Seed Funding Program: an opportunity to act locally

Call for projects with an ecological impact addressed to the local communities of the Focolare Movement. Rules and conditions for participation. Proposals will be accepted until 30 June 2022.

What is the project
The “Seed Funding Program” aims to sustain and encourage significant and promising initiatives in different parts of the world towards the creation of local/national ecological plans for people and planet within the Focolare communities.

The main goal is to build local ecological plans within the Focolare communities to journey together towards an integral ecology.

Our inspiration
The world faces a complex social and environmental crisis. The Encyclical Laudato Si’ from Pope Francis explains how the cry of the poor is completely interconnected with the cry of the planet. We cannot consider our relationship with nature as separate from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.

Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare Movement, argued that it is by starting with small local problems that a moral conscience is formed that is capable of addressing problems on a global scale. In fact, Chiara continued: what is missing is not technical and economic resources but an extra soul, which means new love for mankind, to make us all feel responsible towards everyone.

Participate!
The SFP is looking for youth-led and intergenerational initiatives (ongoing or future initiatives) that aim at a change in our personal and communitarian lifestyle, envisioning a sustainable relationship between nature and human beings, and working within a local context.

10 projects will be selected and will be funded with up to 1000 euros. An international and interdisciplinary jury will select the projects according to the following criteria:

1. The project should be oriented towards integral ecology (in favor of people and planet);
2. The project should involve intergenerational efforts with young people playing a significant role in the leadership and implementation of each project;
3. The project must involve the local community (possibly at a national level); and
4. The project should show how spiritual values motivate ecological action (possibly with an ecumenical and interreligious dimension).

Submit your ecoplan and be part of this path together!
https://www.new-humanity.org/fr/project/seed-funding-program/

In order to participate in this call, you may need to fill out some crucial information. Do not miss the framework and the call for projects survey.

• Call for projects survey
• Plan’s framework

The deadline to complete your application is June 30th, 2022. You will hear whether your project was successful to receive seed-funding by July 15th, 2022. Once successful for funding, you would commit to taking first steps within your project between July and September 2022 and we would love to see your first report by the end of October 2022.

For more information, feel free to contact us at ecoplan@focolare.org

More information about the Faith Plan for People and Planet at https://www.faithplans.org/