20141001-03
The young people in Yangon

Love for freedom is one of the strongest messages coming from the Burmese people, also through the figure of their pacifist leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Prize for peace, which made known to the entire world the vicissitudes of a nation that has just recently emerged from isolation. In a more silent but likewise forceful way is the action of the Youth for a United world that organised in spring, a mini-Genfest in Yangon, ex-capital of the country, following the steps of the world meeting held in Budapest in 2012 that had gathered 12,000 young people.  Drawing inspiration from the motto “Let’s Bridge” they presented, with the image of bridges the various phases in creating relationships between people, nations and cultures. The stories narrated were the fruit of the youth’s commitment for ecology, peace, the culture of living, and family relationships. There were also moments of anxiety for the faulty power supply, which blew up the technical equipment. But the message passed: make the first step to launch a bridge towards the others.

After the Genfest of Yangon, the Myanmar youth went to the north, to give their response to a group of 80 students in Mandalay, to hold another local Genfest. Fourteen of them

left Yangon and after a whole night’s journey reached the others.  “We lived such beautiful moments with the young people of Mandalay,” they said. “Thanks to their friendship and simplicity, we were like brothers and sisters. With this atmosphere, they easily understood what we wanted to transmit.” And the building of ”bridges” with everyone became a reality: three times in a row they visited orphanages or homes for the aged to share their love and support. They organized Genfest follow-ups at both Yangon and Mandalay to promote brotherhood and peace. There were also other activities like a tam-tam, which involved other friends.

20141001-01
“Sport for Peace”(Vietnam)

In Vietnam, room was given to sports, with a “Sport for Peace” meet. The plea for peace – against the backdrop of the serious world situation – was deeply heeded. Also the very young ones adhered to Pope Francis’ invitation to love and care for the elderly and  children, and set a date to visit a home for the aged and an orphanage.

In Bangkok, Thailand, “Connect” is the initiative promoted by the youth, with the aim of linking up with others and with the specific tools for which were the workshops: in art, singing, dance and cooking.  «Not only the youth came, but also some families with their children – they said – about 60 people in all, also of other nationalities: Pakistan, Myanmar, China and a big group from East Timor ». Then followed the visits to the children of the slums of Bangkok, involving a group of university students, and fund gathering campaigns for the victims of natural calamities: the spirit that governed all was the creativity of the youth on one hand, and on the other, the spirit of solidarity in the certainty that God’s love overcomes all. And then they moved on to the north.

20141001-02
Thailand: the welcome centre for youth from different tribes

After a journey of 5-6 hours from Chiang Mai city they arrived in a place in the middle of nowhere, where a welcome centre is being established for the youth of the tribal villages.  “We went to visit the 18 boys and girls who offer “home schooling” services and who created this centre together with their very own hands. The purpose of the trip was to see how an educational program is set up, based on the Word of Life. This is how we started working with a new “mainstream” – the youth of the tribes– which the local Church in a special way takes to heart”.

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