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>A young twenty year-old with a beautiful smile, fresh and simple, that’s how Alejandra Giménez looks. She is studying the second year of Medicine in Asunción, Paraguay, where she lives with her parents and a younger brother. With lots of enthusiasm, Alejandra tells about her commitment at the University, in the scientific and student associations. All these commitments and activities obviously take time from her studies, and she needs to leave out many things she would like to do, but she manages all these because she gives the required time to her spiritual formation. That’s why she meets regularly with the other young people from the Focolare, where she finds all the support she needs. But let’s hear it from her.</p>
<p>During our visit to the majestic grounds of the Shwedagon Pagoda, some of us were given a passionate and beautiful commentary on the meaning of the place and its importance to the national identity. Only to be pleasantly surprised that our guides were a Muslim and a Hindu. Then we were inspired by other encounters such as a young doctor who had the opportunity to pursue a career overseas but chose to come back and set up his medical practice. These experiences inspire us to be hopeful of the future of Myanmar because of our peers; the young religious leaders.</p>
<p>"Oggi parlo con Luna di Aleppo. Mi fa sapere che stanno tentando, con Marah, Yasmina e alcuni amici (anche la nonna di Luna si è messa al lavoro con slancio), di avviare una piccola attività in casa (marmellate, centrini o altro) e vorrebbe trovare una possibilità per smerciarli, questi prodotti. Mi dice chiaramente: "Tanti come noi sono grati se ricevono aiuti per comprare il pane o qualche litro di gasolio per il riscaldamento ma vogliamo lavorare! Quanto saremmo più contente se questo si realizzasse!".</p>
<p>I am in my last semester of college, living at home with my parents and two of my three brothers. I have a very nice relationship with my younger brother who also tries to live the spirituality of unity. The only thing we bicker about is the cleanliness of the living room. I have to say my whole family is kind of lazy, but I think my younger brother is the worst! I always find myself having to remind him to pick up his shoes, dishes, and so on. Once, I even took a picture with my phone of a dirty dish he left in the living room and sent it to him via a text message, saying, “don’t do this again.” Even so, my constant nagging did not seem to work.</p>
<p><em>From the 10th to 13th May 2013, the little town of ¨Piero” in Nairobi (Kenya) will host the “Enculturation School”, a workshop that this year will have as the main theme ¨The Person” in various African traditions. Besides, a group of young people will take part in the first stage of the Project “Sharing with Africa”. In preparation for this event, we publish Giulia´s account of her Ugandan experience</em></p> <p>"Malpensa Airport, 2nd August 2011: destination 'Kampala – Uganda'. I felt extremely excited although I still couldn’t imagine that in the coming four weeks I would have one of the most beautiful and important experiences of my life. For a month I lived together and shared daily life with another Italian girl and three Ugandans. This obliged me from the very beginning to put aside all my 'western' habits, every way of doing or thinking, in order to be open myself to them and their life. But what at first were just small sacrifices soon became a treasure, a new way of thinking and relating to people around me.
<p>Nadia and Kadija are from two cities in Northern Italy. You can notice their ethnic, religious and cultural differences just by observing them. Nadia is Italian and Christian while Kadija is Tunisian and Muslim. Their experience of social cohesion began in school and has had unexpected results. Among these was Nadia’s degree dissertation in political Science about Muslim women, which dealt with the question of Muslim women’s wearing of the veil.</p>
<p>A Youth for a United World project: ‘Sharing with Africa’ and discovering the gift that the African continent is for the whole world</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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