Stories from around the globe show how a united world is already in motion. This platform highlights experiences, initiatives, and projects from people and communities working for unity and peace. Explore what’s happening and get inspired.
<p><em>In Lugano, a conference entitled “Economics, Health and Happiness” organized by Supsi, Heirs and the Swiss School of Public Health. We talk about it with Luca Crivelli, director of the Department for Corporate, Health and Social Economics of SUPSI.</em></p> <p>An international academic conference, one of a kind, gathered 150 scholars from 4 continents last week in Lugano to discuss a topic - economics, health, happiness - which attracted a wide variety of researchers and gave the event an interdisciplinary nature that's rarely present in this kind of conference. Economists, psychologists, sociologists and physicians, each with the typical approach of their discipline, exchanged their ideas for two and a half days on the relationship between economics, individual and collective health and welfare, presenting works of great variety, in a real kaleidoscope of topics. There were 33 parallel sessions held in which every paper, previously read by a discussant, was thoroughly commented.</p>
<p><em>We can become creators of dialogue by instilling trust instead of fear and love instead of distrust. This is what the Focolare community of Teramo (Italy) has been able to do through contacts with a very special person: the Imam of their city.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>It all began in 2002</strong>, when the local community of the Focolare Movemen<span style="text-decoration: underline;">t</span> met <strong>Mustapha Baztami</strong>, the Imam of the Muslim community of Teramo, truly a man of God who was so struck by the spirituality of unity that he has become its tireless promoter.</p> <p>Since then there have been many moments when both communities came together to share insights and reflections, such as <strong>how the Qur’an and the Bible view the family</strong>; they also gathered to share foods and flavours and seeing colours and fragrances blend into one, like the people who savoured them.</p>
<p><em>A project shared by various Christian churches turned into a great civic event. There were various activities in the stands in terms of volunteer work, health, education, associations and community, employment and science.</em></p> <p><strong><strong>The festival took place in the park of</strong><strong> Szeged, city in the south of Hungary </strong><strong>and was</strong> </strong>“the biggest open-air, free of charge event of the year .” It was publicized at the Open Air Festival, in a press release, and distinguished itself for the great number of participants and performances.</p> <p><strong>But what was the novelty of this event? «</strong>When, a few years ago they announced for the first time a possible Christian manifestation at city-level, no one thought that such an ambitious project could ever come about in our country, », wrote <em>Új Város</em>, the Focolare Magazine in Hungary. «It was not just the dream of a single person, but of the ecumenical group of pastors of that city. A dream which, a year and a half ago, started to take form, involving various religious, civil and political associations, » until it gave rise to the Festival held from 25 to 27 September.</p>
<p>The Security Council today moved to set up a United Nations political mission in Colombia, approving a team of international observers to monitor disarmament should the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) reach a final agreement to end Latin America’s longest armed conflict.</p> <p>Unanimously adopting a United Kingdom-led resolution, the Council decided to establish a political mission for 12 months “to monitor and verify the definitive bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, and the laying down of arms,” acting just days after the two sides <a href="http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2016/53">jointly requested</a> the UN to consider such a measure in light of progress during three years of Havana-based peace talks.</p>
<p><em>The initiative of a 10-year old student in one of the largest schools of Salta (Argentina). With the support of his teacher, he instituted an ecumenical prayer for peace celebration.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>“I teach in a Catholic school in my city, Salta, in northern Argentina</strong>,” says Gabriela Carral. “In early October of 2015, I met Misael, a 10 year old student, following a prayer service held by Orthodox and Catholics for peace in Syria. At that particular time, the image of the lifeless body of the little Syrian boy, Aylan, had made the headlines globally through the mass media.</p>
<p>The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, concluded today his regional consultations with meetings in Tehran, where he received assurances from his interlocutors that regional current tensions would not affect Iran's engagement in facilitating the holding of upcoming Geneva talks on ending the crisis in Syria.</p> <p>According to a <a href="http://www.un.org/sg/offthecuff/index.asp?nid=4315">note</a> issued by the Spokesperson for UN <a href="http://www.un.org/sg/">Secretary-General</a> Ban Ki-moon, Mr. de Mistura told a press conference in the Iranian capital that he had useful exchanges with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian. Mr. de Mistura updated his interlocutors on preparations for the upcoming Geneva talks on Syria.</p>
<p><em>Sarvodaya, meaning Universal Uplift or Progress of All, expresses Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of future human society.We present the Bala Shanti Project in Coimbatore on the 25th anniversary of its establishment.</em></p> <p>“A society is good when the last and smallest member of society will have the opportunity to produce and earn sufficiently for a decent and dignified living.” This was the ideal of the philosophy which in 1986 pushed Dr Aram and his wife, Minoti, and a group of Gandhian friends, to start up the Shanti Ashram of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Literacy, development of the conditions of women, healthcare, environmental politics, battle against poverty, leadership programs for the youth and projects for children, are the actions promoted by the Ashram, of which the <strong>Bala Shanti</strong> project is part, and which was created in 1991 to help the very poor children in the surrounding villages. In 2013, Mrs Minoti wrote: “<strong>Tagore</strong>, the much loved poet and Nobel Prize awardee said: ‘Every boy and girl is a harbinger of the message that God still has not lost hope in man.’ It is in this context that I see the work for our children: to be able to serve one of the most precious gifts of God to humanity.”</p>
<p><em>The Quest for Peaceful Interfaith Co-existence” was the title of an international conference held in the Pakistan capital. It was sponsored by the Universal Nexus for Interfaith Trust & Engagement (UNITE). Christina Lee, a Korean focolarina, was one of the speakers.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>“A strong message of peace and friendship”</strong> was the goal of the event, held on 24-25 November in Islamabad, which was largely achieved and defined by the organizers as being “unprecedented in the history of Pakistan”. It was a conference that was sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in order to focus on issues relating to religious minorities in the country and to engage in dialogue with international experts regarding methodologies applicable in conflict situations. The conference gathered scholars and religious leaders from 26 countries. The Pakistan delegation included various representatives of these religious minorities (Christians, Hindus, Sikhs) and a number of young <em>ulema</em> Muslim scholars, since the formation of young people in projecting a correct image of Islam is one of the priorities of UNITE.</p>
<p>Marie Tarawally disembarks slowly from the motorbike taxi, holding baby Yusufu. The two have travelled seven miles along the dusty roads that connect their village, Robuya, to Pate Bana Marank community health centre, in Bombali district, northern Sierra Leone.</p> <p>Marie and Yusufu enter the centre. Inside, dozens of mothers and their young children are awaiting treatment for malaria, acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea, malnutrition and other childhood diseases. The neonatal clinics are free, and they are popular.</p>
Dialogue & Interculture
New Humanity NGO presented the M.E.D.I.T.erraNEW project — co-financed by the Erasmus Plus Program — to the Youth Section of UNESCO in Paris.
Peace & Human Rights
Amid the rubble of Syria, art becomes an act of resistance. Discover the story of Aeham Ahmad, the “The Pianist of Yarmouk”, who defied the horror of war with the invincible beauty of his musical notes.
Operation Mato Grosso is working on over 100 missions across Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, all rooted in education, hard work, and solidarity. Jacopo Manara, who has been a volunteer for years, tells us their story.
An interview on communication with Michele Zanzucchi, journalist and writer, former director of Città Nuova, professor of communication at Sophia University Institute and at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and author of around forty books.
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