United World Week (UWW) – a global event created by United World Project – took place between 1 and 7 May 2025. It saw over 150 concrete actions in 50 countries across five continents, all advocating the motto ‘Embrace Humanity, Spark Change’. A powerful invitation to embrace humanity to create real change, thousands of people across the world took part.

Each day had a central theme: Peace and Human Rights; Intercultural Dialogue; Art and Social Engagement; Health, Sport, and Ecology; The Economy and Work + Education and Research; Media and Communication; and, finally, Active Citizenship and Politics. The themes were shared daily through our ‘Password’ and presented by symbolic figurehead Laxman, the ‘sparkchanger’ who travelled around the world to share stories of change.

UWW 2025 was the setting for the official launch of United World Communities, a global network created during Genfest 2024, in Brazil. These communities reunite people, groups, and organisations of different cultures, beliefs, and generations by creating spaces for learning, collaboration, and concrete action. The goal is to build a more fraternal world, starting from a local context.

A Global Event Made up of Local Actions

From New Caledonia to Mexico, through Syria, Pakistan, India, Italy, Burundi, and Latin America, UWW took the form of cultural, social, spiritual, and ecological actions that reflected the richness of their various communities. Stories from the event recount experiences of unity, concrete fraternity, and active participation.

Some of the more impactful stories:

• In Burundi, during an interdenominational concert on 11 May, a number of young people from different churches said: ‘We have seen the dream of unity come true: dancing together, singing together, praying together… It was as if Heaven came down to us.’
• In Costa Rica an SMUx event gathered experts in human rights, art, ecology, and politics to promote dialogue and youth participation.
• In Korea Run4Unity in Seoul raised 47 million KRW (around 1,900 pounds) for wildfire victims, thanks to a number of ecological and pacifist missions.
• In Jeju young people combined sport, ecology, and communication to create digital content aimed at protecting the environment.
• In Pakistan Run4Unity brought families and young people together in a joyful setting of faith.

Run4Unity: Twenty Years of Relay Races for Peace

The latest edition of Run4Unity – the symbolic global marathon for peace – took place on 4 May. There were 68 local events, connected to each other through social media, with intercontinental relays. From Kenya to the Philippines, from Switzerland to Romania, from Italy to the Ivory Coast, the path symbolised younger generations’ commitment to peace among peoples.

There was a special moment that turned the spotlight on Chelsea Gichuhi, from Kenya, who managed the various connections between countries as we commemorated the twenty-year anniversary of Run4Unity, which concluded with the final relay between Arezzo (Italy) and Burundi.

AFRESH: Euro-African Cooperation for Equality

UWW also received support from the project AFRESH – Africa and Europe, Same Horizon (co-funded by the European Union) – which encourages horizontal cooperation between Europe and Africa. It aims to promote youth leadership and the role of civil society in building more just and sustainable relationships.

One Single Week, Infinite Connections

UWW 2025 was not just a symbolic celebration, it was a mosaic of real actions, a global laboratory of fraternity in which cultural, religious, and linguistic differences were transformed into bridges, not barriers. In a world wounded by division, UWW has borne witness to the fact that we can walk together, give voice to hope, and generate change.

Article translated into English by Becca Webley