On 25 July 2016, the international conference Integral ecology. Laudato si. The youth as harbingers of change was held at the JU Auditorium Maximum. The conference was organised by john Paul II Youth Foundation, Pontifical Council for the Laity, Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, the Jagiellonian University, and the World Youth Days 2016 Organising Committee.
The event was attended by the Jagiellonian University authorities, representatives of the Catholic Church, Polish and Italian ministers of the environment as well as scholars and experts in the field of ecology.
The conference was a continuation of the one organised during the World Youth Days 2013 in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to topics discussed during the previous meeting, this year's edition of the conference introduced Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si, in which he developed the concept of integral ecology, concentrating on mankind – particularly people who are impoverished, vulnerable, and oppressed. The conference participants discussed such subjects as the right to food and to property in all their aspects, particularly in the context of sustainable development, democracy, and food and water supply shortages.
The conference was co-organised by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Italian Ministry of the Environment, Polish Ministry of the Environment, and Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Since it is important for the young generation to understand the importance of environment protection, the conference's Technical-Scientific Committee comprises both experts and students.
