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>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>
<p><em>A school instituted out of love for the most deprived children of Ho Chi Minh City. The visit of Laura Mattarella, daughter of the President of the Italian Republic.</em></p> <p>It was not at all easy to delineate a social project from the start, as it occurred for <strong>the Pho Cap School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam</strong>. A few days ago, this project was honoured by the private visit of Laura Mattarella, daughter of the Italian Republic’s President, who accompanied her father on an official visit to the country. Laura Mattarella who came to visit the 100 children of the school, was welcomed simply – without protocols – by some members of the Focolare Movement, the current heads and collaborators of the School.</p>
<p><strong>COP21: on eve of UN climate conference, Ban Ki-Moon says 'time for action is now!'</strong></p> <p>On the eve of the opening in Paris of the United Nations climate change conference, widely known as COP21, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging all countries and all sectors of society to act now to reach a new universal climate agreement.</p> <p>“I'm reasonably optimistic and convinced that world leaders will adopt a very ambitious universal climate change agreement at this COP21,” Mr. Ban told the UN News Centre in an interview on Sunday at the Parisian headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).</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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