High school students from Catholic schools across Thailand were challenged to put synodality into practice while championing human dignity as the third season of the MISSION POSSIBLE Youth Social Hackathon opened July 24.
The four-day event brought together 12 teams at Hua Hin Vittayalai School and the Salesian Retreat House in Hua Hin, a seaside resort town southwest of Bangkok.
The Catholic Teachers Association of Thailand, Catholic Education Council of Thailand, and LiCAS News co-hosted the event, which runs until July 27.
Organizers said the program responds to the Church’s synodal call to “journey together” by giving young people a platform to collaborate and develop practical solutions to pressing issues in Thai society.
Participants were also asked to draw from Pope Leo XIV’s rallying call in Magnifica Humanitas to uphold human dignity as they prepare proposals for seed funding.
“When the most prominent AI sales pitches talk about saving labor costs and touting replacing the human workforce, what will you pitch to champion the magnificence of humanity?” challenged Dr. Peter Monthienvichienchai, executive director of LiCAS News.
Dr. Sasikorn Suangburanakul, president of the Catholic School Teachers Association of Thailand, said the event was intended to help young people recognize their worth and their capacity to serve others.
“This event provides inspiration for the children to discover their inner greatness and self-worth,” she said. “By doing so, this will spur them on to serve and create a better society.”
Although most of the students are Buddhists, they embraced the synodal spirit of collaboration and listening as they took part in intensive “hacking” sessions with mentors and coaches.
Among the mentors was Hataitip Jirathun, who has battled cancer three times. She shared her experience and spoke about the strength, resilience, and hope that sustained her during the most difficult periods of her life.
Musician and public speaker Weeraphong Thaweesak also shared how he used music and listening to help change the mindset of prisoners, including those serving life sentences, and encourage them to pursue positive life goals.
After 50 hours of solutions development, each team will deliver a five-minute pitch on the final day. Professional public speaking coaches are helping the “hackers” prepare their presentations as they seek seed funding to turn their proposed solutions into reality.
MISSION POSSIBLE is a flagship youth engagement program of LiCAS News, organized in collaboration with Catholic academic institutions and youth-oriented organizations.
The first MISSION POSSIBLE Youth Social Hackathon was held in Thailand in 2024. The initiative launched its Philippine edition in 2025, and organizers plan to bring the program to other Southeast Asian countries.
