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>Campaign for Peace in the Great Lakes set to begin in December.</em></p> <p> </p> <p style="display: inline !important;"><strong>Catholic and Anglican bishops in the Congo</strong> have come together in a joint campaign meant to promote unity in this nation that has been up until recently ravaged by violence from an armed rebel group.</p> <p style="display: inline !important;"> </p> <p style="display: inline !important;"> </p> <p style="display: inline !important;"><strong>The Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa</strong> (ACEAC) brings together the Catholic Bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda and the Association of Anglican bishops. The joint initiative will be titled "Peace in the Great Lakes."</p> <p><strong>Bishop Fridoin Ambongo of Bokungo</strong>, president of the Commission For Justice and Peace of the ACEAC, presented the campaign in Kinshasa. The Congolese prelate spoke about the recent defeat of the M23 rebel group, which terrorized the area of North Kivu.</p>
<p> </p> <p><em>Life-saving devices to be placed all around Bussolengo</em></p> <p><strong>Verona, November 12 -</strong> A mayor in northern Italy on Tuesday said she was donating her salary towards buying defibrillators for the town. "I truly believe in this initiative," said Mayor Maria Paola Boscaini. "It's worth foregoing my mayor's salary".</p> <p><strong>The goal is to put the medical devices</strong> in crowded parts Bussolengo, outside Verona, such as schools, gyms, sporting complexes and shopping centers, giving residents easy access in the event of a heart attack.
<p><em>International relief effort is under way, but rescue workers have struggled to reach some towns and villages cut off since the storm.</em></p> <p><strong>Officials estimate up to 10,000</strong> people have died in Tacloban city (Leyte Island, Philippines) and hundreds elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced. The typhoon flattened homes, schools and an airport. It has since made landfall in northern Vietnam, near the Chinese border, where it has weakened to a tropical storm.<br />Supplies</p> <p><strong>Four million people have been affected</strong> in the Philippines, and many are now struggling to survive without food, shelter or clean drinking water.<br />A huge international relief effort is under way, but rescue workers have struggled to reach some towns and villages cut off since the storm.
<p> </p> <p><em>The Grand awa Family lives in one of the areas most affected by conflict</em></p> <p><strong>The Awa are an indigenous people who straddle</strong> the Ecuador-Colombia border but do not feel part of the modern societies on either side. That has not saved them suffering the consequences of the armed conflict that has battered Colombia for years. (…)</p> <p><strong>For the more than 4,000 Awa in Ecuador</strong> and some 40,000 in Colombia the border is non-existent. The ´Grand Awa Family´ is considered one territory, irrespective of internationally recognized borders. Unfortunately for the Awa people they live in one of the areas most affected by conflict. (…)
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #595959; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #515151; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px;">Region starts infrared plane, drone, sattelite controls on area</span></em></span></p> <p><strong>Naples, November 8</strong> - Air surveillance has been ordered over the southern Italian region of Campania to identify any anomalies and any environmental issues related to illegal waste-management practices that have in recent months hit international headlines.</p> <p><strong>The aerial oversight will use</strong> an ATR 42 MP aircraft bearing infrared vision systems, and aims to help authorities combat environmental crimes such as the illegal burning of rubbish in areas near the city of Naples, which have triggered the location in question to be renamed "Terra dei Fuochi" or "Land of the Fires".</p>
<p><em>First participation for GMU to the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum with 500 young people. Three days of work on the theme "Youth and Social Inclusion", whose recommendations will be presented to the General Conference in November. "Different, but so committed to solve the problems together.This really made us feel as one family."</em></p> <p><strong>For the first time, three delegates of Youth for a United World</strong> participated in the 8° UNESCO Youth Forum: three days of intense work at its headquarters in Paris from 29 to 31 October. Gathered around the theme " Youth and Social Inclusion: Civic Engagement, Dialogue and Development of Competences" , five hundred boys and girls around the world have debated on the main objectives of the draft strategy to the youth of the institution for the period 2014-2021.</p> <p><strong>Absolute protagonists</strong>, they have made recommendations for the member Countries of UNESCO which will presented during the session of the 37th General Conference which will be held in the coming weeks (5-20 of November, <em>ndr.</em>). The participants also worked together to choose fifteen projects to promote youth actions who have received the quality label "8th UNESCO Youth Forum" .
<p><em>The diplomatic speeches closing. The words of the President of the UNESCO General Conference Katalin Bogyay . The contribution that each one can give. The third and final part narrated by young people who partecipated.</em></p> <p>"On the third day strong was the impact on us of the speeches of diplomats closing of the Forum. It was very loud to hear them talk about concepts that are very close to our ideal: the world must live as one human family, to achieve peace we must open our hearts and love each other or it's the little concrete acts that constitute a better world.</p> <p><strong>"Resound even more the words of Katalin Bogyay</strong>, president of the General Conference of UNESCO, who attended the Genfest . She closed the Forum speaking to all of "Ubuntu", this African value that expresses the belief that ' I am because we are ' and that is the basis for Sharing with Africa, the next step of the United World Project. A great experience to know many young people who think themselves to their ideas and skills to be able to change the world.</p>
<p> </p> <p><em>From Egypt an act of fraternity: it's giving it's receiving. From the Facebook page of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Y4UW.JO?fref=ts" target="_blank">Youth for a United World - Jordan</a>.</em></p> <p><strong>"Two years ago, I worked at the British Embassy</strong> during summer period. I was trying to save as much money as possible in order to pay for my final year at university and not to be burden on my parents. After 4 months of hard work I managed to put aside a large sum of money which would cover all my final year expenses.</p> <p><strong>"One day I met a person I knew on the street</strong>. As soon as he saw me, he felt compelled to open up his heart and share with me all the difficulties he was facing. He had many debts and he did not know how to get out of the situation. The sum that he needed was exactly the same amount I was able to save in my bank account.
<p><em>Censis studies revealed an Italy more altruistic</em></p> <p><strong>Rome, November 6 -</strong> A majority of Italians are spiritual, altruistic, and still willing to fight for a better society, according to the latest research by the Center for Social Investment Studies (Censis). In its report released Wednesday and titled 'Italian Values in 2013: The Pendulum Returns', Censis asked respondents what they get the biggest charge out of: 59% said spirituality, 46.2% said family, 36.9% said being in love, and 29.5% said helping those in need.These were followed by making money (26.6%), being with friends (25.3%), and going to the gym (16%).</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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