World Youth Day Cologne, Germany August 16-21

After five years of declining American visits to Europe, Euroland is again awash in masses of American visitors heading for Cologne, Germany to celebrate World Youth Day. references ... *Cologne Cathedral Virtual Tour *Cologne Panoramic 3D Views *World Youth Day 2005 Coverage Multimedia *Cologne Sights & Events *Cologne Cathedral Photos & Visitor Comments Welcome to Cologne 2005 Today the world has the largest number of young people, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the total population, in world history. Fully half of the world’s population is below the age of 25. Youth Is Our Future In the developing world, one person in three is between the ages of 10 and 25. Given these numbers, it simply is not an option to put the needs and rights of young people on hold or at the end of a list of seemingly more pressing priorities. The Real Prospects Today, on International Youth Day, we must confront the fact that millions of young people face devastating prospects. What are the real prospects of the half a billion young people who live in extreme poverty? What are the life chances of the millions of child brides who become pregnant? What are the opportunities of the 15 million AIDS orphans? reference ... *Chasing the Dream Cologne is the oldest major city in Germany. Its main attraction is the magnificent cathedral whose gothic spires rise above the city. The construction of the cathedral began in 1248 but it was not completed until centuries later in 1880. Today, it draws 6.5 million visitors a year and is the most visited monument in Germany. reference ... *Amid stately traditions, a land of the new With hundreds of thousands of young people expected to flock to Cologne to celebrate World Youth Day, the Catholic Church event is already being overshadowed by the threat of terrorist attacks on civilians. reference ... *Tight Security for Pope's Youth Gathering Cologne police are being joined by officers from other forces around the country, along with police from Portugal, France and Italy. Some 30 canine units trained in sniffing for explosives will also be on hand, Cologne officials and organizers said. German soldiers are also being drafted to help. Cologne Cathedral Inside View The city has been running drills ahead of the event, which begins next Wednesday and runs to Aug. 21 and is expected to draw at least 800,000 participants, along with more than 6,000 journalists. reference ... *Pope to Attend Germany's World Youth Day Rhine River Views 800,000 visitors from all over the world are expected to join this gigantic celebration of faith. The one-week-event will kick off on 16 August 2005 with an opening mass and a cultural festival on the banks of the river Rhine. Cologne Cathedral Main Entrance The days to follow will be filled with religious discussions and services as well as music, dance and parties. The highlight of the World Youth Day will be the closing mass, which will be held by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 August 2005. reference ... *20th World Youth Day - Cologne 2005 The world's largest gathering of Catholic youth -- World Youth Day -- is taking place in Cologne, Germany in August 2005. Various projects and events are planned in the run-up to the festival celebrations. reference ... *Germany Prepares for World Youth Day Described as the biggest high-profile international event to take place in the Rhine region in the last decades, the World Youth Day requires an immense amount of logistical planning covering everything from visa applications and accommodation for pilgrims to organizing volunteers, to ensuring protection of the environment. reference ... *World Youth Day 2005 Stumble It!

World Youth Day Cologne, Germany August 16-21

After five years of declining American visits to Europe, Euroland is again awash in masses of American visitors heading for Cologne, Germany to celebrate World Youth Day. references ... *Cologne Cathedral Virtual Tour *Cologne Panoramic 3D Views *World Youth Day 2005 Coverage Multimedia *Cologne Sights & Events *Cologne Cathedral Photos & Visitor Comments Welcome to Cologne 2005 Today the world has the largest number of young people, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the total population, in world history. Fully half of the world’s population is below the age of 25. Youth Is Our Future In the developing world, one person in three is between the ages of 10 and 25. Given these numbers, it simply is not an option to put the needs and rights of young people on hold or at the end of a list of seemingly more pressing priorities. The Real Prospects Today, on International Youth Day, we must confront the fact that millions of young people face devastating prospects. What are the real prospects of the half a billion young people who live in extreme poverty? What are the life chances of the millions of child brides who become pregnant? What are the opportunities of the 15 million AIDS orphans? reference ... *Chasing the Dream Cologne is the oldest major city in Germany. Its main attraction is the magnificent cathedral whose gothic spires rise above the city. The construction of the cathedral began in 1248 but it was not completed until centuries later in 1880. Today, it draws 6.5 million visitors a year and is the most visited monument in Germany. reference ... *Amid stately traditions, a land of the new With hundreds of thousands of young people expected to flock to Cologne to celebrate World Youth Day, the Catholic Church event is already being overshadowed by the threat of terrorist attacks on civilians. reference ... *Tight Security for Pope's Youth Gathering Cologne police are being joined by officers from other forces around the country, along with police from Portugal, France and Italy. Some 30 canine units trained in sniffing for explosives will also be on hand, Cologne officials and organizers said. German soldiers are also being drafted to help. Cologne Cathedral Inside View The city has been running drills ahead of the event, which begins next Wednesday and runs to Aug. 21 and is expected to draw at least 800,000 participants, along with more than 6,000 journalists. reference ... *Pope to Attend Germany's World Youth Day Rhine River Views 800,000 visitors from all over the world are expected to join this gigantic celebration of faith. The one-week-event will kick off on 16 August 2005 with an opening mass and a cultural festival on the banks of the river Rhine. Cologne Cathedral Main Entrance The days to follow will be filled with religious discussions and services as well as music, dance and parties. The highlight of the World Youth Day will be the closing mass, which will be held by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 August 2005. reference ... *20th World Youth Day - Cologne 2005 The world's largest gathering of Catholic youth -- World Youth Day -- is taking place in Cologne, Germany in August 2005. Various projects and events are planned in the run-up to the festival celebrations. reference ... *Germany Prepares for World Youth Day Described as the biggest high-profile international event to take place in the Rhine region in the last decades, the World Youth Day requires an immense amount of logistical planning covering everything from visa applications and accommodation for pilgrims to organizing volunteers, to ensuring protection of the environment. reference ... *World Youth Day 2005