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 Island will soon welcome the first Latin American Pope. The expectation of the people, State-Church relations and the thawing in Cuban-USA relations. Message from the bishops and the Focolare’s contribution.</em></p> <p><strong></strong>There is much expectation on the island for the upcoming visit of the first Latin-American-born Pope, planned for September 19-23, 2015. The expectation is certainly expressed in a wide variety of ways depending on the conscience and awareness of who and what the Pope represents. If you ask the people on the street you get all types of responses: “I think we are dealing with a great human being; I’m hoping he’ll feel at home amongst us;” Let’s hope that he brings beneficial changes for the people;” “It seems like a dream! We feel privileged;” “It’s a blessing for this small people of great heart to welcome three Popes in only 13 years.” Indeed, only Cuba and Brazil can make this claim. Many Cubans are of the same opinion and do not hide their pride over the third visit of a Pontiff – both believers and non.</p>
<div><em>They wanted to massacre everyone and burn the place to the ground. But after listening and being heard something changed.</em></div> <p><strong></strong><strong>Geneva, Switzerland, <em>Rue de Montbrillant, n. 3. </em></strong> Like every other Friday I go to <em>Jardin de Montbrillant, </em>a welcome centre for needy people in this cosmopolitan city where you can have a free hot meal. Today, as always, at noontime, we welcome around 150 people of every nationality.</p> <p>The room is already full and everything is going fine.
<p><em>Experience of Pietro, Chiara and Matteo about political commitment and active citizenship<br /></em></p> <p>Good morning to everyone,, <br />We are Pietro, Chiara e Matteo, three students representing the school of participation in Turin, Italy.</p> <p>Together ith twenty other boys aged between twenty and thirty years we decided to begin a process of active citizenship reinterpreted in the light of the ideal of brotherhood expressed by the political thought of Chiara Lubich.</p>
<p><em>In the rural villages of North-Eastern Nigeria, the drought is creating huge problems for the population. From Onitsha (a 24-hour journey away), some youths and adults of the Focolare went to visit to share the situation and bring some material and spiritual help.</em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong>In Nigeria, there is great inequality in the development between cities and rural villages</strong> where there are almost no infrastructures and no electricity, medical care, roads, etc. Yakoko is one of these villages located closest to the desert, amid mountains – where the Christian and Muslim communities have always lived in great harmony. In the evening after working the fields, the men gather in the square to discuss while sipping an alcoholic drink produced from their <em>Guinea corn.</em></p>
<p><em>In the rural villages of North-Eastern Nigeria, the drought is creating huge problems for the population. From Onitsha (a 24-hour journey away), some youths and adults of the Focolare went to visit to share the situation and bring some material and spiritual help.</em></p> <p><img style="margin-right: 5px; float: left;" src="http://www.uww2015.com/assets/pages/gallery/imgs/u-nite1/IMG_1807.JPG" height="150" /><strong>“Fabric, Flavour, Festival. Discovering Fraternity”</strong>, Mumbai and Coimbatore, India, 27th April – 4th May 2015, the main event of the United World Week 2015 (<a href="http://www.uww2015.com/">www.uww2015.com</a>), attracted around 150 participants from 18 countries across the world. In recent months we have updated you a lot about the activities held there in India, as well in the other corners of the world.</p>
<p><em>"I wanted to start some activities which young people can freely join and feel at home"</em></p> <p><img style="margin-right: 5px; float: left;" src="http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7299/9593048563_1d55ec837e_m.jpg" height="150" />I'm Kyoko, I live in Tokyo.</p> <p>The life in Tokyo is very individualistic and too busy to create relationships with others. Many of us feel alone though places are so crowded. As I choose to live for a united world, I wanted to start some activities which young people can freely join and feel at home but in our society its hard to invite any activities where you would meet many new people.</p>
<p><em>A step towards equity and social justice in Ecuador</em></p> <p><img style="margin-right: 5px; float: left;" src="http://www.mppu.org/images/news/2013-2015/Quito_montage_794x488.png" height="150" />Hundreds of people participated in the national dialogue for peace and social justice conventions held in Ecuador, including invited guests: opposition and civil society. President Rafael Correa gathered proposals for a more equal distribution of wealth after the occurrence of protest and controversies last June.</p>
<p><em>In Mauritania, a Congolese mother is helping refugees to reconnect by teaching IT, 17 years after her own displacement. Written by Helena Pes</em></p> <p><img style="margin-right: 5px; float: left;" src="http://tracks.unhcr.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/07222015_Featured_RefugeesConnecting.jpg" height="150" />The city of Nouakchott, Mauritania, is no stranger to refugees. Around 1,500 people who have fled some of Africa’s bloodiest conflicts now call it home. One of them, Budiaki*, is sitting in a computer room at a bustling Women’s Centre when I arrive, using her own experiences of life on the run to help women just like her.</p>
<p><em>Experience by George and Lara, from Lebanon</em></p> <p><strong><img style="margin-right: 5px; float: left;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/61/193869197_40092b8e93.jpg" height="150" />LARA:</strong></p> <p>We are George and Lara and we come from Lebanon. We thank you for this opportunity to speak.</p> <p>As you know, the Middle East is living one of the worst pages of the history of mankind. In front of such horror, the outstanding example of people sentenced to death because they refuse to renounce their religion, they pray for their persecutors and they forgive these massacres before their death, as it was for the twenty-one Copts killed in Libya during the events of last February; that challenges us deeply, both Christians and Muslims living in these countries. It reminds us of the greatness of love, forgiveness, which one day will change the face of the Earth.</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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