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>“A modern society needs fraternity in order to govern complex social relationships.” For “The protagonists of the fraternity,” ten years after his death we wish to introduce Sergio Vieira de Mello, UN official, promoter of peace in places of conflict alongside refugees and protector of human rights</em></p> <p><strong>16:40, 19th August 2003</strong>. A violent explosion blasts Canal Hotel, which was being used as UN headquarters in Baghdad. It was a serious attack that killed 22 people. Among these people, there was the Brazilian Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Envoy to the United Nations. Three days of official mourning was later decreed by the then Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in remembrance of the UN Human Rights High Commissioner. In 2008 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 19th August as the World Humanitarian Day. It is a way to raise awareness on humanitarian issues because nowadays, we live conflicts on a globalized level. In Bologna (Italy), a square that leads to ‘Porta Europa’ is named in his honour.</p>
<p><em>A small group of youth makes a big impact on the Texas border — and keep going even in difficult times</em></p> <p><strong>“I come from a small city near El Paso, Texas</strong>, where there is not much recreational fun. It offered me, though, something more valuable. A huge activity our youth group got into was the broadcast from a local radio station called Chicos Por la Unidad (Young for Unity), 1110 AM Radio Guadalupana. Even though El Paso has been named the safest city in America for the last three years, because of its location on the border people are continually exposed to violence, injustice and poverty. We wanted to find some way to give the values of peace, brotherhood and love to the young people of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, our “sister city” right across the border and one of the most dangerous towns in Mexico. It took three months to get the approval, but in the end we created an hour-long program called “Teens for Unity — where only love can change the world.”</p>
<p><em>Vatican City, July 31 -</em> <em>Pope Francis on Wednesday announced that the theme for the celebration of his first World Day of Peace will be "<strong>Fraternity</strong>, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace"</em></p> <p>Celebrated on January 1, the Day of Peace was the brainchild of Pope Paul VI and advocates for the end of world violence. "<strong>Fraternity</strong>, a gift and task that comes from God the Father, urges us to be in solidarity against inequality and poverty that undermine the social fabric, to take care of every person, especially the weakest and most defenceless, to love him or her as oneself, with the very heart of Jesus Christ," said a Vatican statement.</p> <p> </p>
<p><br /><em>At the conclusion of the <a href="http://www.cantierelegalita.org/" target="_blank">Meeting of Caserta</a> a wide-ranging discussion on how one person’s choices affects others. My revealing waste habits</em></p> <p>A current trend in society is the quantified self, capturing data about our daily lives such as diet, sleeping patterns and exercise routines to better understand our habits and improve our quality of life. As a part of my master’s research project, which was dedicated to understanding the invisible urban waste infrastructure, I began exploring the quantified self through the lens of waste. What if we could track our waste habits to better understand our lifestyle choices?
<p><em>Little but great experiences during the WYD's eve. A seminar was held at PUC University in which young people belonging to the three great monotheistic religions have builded bridges in Rio de Janeiro</em></p> <p><strong>For the first time in the World Youth Day history</strong>, there was an encounter between young people of the three great monotheistic religions. Sunday, 21st, 150 young Catholics, Jews and Muslims met at the auditorium in the PUC University for a seminar sponsored by the Interreligious Youth of Rio de Janeiro (JIRJ, in Portuguese) in order to celebrate “unity in diversity” and put into practice dialogue, going down to the smallest details. For example, the organizers decided not to offer any refreshments during the interval in order to respect the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.focolare.org" target="_blank">www.focolare.org.</a> By living the Golden Rule in the Focolare community of Acquaviva delle Fonti in southern Italy, people share the family spirit with otherswho are living far from their homes and loved ones.</em></p> <p><strong>They come from the most varied backgrounds, lands and cultures</strong>: Albania, Ukraine, Georgia, Morocco, Senegal, Romania, Nigeria and Belarus. Like many of their fellow countrymen and women they are leaving behind dramatic situations, as well as their loved ones in the hope of finding work and a better future for their lives.
<p><em>This is the very first of our monthly appointments: “Leaders in fraternity”. What we would like to do is take a look through history and discover people who have lived for this ideal. We want to begin with Cardinal Francois-Xavier Ngujén Van Thuan, an Asian contemporary. The 6th July marked the conclusion of the first phase of the beatification process</em></p> <p><strong>Simplicity and hope.</strong> For many people, whether in Tanzania or in Korea, he was known simply as ‘Bishop Francis’ which is what he wanted to be called. He was a simple and friendly person. His love for humanity and confident hope made him an icon of the Asian Catholic Church. The first phase of Cardinal Van Thuan’s beatification process concluded on 5th and 6th July in the Vatican. It is a process that began immediately after his death in 2010.
<p><em>There are on-going meetings between the Youth for a United World (Y4UW) and the UNESCO National Commissions in various countries of the globe. After Australia, it was Jordan’s turn to meet UNESCO at Amman, early July. The Y4UW give a summary of this afternoon meeting.</em></p> <p> </p> <p>“Throughout this year, along with our community, we have tried to spread the culture of fraternity.<br />This was our aim and spirit when we met with Ms Nuria Roca Ruiz, responsible for the Culture Unit at the UNESCO National Commission in Amman, Jordan on Monday 1st July. During the one and a half hours spent with Ms Nuria we described the United World Project (UWP) in its three aspects: the Network, the Watch and the Workshop.</p>
<p><em>An Italian girl narrates as a firsthand observer, the launch of the project of sharing with the African continent, which involves the youth of the Focolare Movement, as part of the larger United World Project. A "one way" trip. From the site www.focolare.org</em></p> <p> </p> <p>“We reached Mariapolis Piero (Nairobi, Kenya) on the 10 May morning, and were welcomed as only the Africans know how: with smiles and hugs without reserve for all! This is because they place the person at the centre of their days, and we discovered this through their lives, and the stories of their tribes that were presented during the School of Inculturation.
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.
EN
