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>“Hi, I’m Blossom.</p> <p>Forgive, such a small word and hard to put into practice but brings immense joy and peace to us.</p> <p>When I was three years old when my dad left my mom and me to live separately. From the key hole of my bedroom door I would see my mom weeping every evening when she would get back from work. That’s the time when anger and hatred grew towards my father. As years passed, this anger grew like a wild fire within me. If anyone would ask me about my father I had a standard answer to it: 'He is dead'. He was really as good as dead for me.</p>
<p><em>From the site “catanzaroinforma” comes news of pupils from five classes of a primary school, who put on a show with the theme of reciprocal love</em> </p> <p>The interdisciplinary project “The golden rule” continues to enflame the hearts of the pupils of the “G. Sabatini” primary school of Roccelletta, Borgia (Calabria, Italy). This project is part of a bigger one, “Fraternity and peace for the unity of peoples”, which is promoted for Sicily and Calabria by the international movement “New Humanity” (the school, education and culture section), “Youth for a united world”, and “Teens for unity”. It accompanies children during their five primary school years to educate them towards reciprocal love through the so-called golden rule: “do to others what you would like them to do to you”. </p>
<p><em>Muslims and Christians together, spending an exciting day in the name of brotherhood. Besides, there is also the presentation of the United World Project and 500 new signatures. Regina, a Youth </em><em>for a United World, shares her story</em></p> <p>“The Youth for a United World of Nigeria have successfully concluded our Genfest which took place on 4th May, 2013. It was held at Justice Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium, Onitsha, in the Eastern part of Nigeria.</p> <p>“Our Genfest was entitled “Let’s bridge” and right from the start we tried to bridge first and foremost among ourselves before going out to bridge with others. On the day of the Genfest we felt that the bridges were already being built because the Stadium was colored with people from different ethnics groups, religions and cultures numbering up to 1000. The Governor of Anambra State, represented by the Education Commissioner, also attended along with many dignitaries. The Archbishop of the diocese sent a letter, bestowing his blessings. Some Muslims were also present, including the chief Imam of the Muslim community in the State.</p>
<p><em>The Youth for a United World (Y4UW) from Slovenia, Mexico, Czech Republic and Ivory Coast met with the <a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/" target="_blank">UNESCO</a> National Commissions</em></p> <p>After France and Uruguay, it was Slovenia’s, Czech Republic’s, Mexico’s and Ivory Coast’s turn to hold their meetings. We are referring to last month’s Youth for a United World meetings with the respective national commissions for UNESCO. Here are some excerpts of what they have written to us.</p> <p style="font-size: 13px;"><strong>From the Czech Republic:</strong> “On 30th May, we met with the UNESCO National Commission in Prague. We were received by the responsible, Dr. Michaela Andresová and in a very open and sincere atmosphere, we presented ourselves explaining the United World Project and how we live for universal brotherhood with young people from all over the world. We also presented our projects in the Czech Republic.<br />Dr. Michaela Andresová listened to us very attentively and at the end, she requested us to keep in touch and update her regularly on all that we are doing and especially with regards to the progress of the United World Project.”</p>
<p><em>It’s amazing how our life can be enriched when living next to someone who’s so different</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p>During the United World Week, around sixty young students and young professionals spent the weekend, from 27th to 28th April, at Arny, the Mariapolis Centre near Paris. The theme was: “Is the other person and his-her differences a brake or a springboard to leap forward?”<br />These youth belonged to different areas of France. There were Christians, Muslims and those with non-religious convictions. They shared their differences they were enriched with the experience that “loving together is possible!”</p>
<p><em>Here is the description of the fragment of fraternity carried out during the United World Week in </em><em>Central America narrated through photos and words</em></p> <p>“Hi to everyone!<br />Around sixty of us youth gathered in the Mariapolis Centre in Guatemala.<br />Our United World Week (UWW) began last night with a vigil of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament with meditations, music and songs.</p>
<p><em>A way to relive the 1st May from Jerusalem: excerpts of the speech delivered during the live streaming of the event</em></p> <p>“...We would like to present to you an on-going project: the United World Project. It all started in Budapest last September. There were 12,000 of us, together with other 500 thousand young people from all over the world linked to us via internet. So many stories, so many ideals led us there.
<p><i>Live streaming and worldwide link-up via television channels. All the information you need in order to follow the closing event of the Genfest year</i> </p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://live.focolare.org/uww2013">Jerusalem, Budapest, Mumbai and Loppiano (Florence – Italy). In just one day, 1<sup>st</sup> May 2013, these four cities will be linked up together and with all the world through live streaming</a> and international tv transmission to make brotherhood visible. This is how the Youth for a United World celebrate the 1<sup>st</sup> of May.</p>
<p><em>One hundred and thirty Focolare young people from25 countries meet Mayor Vera Baboun in Bethlehem, along with some of their Palestinian age-mates. Mayor Baboun remarked: “In a country wounded by the absence of brotherhood the rule that says ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ is the real change”</em></p> <p>The Peace Centre is located in the multi-religious and political heart of Bethlehem. In the same square – a square of white stone and surrounded by palm trees – there is the Basilica of the Nativity and the Mosque, a coexistence that has nothing of confrontation or intolerance. Next door is the Town Hall and all around the colours of the Bethlehem market. There is also the haunting wall that the Israeli government has constructed in defence of its territory.
Dialogue & Interculture
New Humanity NGO presented the M.E.D.I.T.erraNEW project — co-financed by the Erasmus Plus Program — to the Youth Section of UNESCO in Paris.
Peace & Human Rights
Amid the rubble of Syria, art becomes an act of resistance. Discover the story of Aeham Ahmad, the “The Pianist of Yarmouk”, who defied the horror of war with the invincible beauty of his musical notes.
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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