone numbers and Sim cards update
• WhatsApp update
• Photography update

You are invited to attend an online leaders' briefing on the Commissioning Mass and Final Pilgrim Gathering this Thursday, if you are available.

Thursday 13 July 2023
7.30pm – 8.15pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83858753447?pwd=UE1rK3Z4RTlsOGQ5WFI1ZWxCdkNNZz09

Meeting ID: 838 5875 3447
Passcode: 364576

Please note, if you cannot attend, a recording of this session will be made available.

We are packing pilgrim packs this Saturday (which will be given out after the Commissioning Mass) and we would love as many hands as possible. So, if you have a couple of free hours to come down to the Catholic Leadership Centre in East Melbourne and help, we would be forever grateful!

Starting 11.30am until we are finished. Lunch is provided at 1pm.

Please RSVP to Emma emma.bakker@cam.org.au asap.

Through this link you can access:

• Codes of conduct for leadership team, over 18 pilgrims and under 18 pilgrims (pilgrims are yet to receive and sign their codes of conduct)
• Slide decks from the leaders' weekend retreat on the 24 and 25 June

Please note that while on pilgrimage, you will have access to a folder to access relevant policies and documents to support you in your responsibilities.

Printed copies of documents will also be made available to particular leadership team members before departure.

Sim cards and e-sims for small group leaders and pilgrimage coordinators have been purchased.

They will be available to be picked up at the Final Pilgrim Gathering on Sunday.

WhatsApp Usage Guidelines

WhatsApp groups will be created to allow small group leaders to stay in regular contact with their pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage, and also readily share important safety, planning, and logistical information. Groups also allow pilgrimage coordinators to broadcast messages to all pilgrims and leaders in times of emergency and critical incidents.

Safeguards.

Existing CAM and MACS policies and WYD Codes of Conduct provide clear guidelines for behaviour of leaders in the online space. “I will refrain from behavior that will negatively impact other pilgrims’ experience on the trip. I will respect the property of other pilgrims and the environment in which I am in, including online environments.”

Groups will be created by MACS and CAM and distributed to Pilgrims following our in-person briefing on Sunday 16 July. All groups will be archived and closed at the conclusion of the Pilgrimage. Pilgrims will be informed of expectations of behaviour prior to being admitted to the group and the expectations will also be posted in the announcements of each group.

In addition to the Small Group Leader, the Pilgrimage Coordinator will be a member of all groups that include pilgrims under 18 years of age or current students over 18 years of age. All Small Group Leaders leading under 18 groups will be provided with a dedicated overseas phone number. Leaders and pilgrimage coordinators will regularly monitor the content of the groups in which they will be admins with the ability to delete unwanted messages or remove members from the community.

WhatsApp has standard end-to-end encryption that prevents interception of messages on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Expectation Statement

This WhatsApp Group is for communication between pilgrims and their leaders for the duration of your Pilgrimage to World Youth Day. Any bullying, harassment, discriminatory, offensive, or controversial or against the Catholic ethos will not be tolerated. This includes personal communication not related to your pilgrimage to World Youth Day. Disciplinary action may be undertaken against any pilgrim or leader who is found to be using these groups in ways that do not align with our Pilgrim or Leader Code of Conduct.

The following guidelines for photography on pilgrimage have been established and will form part of our Pilgrimage Operations Manual.

Photographs, films, and other recordings of individuals are considered personal information, and as such are protected by privacy law in the same way as other personal information. They may also be protected by copyright law.

Photography for over 18 Pilgrim group leaders.

Leaders are free to take and share photos of pilgrims within their group with the permission of the pilgrim themself.

Leaders will be permitted to take photos of their pilgrim group for the purpose of recording the pilgrimage for use within their school, parish, or local community. Leaders are to be aware that when taking, sharing, or publishing these photos they are acting in their official capacity as a Leader and under existing policies and codes of conduct.

Leaders are not permitted to take photos of under 18 pilgrims.

Crowd shots that do not feature any particular individual do not need signed consent from each pilgrim.

Photography for Under 18 Pilgrim group leaders.

Leaders will be provided with the photography consent information of pilgrims within their small group. Individual Leaders will be responsible for ensuring that photos only contain pilgrims whose parents/guardians have given photo consent.

Leaders will be permitted to take photos of the members of their pilgrim group (conscious of relevant permissions) for the purpose of recording the pilgrimage for their school, parish, or local community. Leaders are to be aware that when taking, sharing, or publishing these photos they are acting in their official capacity as a leader on WYD and must act in accord with all existing policies and codes of conduct.

Photos containing under 18 Pilgrims are not to be shared on personal social media.

All photos containing under 18 Pilgrims must be deleted from personal devices at the conclusion of the pilgrimage.

Crowd shots that do not feature any particular individual do not need signed consent from each pilgrim.