Diocese of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi conducts survey on 1412 young people

The Diocese of Oppido Mamertina-Palmi conducted a survey of 1412 young people between the ages of 13 and 19 to examine their desire to remain in the region. The participants represent 17.8% of the local school population.

Don Pino Demasi stated that the results reflect a tension between affection for their home and the fear of being unable to build a future there. While 33% of those surveyed want to stay, they fear a lack of opportunities, and only 11% say they want to remain with conviction. The inclination to leave the territory increases as students progress through school, rising from 63.1% among first-year students to 83% among fifth-year students.

Only 14.2% of the young people feel truly heard by institutions, while family and school remain their primary points of reference. Additionally, 61.4% of respondents reported witnessing or experiencing situations where access to opportunities was influenced by favoritism, a reality that 70.5% say discourages those who study and work hard.