9 May 2017 | Non categorizzato
Peace and unity are celebrated in Europe on May 9th. The date recalls the historic Schuman Declaration of May 9, 1950, in which the then French foreign minister proposed the creation of an economic community that would lead to the construction of a federation of European States that was indispensable in preserving peace. As a first step, Robert Schuman proposed the creation of a Coal and Steel Community for France and West Germany that could one day include other countries. He thus laid the foundations for a broader and much more comprehensive integration, to the point that today the Declaration is considered to be the symbolic beginning of the long process of peace and stability that led to the European Union. The celebration has always been an occasion to draw citizens, institutions and populations nearer to nearer to one another, increasing awareness that the human community should be founded on values of peace, integration and solidarity.
8 May 2017 | Non categorizzato
«Ever since our parents separated, my sister and I have been living with our father. It is a very difficult situation for me, also due to my health. I have been suffering from asthma and for two years now, also heart problems. Thanks to the support of many youths who like me try to live the spirituality of unity, these physical limits do not hinder me from living my Christian commitment with enthusiasm. Instead, as a student, things were not going well. In the public school I was attending, there was not much attention for students in my situation, and when I found out that I had to repeat the first year of high school, I changed school. In the new school I understood better the importance of education and the advantage of achieving a diploma. At the start of the year, my grades were good: evidently the new incentive was working well. One evening I had a terrible headache. I hoped that it would pass during the night since in the next days I was expecting a series of tests. Effectively in the morning the headache had disappeared, but when I took my books in hand, it returned, stronger than ever. The same thing happened every time I tried to concentrate on an intellectual task. I went to many hospitals but none were able to diagnose my disease. Meanwhile the average of my grades dropped, while my headache had become a permanent thing. My father had no more money to pay the doctors, so I tried to consult the traditional quack doctors, to no avail. Overcome by this situation strong doubts of faith started to assault me. I asked myself: out of seven billion people in this situation, why did this have to happen precisely to me, now that I had decided to take my studies seriously? Despite my rebellion I wanted to participate with the Gen in an educational weekend. I attended only to see my friends, and not really because I believed in it. The meeting started with a video-speech of Chiara Lubich, but I was so angry with God that I didn’t even listen, or want to give my contribution to the communion of goods. I was even less interested in what the others were saying. My mind wandered elsewhere. I thought that God had forgotten me, no one could understand me, and these meetings were useless. At a certain point, however, I was struck by a boy who said that in difficult moments we can give hope to others by valorizing our personal sufferings. And that it is precisely in making ourselves one with Jesus crucified and forsaken that we find the strength to love the others. These words were like a challenge to me. I said to myself: if Jesus on the cross had pulled back, what would we do now. From that moment on I found the strength to accept my situation and the certainty that God is love also when he permits suffering. And even if I continued to have headaches, I found the joy of living again, out of love for my sister and all those who tried to bring joy all around me. Thanks to the prayers of many, today I feel much better and if there are no other surprises, it seems that even my health has returned.»
6 May 2017 | Non categorizzato
Recent opinion polls paint a bleak picture of Spanish young people describing them as disillusioned by politics, suspicious of social programs, imprisoned by an uncertainty that shatters their dreams and hopes for the future. They would appear to be practically an “existential periphery” abandoned to itself. And yet, during their recently concluded long tour, Gen Verde came across young people who were upbeat,resourceful, hoping to live meaningful and generous experiences, while at the same time accepting the challenge they bring. The group brought their show “On the Other Side” featuring the “Start Now Project” to a number of Spanish cities. Its tried and tested formula, involves five days of living together with young people. Three are dedicated to workshops where the band – made up of 22 people from 14 countries – work on singing, drama, percussion and dance. Then there is one day for rehearsals and the show, which they put on together with the young people. The last day is to share feedback on the experience lived together. These are moments in which everyone has an opportunity to experience fraternity, to see with their own eyes that what they are looking for exists and can be achieved. We can definitely talk about a before and after the workshops,” affirms Sally McAllister, the Irish manager of the group. “The young people work hard, not just in terms of preparing a performance, but on relating to each other as well. They meet those who are different from themselves, and they learn how to manage the cultural complexity of the people they interact with, and how to appreciate the positive, enriching values. So the goal is to enable them to have an experience which is enriching for them as human beings, as well as artistically, so they can become people who are able to welcome, understand and value others, whoever they are. They pass from a sense of insecurity, fear, and even hate sometimes, to attitudes that are based on trust and inclusion.” Gen Verde are not offering a pie in the sky illusion, but ideals and tools with which to build the world we all dream of -starting here and now with each person. And everywhere “young people are like fire – all you need to do is provide the spark, and who can stop them once they set aflame?” And so it was along the various stages of the journey: Burgos, Jaén, Murcia, Huétor Tájar, Albacete, Pozuelo, Bilbao, Pamplona, Azpeitia, Talavera de la Reina … each with its own colour and unrepeatable characteristics, as we can see from the news on the Gen Verde website. These authentic exchanges were welcomed enthusiastically everywhere, such as at Huétor Tájar, where the bienvenida (welcome) came from a square teeming with families, youth and children, with music and songs from the group on huge screens. At the end around 30 of the youngest students from a school of flamenco and rhythmic gymnastics danced to a flamenco version of Gen Verde’s new song “Turn It Up.” A country of sad, hopeless young people? Anything but, the feedback says clearly. “I cried, I smiled, I danced… but above all I came away with a great hope in a world that really needs it.” “I learned values without anyone telling me what to do.” “After just a few days of work it felt like we were a true family.” “I discovered that people who work for a common goal are more open.” “There was nothing theoretical; all together we put into practice the values of fraternity, dialogue and sharing that we learned these days as we worked.” “Start Now is something fantastic, a project that is educational, social, cultural and spiritual.” The words that best sum up the legacy of the tour come from one of the many young people Gen Verde met. Simple and tangible, they express both achallenge and a commitment: “If we have a dream, we don’t want to achieve it tomorrow, we want to do it today, if we possibly can.”
