Nabiha Farah
- Death date:6/6/2013
- Branch of Membership:Volunteer
- Nation:Lebanon
Argentina: solidarity stronger than floods
La Plata, 54 km from Buenos Aires, 750,000 inhabitants. On 2nd and 3rd April 2013 about 400 millimetres of rain led to a greater flood than had ever been seen before. More than half the city was submerged – in some places it was more than 2 metres deep. The previous day something similar, though on a smaller scale, struck Buenos Aires and some of the surrounding towns. The 59 deaths (6 in Buenos Aires, 2 in the surrounding towns and 51 in the city of La Plata) still trouble people and make them fear for the future. Despite all this, people’s solidarity swung into action yet again, meeting the victims’ the urgent needs.
The cries and the practical acts of the people were felt as never before… or, perhaps it would be truer to say, they were clear as they always are when such tragedies strike. Caritas, Red Solidaria, the Red Cross, various NGOs, neighbourhood committees and parishes, as well as others, immediately repsonded and in a short time they set up more than 500 collection points for things of prime necessity: clothing, mattresses, bottled water, bleach, nappies, food, blankets. On Saturday 6th in front of Buenos Aires Cathedral there was a queue about 400 metres long of people waiting to give their contributions. These were then taken in heavily laden trucks (on that day there were 19) to the various parishes in the hardest hit parts.
Besides these very noticeable things, thousands of others were done, whether on small scale or large, and they are coming to light bit by bit. There were people who, quite literally, gave their lives to save others, people who made themselves available to lend a hand or give time to help anyone who needed it, wherever they needed it, ready to do whatever was needed.
The tragedy did not discriminate between better or worse off areas. The young people, who were tireless, were the ‘attack force’ in the work of classifying all the donations that arrived, distributing them, helping clean houses, clearing away tons of debris and rubbish piled up in the streets.
Once again social networks were the vehicle for immediate communication. For example, the Facebook group ‘Focolares La Plata’ right from the start carried messages asking for help, with news of everyone in the community: those whose houses were under water, those who offered help, those who offered to take children to school (a large number of cars were submerged)… a true current of solidarity and mutual love.
Pope Francis, when he heard about the situation, telephoned the provincial governor who offered a grant of 50,000 dollars for the victims.
Such gestures of solidarity happen when others are seen to suffer. This kind of solidarity does not tire and provides relief, especially when tragedy seems to destroy everything. Now that the moment of greatest commitment is over, it is a matter of being careful of the needs of the poorest.
Carlos Mana, Argentina
In Argentina, Parishes and School Holidays
Lucila is a pretty little resort town overlooking the sea, 350 km from Buenos Aires. It is the place where “School Holidays” has been being held for the past thirteen years. Omar and Susana Zazzerini from the Parish Movement in Buenos Aires are the organizers of the event and tell us: “We began from the words of Jesus ‘Come away by yourselves and rest a while’ (Mk. 6:31). We especially had in mind families that had less opportunity to go away on holiday. We hoped that the days together would not only be restful but also like a course on living a life generated by mutual love and lived in the spiritual presence of Jesus among us. Just as in the early days of the Focolare when people would spend the summer holiday together in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy. There many people exprienced this Gospel lifestyle and discovered God as Love.” Most of the people come from parishes in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. The first year we were 23. This time 115 have taken part in the thirteenth edition with 115 staying the whole week. Up until now more than 1200 people have taken part in it. 
“The main thing,” says Omar, “is to love with the power of the present moment, being attentive towards others, seeing each other with new eyes in every moment.” This means forgetting about the defects or misunderstanings with those whom we have known for a long time. “Otherwise,” Omar continues, “it wouldn’t be so nice to stay together for a week in small teams that have to take turns cooking, washing dishes, serving table, and maintaining the surroundings.” “This is like a training course,” Susana adds, “in which we learn to help each other in overcoming painful situations or conflicts. Whenever we feel bothered by others, it is this living together teaches us to accept and accommodate to the discomfort we feel.” Then interpersonal relationships are brought to a new level. Spiritual deepening, sharing what we live, “also the sufferings. . .” Susana continues, “some difficult situations are resovled in this communion. The highest moment is the Mass. The rest of the day is spent on the beach, playing, taking walks, chatting and relaxing.” 
The spiritual growth of the participants and the impact on youths is something that should be mentioned: “The youths are growong in number, but also in quality. You see it in their love for the elderly and for the small children. and in their relationship with each other. Some young adults have already begun families, others have had an experiene at Mariapolis Lia or attended the Genfest in Budapest. One of the girls was able to attend WYD in Spain thanks to the support she received from everyone. Now she’s the contact person for the WYD in Rio de Janeiro. We’ve also been joined by consecrated people, members of other Churches, seminarians and several priests.” As one person put it who was participating for the first time, this is an exprience of brotherhood that continues on throughout the year in the parishes. Compiled by Carlos Mana
Argentina: a course on growing as a family
During these summer months in the Southern Hemisphere the number of families at Mariapolis Lia has grown. Ten families have come to join the others who have been living at the Permanent Mariapolis for more than ten years. They come from Peru, Chile, Paraguay and Argentina to share an experience of unity among parents and children. Now there are 50 more “citizens” ranging in age between and fifty. And they have enriched life at the Mariapolis with their different ages and cultural backgrounds. Their goal is to “immerse themselves” in community life with its chores, moments for prayer and feasting and, at the same time, to reflect, dialogue and share experiences about issues related to family life. This is a school of life for deepening the meaning of matrimony, seeing it with the tools offered by the culture of unity. Their program also includes moments of reflection on the basic points, aspects and instruments of the spirituality of unity, and how they can be applied in the daily life of a family. Much space has been dedicated to dialogue and communion as couples and as a group. In order to re-evaluate life from this perspective the schedule is flexible. Each family plans its own day: household chores, shopping, preparing meals, helping out with the various tasks at the Mariapolis Lia and time for relaxation. It is also up to each family to find ways to cultivate friendly relationships with other families, through spontaneous gatherings, birthday and anniversary celebrations, sharing customs, folklore and traditional cooking – all in view of becoming a true “family of families”. 
The children gather according to age, in groups where they have the opportunity for games, projects and experiences that they can then share with their parents when they return home. One young wife told how she was able to “change the basic coordinates” in order to live the ideal of unity with her husband. 
Seventeen year old Alejandra from Peru: “Today I have a special desire to grow as a family, but I know that I’m not alone on this path because I’m with my parents, my brother and with all the other families at this course. And I know that near or far, in Peru, Chile, Paraguay or Argentina, there are others who have the same goal, perhaps we make mistakes and begin again, but we always believe in love.” Jorge from Chile affirms: “We seem to be like a puzzle in God’s hands, that He has disassembled and put back together with all of His love.” We take away with us a wealth of experiences, some that we lived here and others that we’ll be living in the days ahead” says Gustavo from Argentina. And nine year old Nicolas: “I really like this place in the midst of nature, and it’s perfect for bicycling. I met new friends from different countries, I discovered new cultures and new things like the story of Chiara Luce who knew how to begin again and was able to see Heaven, and I would also like to see Heaven.”
Argentina: 60 young people from Latin America at a Summer School
The first Summer School in the Mariapolis Lia, the Focolare little town in Argentina, called in Spanish Escuela de Verano, is without doubt an extremely important step, with far-reaching consequences, in the academic development of Latin American young people.
It is not the first time that this little town has hosted an intense university-level study programme. It already hosts various well-attended seminars and courses in politics, economics and the arts.
The Escuela de Verano is the first such educational project run jointly with the Sophia University Institute, based in Loppiano, near Incisa Valdarno (not far from Florence, Italy), whose international educational status means it can give academic accreditation to the Summer School. Among its aims, Sophia offers a course of life, study and research that explores a deeper understanding of Christian culture, as inspired by the life and work of Chiara Lubich who founded Sophia in 2007. The ideal of universal brotherhood, which she proposed and developed, can be seen in the experience of that culture and in the way it expresses itself. It is a culture that seeks to shed light upon the many dimensions of human knowledge, in its various disciplines, as it searches for the common good.
This first Summer School will look at: Epistemological Foundations for a Culture of Unity from the Perspectives of Theology, Science and Politics. Apart from established Latin American lecturers, it is significant that Prof. Piero Coda the President of Sophia will be present and will give a lecture on The Trinitarian God and the Historical Development of Christian Faith. Prof. Sergio Rondinara, who works in the fields of epistemology and cosmology, will give two lectures on The Relationship between Humankind and the Cosmos, Scientific Rationality and the Relationship between the Natural Sciences and Faith, and Ecology. Dr Daniela Ropelato, lecturer in political sciences, will also give two lectures on Contemporary Forms of Democracy, New Social and Political Agents, and Fraternity as a Political Category.
The Escuela de Verano offers university-level education to young men and women through the medium of an intense experience of study and of a shared life with others. It builds an academic community and is designed to enhance the students’ career development and their intellectual progress in their various disciplines. This communitarian enterprise, rooted in a dialogue sustained by a mutual exchange of experiences, fosters both the personal and corporate growth of its participants.
There seems to be great enthusiasm for this first Summer School in Latin America, which will begin on 28 December 2012. Already 100 university students from Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Argentina have asked to be enrolled. From these 61 have been accepted on the courses.