1. Who is responsible for leading the meetings at Taizé?

The brothers’ community leads the meetings, working in collaboration with various communities of sisters, young volunteers from different countries and a few paid employees.

2. Will I remain with my group or friends during my stay and how will I be housed?

Yes and no! Sharing groups are formed at the beginning of the week, bringing together young people from different groups for morning and afternoon activities. You won’t necessarily be with your friends, but you can meet up with them during free time and meals. In the dormitory accommodation, men and women are separated. You can bring your own tent.

If you have any questions about the week’s program or your accommodation, you can come to the welcome center (Casa) and we’ll try to find a solution together.

3. Who are the volunteers in Taize?

Taizé does not work with qualified youth workers, but with young volunteers who stay for several weeks or months. They take responsibility for certain tasks and cooperate with the brothers and sisters. It is the volunteers who lead the various working groups, which include the young people who come for a week.

4. Can I speak with the brothers and sisters?

You can meet the brothers and sisters during the Bible presentations or in the places set aside for this purpose, in particular La Morada (the brothers) and El Abiodh (the sisters).

At the end of evening prayer, some brothers are present in the church for talks. They are not able to provide long-term support, but are available to listen on an occasional basis.

The volunteers who stay longer in Taizé are accompanied on a regular basis; the young women by the sisters and the young men by the brothers, designated by their respective communities.

Some brothers and sisters are present from time to time to supervise the work teams led by the volunteers.

5. How does Taizé ensure the good conduct of its brothers, sisters, volunteers and employees with regard to the safeguarding questions?

Brothers, sisters and employees undergo ongoing training to raise awareness of safeguarding issues (for example: meetings with victims/survivors, sessions on the effects of sexual violence, risk assessments of the different work spaces, etc). They are assisted by resource persons specialized in these questions.

Each volunteer follows a program that begins with an initial talk about the reasons for their application and - if they are accepted - they sign a code of conduct. Volunteers are monitored by a reference person in Taizé (brother or sister). At the beginning of their stay, they receive compulsory training in questions of safeguarding.

Brothers, sisters, volunteers and employees must provide a copy of their police record.

6. Which teams are responsible for the smooth running of the meetings and for safety?

All aspects concerning the meetings and security are covered by brothers, sisters and teams led by volunteers. Please follow their instructions to ensure that the week goes as smoothly as possible.

Here is a sample of these teams:

The “Meeting support” teams functioning during the day and the night. These two teams are made up of a lead brother, volunteers and young adults taking part in the week’s meetings They can be identified by a badge.

These two teams ensure that the week in Taizé runs smoothly.

The “Meeting Support” day team can be reached in La Morada.

The “Meeting Support” night team can be reached at Tent 2 from 21.30 to 23.30.

During the night, an on-call service is available for urgent problems. If necessary, the person on duty can call the emergency services or the doctor on duty.

The first aid point is open at certain times in the day.

7. How are the issues of sexual violence and spiritual, physical or emotional abuse dealt with in Taizé?

Those who welcome you are mindful of these issues. We acknowledge the courage of those who have come forward to disclose what they experienced and we take their disclosures seriously. Following the testimonies that disclosed acts of aggression and abuse committed by brothers in Taizé, Brother Alois took several steps that are documented in an open letter published in 2019 and in the Safeguarding Report 2019-2022 published on the Taizé website.

The community collaborates with the Commission for Recognition and Reparation and adopts its recommendations and decisions.

Each week, a meeting is held during which brothers talk about what has happened in Taizé. This meeting is intended to be a forum for discussion on how to react and act faced with this problem in Taizé, in the Church and in society.