Beginnings
The ‘Patria Nueva’ [New Nation] group was born in 2002 as a response to the deep crisis affecting Argentina. The youth of La Plata realised that they could do something and that the national problem could not be solved by calling on politicians “to step down” without searching for a cultural change of values and ideals, beginning with the personal commitment of each Argentinean citizen to the social problem.
The youth of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement started this institution that is completely open to youth for youth and was formed by 70 members between the ages of 17 and 28 years and aims to create a generational wave of commitment for the transformation of the country through the future leaders of our nation.
Goals
The goal is to create a New Nation by means of:
- Making Argentineans aware of bad habits and the power of influence that each person holds in society;
- Promoting personal reflection aimed at changing personal practices through individual and/or group intentions;
- The commitment of new leaders in daily life and in society, emphasising the generational mission of today’s youth: the new founding of Argentina.
Patria Nueva seeks to point out the need to build a different country, starting with our own actions. Awakening new generations, calling them to a concrete commitment to their reality, in full confidence that the roots of the social problem are found in values rooted in Argentinean practices that are accepted as normal or indifferent and are based on individualism and personal interest. The key to creating a new Argentina is cultural change based on values such as honesty, unity, solidarity, commitment and service to the life of others.
In order to obtain the cultural change promoted by Patria Nueva, leaders must be prepared to serve selflessly, aware of the social reality and committed to it, starting with their own testimonies.
Patria Nueva is a generational calling. This mission commits today’s youth in the same way as the generation of 1810 were called to build a nation around certain values. They want to restore the importance of Argentina’s Bicentenary as a key date for our country, marking the Second Founding of the Nation with new values as our flag.
Corruption, a lack of rootedness, a lack of interest, “a Creolised lifestyle,” a “disoriented culture,” a lack of respect and hypocrisy are part of the daily practices of the Argentineans. Patria Nueva wants to take this reflection to society so that they can decide whether these are the values that they want to transmit in the daily actions of the society around us.
Patria Nueva promotes the following values:
Activities
- Springtime of Youth: The Springtime of Youth is an activity that brings together all of the educational bodies with those who work at the institutions supporting Patria Nueva and the community, so that together they can take a positive stand. The youth are the ones who ensure that there is an atmosphere in their school and their group that burns for the dream and they therefore spread the spirit of a New Argentina in our times. This is where they launch a campaign until spring time in the school, transmitting the message through drama, posters, talks or any other activities that they develop and adapt to their school and classmates.n que se adapta a su colegio y sus compañeros.
- The ‘Me, Argentinean’ Campaign: This campaign seeks to eliminate the poor concept society has of Argentineans and build culture through awareness and the justification for commitment, to transmit these essential values so that Argentineans can accept the new Argentina. This campaign involves citizens, the youth and all those who are thinking of a better future for our society. A future consisting of honest, united and committed people.
- Educational Project: This is an annual project beginning with leadership workshops that bring together the activities that gives shape to and concludes all the previous activities directed not only towards them but all the other students in other schools: the Springtime of Youth. This project is geared towards the creation of an educational activity for 16-year old students, which will then reach all other students in order to achieve the schools’ goals for the New Argentineans.
In practical terms the Educational Project includes:
- Leadership Workshop
- Motivational action: “Medium Battery Country;
- “Work with course leaders: formation work and justification for the development of activities within the school where the dream continues to grow;
- Awaken: an inter-school leaders rally to develop personal leadership skills and to plan for the Springtime of Youth;Springtime of Youth: a positive demonstration where all of the city’s youth who participated in the leadership training and social commitment shape the work they did under one motto: We want a different Argentina and we are already building this with each person in our school.
