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>The Economy of Communion (EoC) Project lands in Central America, raising curiosity amongst business owners who are searching for values that can humanise work and production. The testimony of one architect.</em></p>
<p>Persecution, conflict and poverty have forced an unprecedented one million people to flee to Europe in 2015, according to estimates by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, IOM.</p> <p>As of 21 December, some 972,500 had crossed the Mediterranean Sea, according to UNHCR figures. In addition, IOM estimates that over 34,000 have crossed from Turkey into Bulgaria and Greece by land.</p> <p>The number of people displaced by war and conflict is the highest seen in Western and Central Europe since the 1990s, when several conflicts broke out in the former Yugoslavia.</p>
<p><em>Helping the youth to develop their awareness in choosing the good? The good practices of the Igbarian “Fraternity” school in Nigeria.</em></p> <p><strong></strong>Education is one of the most important challenges the Nigerian schooling system has to face, and where at times Nigerian society has to deal with aggressive behavior and religious traditions that imbue fear and a sense of helplessness in the face of evil.</p> <p>“One day,” <strong>Christiane recounts,</strong> ” a mother stopped bringing her daughter to school because we had asked the parents to cut the hair of the children who were about to start the first year of nursery school. She said that someone who was believed to be in contact with spirits had told her that her daughter would die if she cut her hair. And this explained why the child no longer went to school.”</p>
<p><em>A land of varying dangers. One day it’s calm; and the next day bombs are falling. Young people from the Focolare prepare for Christmas, going from home to home, sharing and bringing hope.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>“The life of each day varies, because the danger varies. </strong>On some days nothing happens, and you could even forget that there was a war. On other days you could be on your way to work and get hit by stray bullets, or walk into a battle, or under falling bombs in the middle of a civilian area,” Pascal reports. He has been living in a focolare in Syria for several years. <strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><em>Six experts from New Humanity attend a high-level meeting of the United Nation General Assembly, December 15-16. Some of the topics that were discussed included: fighting terrorism, protecting human rights, empowering women.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>Taking stock 10 years from the World Summit on the Information Society </strong>(Tunis, 2004): building an information society that is focused on the human person; inclusive and oriented towards development; finding adequate forms of funding equitable development of communications infrastructures; identifying common mechanisms and the effective management of the Internet. How far have we come in the past 10 years?</p>
<p><em>Interview with Antonio Diana, a business owner from Caserta, Italy, on the recent international “Environment and Rights” meeting promoted by the Focolare.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>Doing business today is no easy “business.” Especially in Caserta, a region of southern Italy known as the “land of fire” </strong>because of its toxic waste dumps. Yet, it is a “splendid land,” said Bishop D’Alise during the visit of Pope Francis – that has become a dumping ground of waste. The unemployment takes your breath away and steals away the hope of upcoming generations.”</p> <p><strong>An interview with Antonio Diana, president of </strong><a href="http://www.erreplast.it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erreplast</a><strong>, a local waste recycling industry: </strong></p>
<p><em>Responding to violence with gestures of peace, following the dramatic events in Beirut and Paris. A leaven that unites the Focolare communities spread throughout the world. Peace is an art that learnt together. Here are a few flashes.</em></p> <p>“Here in <strong>Dallas</strong>,” they write from Texas, “we held a peace march to raise funds for Syrian refugees.” “In Houston “We got together for a day of team building. With games, work groups, and so forth we learned how to be a team. On November 22 we held an interreligious prayer for peace. It was attended by Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians. The Archbishop also joined us.”</p>
<p>Nightfall in Paris has brought the promise of a new dawn in the bid to arrest global warming.</p> <p>One hundred and ninety five countries have agreed a landmark deal on climate change.</p> <p>“I now invite the COP (conference of the parties) to adopt the draft decision entitled ‘Paris agreement’ which features in the document. I’m looking around the room, I see that the reaction is positive, I don’t hear any objection, the Paris agreement for the climate is accepted,” President of the Climate Conference Laurent Fabius.</p>
<p><em>The Pukat Kaj initiative focused on theme of love (in action), peace and harmony. It was attended by hundreds of professionals, artists and faithful. The proceeds go to charity projects for the diocese of Agats-Asmat (Papua), focused on the education sector.</em></p> <p>"Love can be effective only when it is expressed in action, rather than remain just empty words. Regardless of the amount raised, this type of initiative is taken up with the aim of helping those in need" says Evy Tjahjono, introducing the traditional Christmas concert sponsored by Catholic entrepreneurs and professionals of the Archdiocese of Jakarta (Pukat Kaj). Since 1990 the event has been held on 21 occasions and this year focused on the themes of love, peace and harmony.</p>
From Nairobi, at the heart of Africa—a continent of 54 rapidly growing nations, where people under 30 account for about 70% of the population—comes a comprehensive proposal for global engagement. It positions younger generations to lead transformative processes, guided by a humanistic, community-oriented vision grounded in reciprocity and shared responsibility.
Communication & Media
In a context where the media can easily be turned into weapons, peace journalism—rooted in the ideas of Johan Galtung—emerges as an essential practice. It does not overlook conflict; rather, it examines its underlying causes and highlights non-violent responses as a path toward building lasting "positive peace".
The story of the Med25 Bel Espoir’s journey around the Mediterranean between spring and autumn 2025. Among the stories shared is that of Carlos Palma, the founder of Living Peace, and Ikram, an ambassador for peace in Algeria.
Interview with Majdi Abdallah, a youth from Palestine travelling on the school ship of peace, Med25 Bel Espoir. An emotional story based on the dialogue in the Mediterranean, the relations and of hope born aboard.
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