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>An email from Cameroon to tell us how the United World Project is a continuous occasion for little actions of fraternity</em> </p> <p>«Lots of greetings from Fontem.</p> <p>«We are making steps ahead in the United World Project. At some point we felt the need of committing ourselves to live more before going ahead with the signatures, to be able to back the campaign up, with our own experiences. Things are going ahead gradually, but steadily. For example, Youth for United World club members of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College Fontem share about their little project; cleaning of refectory tables after breakfast every day, which is one of the problem areas. It has been a powerful challenge, which required much humility and courage in overcoming our shyness and pride to do such a mean exercise.</p>
<p><em>With minus, division, plus and equals. Youth for a United World of Jordan tell us their day "On the way" togheter the Ammad comunity </em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“We, Youth for a United World, believe that a united world is built with the simplest acts of love toward the other in need where ever we are. Therefore, we decided to launch the initiative "</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">عالماشي</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> " or "On the Way" which basically calls the youth to do a drive in Amman (the capital of Jordan) and find creative ways to do "good" for whoever we meet "on the way". We were divided into Five groups each with a mission to do while driving into the City. Learning from the" Teens for Unity", we have used their own mathematical signs, which they have interpreted into concrete actions of Love, as slogans for each group's mission; for example, one of the groups had the "<strong>Minus</strong>" sign with the slogan "To reduce pain"; they went to a general park where they did lots of cleaning and picking up wastes and garbage; they also did some face painting with the kids who were playing with their families.</span></p>
<p><em>A letter from a <a href="http://giovaniperunmondounito.blogspot.it/" target="_blank">Youth for a United World</a>, Joel Pina, which tells us how in the heart of Africa are experiencing a piece of universal brotherhood for the Diocesan Youth Day</em></p> <p>“Well, I am here today, representing the Youth for a United World (Y4UW), a branch of the Focolare Movement.<br />What I am about to tell you is something really interesting! I hope that all of you will get this great idea! Or at least, become curious about it. It is something that has emerged from the youth but it is open to everyone else! It is the “United World Project”.</p>
<p><em>A huge flood submerged almost half of the city of La Plata, some parts of Buenos Aires and various towns round about. The solidarity it provoked was greater than any expectations.</em></p> <p>La Plata, 54 km from Buenos Aires, 750,000 inhabitants. On 2nd and 3rd April 2013 about 400 millimetres of rain led to a greater flood than had ever been seen before. More than half the city was submerged – in some places it was more than 2 metres deep. The previous day something similar, though on a smaller scale, struck Buenos Aires and some of the surrounding towns. The 59 deaths (6 in Buenos Aires, 2 in the surrounding towns and 51 in the city of La Plata) still trouble people and make them fear for the future. Despite all this, people’s solidarity swung into action yet again, meeting the victims’ the urgent needs.</p>
<p><em>On 25th March, a delegation of Youth for a United World (Y4UW) and New Humanity visited the MERCOSUR head office in Montevideo, Uruguay to meet Maria Paz Echeverriarza, the Education programme officer at the UNESCO Representation for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay</em></p> <p>On 25th March, a delegation of <a href="giovaniperunmondounito.blogspot." target="_blank">Youth for a United World (Y4UW) </a>and <a href="http://www.new-humanity.org/it/" target="_blank">New Humanity</a> of Uruguay was received by María Paz Echeverriarza, ethnologist and responsible for the area of Education at the UNESCO Representation to the governments of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.</p> <p>The members of the delegation were welcomed in the beautiful meeting room overlooking the Río de la Plata at the MERCOSUR office, home to the UNESCO commission for Uruguay. In this informal meeting, María Paz Echeverriarza explained what are the current priorities of UNESCO in the world – “gender equality (among males and females)” and Africa – and at the regional level – to improve the educational level of the teaching staff and the removal of inequality in the distribution of incomes and opportunities.</p>
<p><em>On 21st March 2013, the Genfest and the United World Project were presented at the European Information Centre in Lisbon</em></p> <p><br />During a high level European Union meeting focused on the “Europe for citizens” programme, around one hundred participants belonging to associations, civil and state institutions, and two <a href="http://giovaniperunmondounito.blogspot.it/" target="_blank">Youth for a United World (Y4UW)</a> shared about the <a href="http://www.genfest.org/" target="_blank">Genfest 2012</a> in Budapest (supported by the European Union) and the United World Project as a whole and in its implementation in Portugal. This took place on 21st March in the Portuguese capital during a Conference organized by the Representation of the European Commission in Portugal and the Secretary of State for Culture.</p>
<p><em>UNESCO - Panafrican Forum for a culture of peace in Luanda, Angola</em></p> <p>A Pan-African Forum jointly organized by UNESCO, the African Union Commission and the Government of the Republic of Angola will gather more than 300 experts. The goal of this Pan-African Forum is to harness Africa’s sources of inspiration and cultural, natural and human resources to establish concrete proposals for building and developing a sustainable peace. The Forum will examine the cultural, natural and human resources of Africa, taking into account that these three components are essential to creating an inclusive and holistic approach to the culture of peace. Peace being the cornerstone of endogenous development and Pan-Africanism.</p>
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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