![Economy of Communion: it’s Africa’s moment]()
18 Jan 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
Economy of Communion: A new paradigm for the African Development is the title of the first Pan African Summer School of the Economy of Communion, which will be held from January 23 to the 25 at Mariapolis Piero in Nairobi (Kenya). There will be 110 aspiring young entrepreneurs who want to learn how to start businesses of communion, together with experts in the Economy of Communion from the United States, Philippines and Italy. The youth expected are from all over Africa (Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Cameroun, Central Africa, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Angola); they speak 4 different languages: English, French, Portuguese and Italian.
Formation, reciprocity, and enculturation are the fundamental pillars of the school. “The Pan African Summer School is based on three assumptions,” said Luigino Bruni, responsible for the worldwide EoC project. “The first: today, cooperation in development is done with people, not with capital. Without quality universities, no serious development can take place. Second: the method of the school is reciprocity. There will not be any professors from the West who are coming to teach the African youth. Starting from the high esteem that we hold for the culture, everyone will learn from everyone. Thirdly: development cannot happen without business culture, and this is what Africa is missing today. Africa needs to open itself up to the market while saving the “community” roots that are so strong in its culture’s DNA. So, one can understand how “Economy” and “Communion” can truly be an important opportunity here.”
In the days that follow the school, from January 26 to 28, 2011, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi will host the International Conference on the Economy of Communion, in which 300 people are expected to participate. It’s the first time that the Economy of Communion will be presented in an African University. Dr. Aloys Blasie’ Ayako, Dean of this prestigious university’s Faculty of Commerce, has strongly encouraged this event – which will pay special attention to “business culture” – as he sees great hope for his people in the Economy of Communion culture.
To give continuity to this important moment, there is a professional development course in the works at CUEA. It is aimed at spreading an economic business culture for Africa and will be entrusted to a group of economists and scholars that work throughout the world developing the Economy of Communion.
![Economy of Communion: it’s Africa’s moment]()
18 Jan 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
The difficulties that Europe’s democracy is going through was the topic suggested for a training seminar on politics held on the 13th of January for the youth of Cagliari in Sardegna, Italy. The context was indeed a difficult one. In Sardegna social tensions have been increasing. Despite the fact that disillusionment, disorientation and uncertainty about the future appears to be widespread among the youth, this event once again attracted many participants.
What does universal brotherhood have to say to Political Science and to modern democracy and all its paradoxes?
This was the main point of keynote speaker Daniela Ropelato, Professor of Political Sciences at the University Institute Sophia located in Loppiano (near Florency, Italy). She shared with the audience the main ideas of a reflection that involves politicians and scholars, citizens and government officers, who have found in the charism of unity the cornerstone for their public commitment.
The school on politics in Cagliari is not an isolated experience: it is one out of ten such schools born recently in Italy. They are part of the international network of the Schools of the Movement for Unity. “Learning communities”, as they are called in Argentina, are for those young people who do not wish to yield to current trends in politics but who have decided to practice a “politics of communion”.
The young people from Sardegna attending were the main protagonists of the event: their example is a concrete answer to the need for unity.
“An extra drive to become more active, also in our small way,” said one of the participants, “to become citizens who are aware of the contribution we all can give”. “We can do politics at home, in a waiting rooms, in a shop, in a square, by giving our opinion and witnessing with our life”.
Their School has being named after “Domenico Mangano”. He had moved to Viterbo from Sardegna. He was convinced that the light and logic of the Gospel had to lead our actions in politics. He was a justice builder and developer who was at every bodies service. He had many high administrative responsibilities in the city of Viterbo. He witnessed that a positive relationship among generations may be the key to the so needed innovation the public sphere needs.
![Economy of Communion: it’s Africa’s moment]()
17 Jan 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
The aim of www.chiaraluce.org is to make Chiara Luce’s experience known as widely as possible and it will have a special emphasis on the collective spirituality. The website seeks to reach everyone. Apart from Italian, it is translated into English and Spanish and it seeks to focus on the life experience of Chiara Luce which many of us can relate to. This is why the site has simply been called Chiara Luce. It’s not meant to be a commemorative site but rather a site which speaks about a friend who is close to us. It is divided into three parts: LIFE, LOVE, LIGHT. The choice of words is not random. In fact, the site wishes to be a continuation of that evening celebration for Chiara Luce held at Pope Paul VI Audience Hall, at the Vatican, on 25 September 2010. LIFE: this first section, which focuses on the life of Chiara Luce, is what is currently active. It is subdivided into 7 sub-sections: her parents’ wish for a child, Chiara’s childhood and teenage years, her sickness and death, her beatification and the ensuing phenomenon – each section is enriched with images and videos. The second section, entitled LOVE, aims to deepen the collective spirituality and will gather the most relevant experiences from the whole world. Finally, the section on LIGHT, is expected to go online in February and will be geared towards the most social and dynamic aspect of the Internet. It will be connected to the most such social networks as Facebook, Orbit, Twitter, YouTube and grant visitors access to everything that the online network has to offer on the topic: past, present and future events surrounding Chiara Luce. Ample space will be given for comments and feedback. Welcome to www.chiaraluce.org !
