The big youth meeting in Loppiano this year has targeted the city as the place to build and experience brotherhood that overcomes all divisions. Also the appointment at the little town “Arco Iris” (“Rainbow”) of Portugal had the aim of building a united world in these times marked by conflicts and fear of the “other”.

Loppiano (Italy) – The city: a place and a laboratory of brotherhood at that ranges 360°. This was the focal point of “Loppiano – May 1st 2006” – the annual appointment of thousands of young people from Italy and other European countries. This year’s was the 36th edition.

Program – Chiara Lubich’s message, “One city is not enough” was at the core of the program. The many experiences shared include those of youth coming from the world’s flash points, or from places where “forgotten wars” are still being fought: Colombia, Iraq, Burundi, Belarus and Korea. Their stories were living witnesses of peace, solidarity and social reconstruction. The Economy of Communion was given a special place, particularly dialogue with Italian entrepreneurs who plan to transfer part of their respective business activities to the new “business park” which will be inaugurated next October and will be the site of around ten business enterprises that adhere to the EoC system.

The meeting “doubles up” – This year, the Loppiano meeting lasted for 2 days. Starting April 30 at 3 p.m., workshops were held for those who wanted to know more about the Economy of Communion, interreligious and cultural dialogue, ecology, sports, music, architecture, communications – the “areas of interest” proposed by young resource persons, not only for reflection but for concrete action as well. Present in the workshops were experts in the different areas. Much room was given to dialogue; videos were widely used to illustrate the topics treated.

Arco Iris (Portugal): ‘Link para a unidade’ (‘Link for Unity’) was the title chosen by the Portuguese youth who proposed to their peers of the Iberian peninsula a new way of communicating through the means technology offers today – the kind of communication geared towards dialogue in order to build a world of peace. Around 1,500 youth were expected to attend, a progressively increasing number since the first encounter in 2002.

The “little town” of Loppiano is the first of Focolare’s 33 little towns now existing all over the world. It is located in the Tuscany hills, in the municipality of Incisa Valdarno near the city of Florence. It is made up of schools, business enterprises, art centers. Today it counts 700 inhabitants coming from 70 different nations – students, professors, professionals, artisans, agriculturists, artists, families, religious order priests and sisters and diocesan priests. Also present are Christians from different Churches and followers of other religions. Its international character renders it an ideal place for dialogue among peoples and cultures.

The little town of Arco-Iris is situated in Abrigada, 45 km away from Lisbon, Portugal. It was started in 1997, and continues to develop, thanks to the generous contribution of a large number of people. Since the beginning, it has enjoyed the support of civil and religious authorities, since the mayor’s office considers it a project of “public interest.” Not only is it a place particularly fit for dialogue with people of non-religious convictions and cultures, but is also a suitable meeting place for young people. What is common among the inhabitants is the commitment to put into practice evangelical love – the law of the little town – to show that it is possible for people of the most diverse ages and social conditions to live together in harmony. (for information: www.focolares.org.pt)