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 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>
<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>
Dialogue & Interculture
United World Week
Every year, from May 1st to 7th, the United World Project support, together with the Focolare Movement and Youth for a United World (Y4UW), the United World Week, a global action where many people promote events and initiatives worldwide to foster dialogue, unity, and peace.
Dialogue & Interculture
Dialogue & Interculture
Dialogue & Interculture
United World Week
Here’s the key: knowing that we do not know. No one possesses the absolute Truth, and by engaging in dialogue with everyone we can grasp aspects or fragments of truth that help us reassemble a shattered vase that we can restore only if we are “together”.
Economy & Work
Anna Granata, professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca, reminds us that teaching peace is not an abstract utopia. It is something that happens every day in Italian classrooms among children with diverse stories, languages, and backgrounds.
Art & Social Commitment
Celebrated Marvel and DC artist Gabriele Dell’Otto invites us to consider the people who are working to build peace as the real superheroes of our world. A profound discussion on responsibility, citizenship, and the challenge of doing the extraordinary in our everyday lives.
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