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>With the US and Russia leading the way the international partners along with the Syrians and groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, meeting in Munich, have announced a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week, the first in five years of civil war. The intention is to fully implement the existing UN resolution on Syria.</p> <p>It has a dual purpose; to allow UN-monitored humanitarian aid to all areas cut off and under siege, and to give time for a full resumption of stalled Geneva peace talks.</p> <p>John Kerry said the plight of ordinary Syrians had driven the talks.</p>
<p>On the eve of scheduled intra-Syrian talks in Geneva to seek an end to five years of internecine fighting, the top United Nations official for the war-torn country took to the airwaves today to speak directly to the Syrian people, vowing that the world Organization will never abandon them.</p> <p>“My message today is meant to reach every single man, woman, child of Syria, inside Syria and outside, in the refugee camps, or wherever you are,” Special UN Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said in a video recording.</p>
<p><em>The Focolare Movement in Mumbai has been reaching out to its local communities for over two decades, inspiring hope and change in the lives of underprivileged families, especially children and youth.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>“One can either walk away from the problems in another’s life or embrace the challenge head on.</strong> For a Movement that has chosen the suffering face of Jesus on the Cross, it is only natural that the Focolare in Mumbai chose to welcome the challenges among its communities with love and dedication,” writes Annabel, a young journalist, member of the Focolare in Mumbai. Santacruz Project and Udisha have come to symbolize the Movement’s strong commitment to social justice, universal fraternity and, above all, love for Jesus in the other in this city.</p>
<p>The common perception of the physically disabled throughout Mexico was that they are incapable of being productive members of society. Unable to work or provide for their families, they face discrimination, must be taken care of, and are kept at home.</p> <p>But an organization called Autonomy, Liberation Through Movement (ALEM) is working to change all that. Founded in 2007, ALEM provides vocational training, encouraging and empowering people with motor disabilities to find meaningful employment. In addition, the group is providing a service that was sorely needed throughout central Mexico: wheelchair repair.</p>
<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>
Economy & Work
Thirty-five years ago a dream was born: the Economy of Communion. In late May Argentina will host an extraordinary celebration where people of all ages will come together to breathe new life into this project and write the future for a different kind of economy.
Lorna Gold, Executive Director of Laudato Si’ Movement, reflects on ten years of the encyclical, analysing how integral ecology is an essential path to global unity and tackling the climate crisis.
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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