Syria, the hope of young people amid the waves of violence

Oct 11, 2023 | Non categorizzato

The Middle East continues to suffer from violence, clashes and terrorist attacks. Joseph, a young Syrian from the Focolare is one of the many young people who nourish the hope of peace in a very tormented land.

The nightmare of mass killings recurs with all its terror. The Middle East continues to be shaken by wars, terrorist attacks, violence of all kinds with one result, death.

On 6^th October in Syria, drones loaded with explosives fell on a military academy in Homs during a festive ceremony. The death toll was about a hundred, of which about thirty were women and children. The next day there was another similar attack during the funeral celebrations, fortunately this time it was neutralized in time.

There was an immediate response from Syria, with a rain of bombs in Idlib, an area outside the control of the government. This escalation of violence caused the United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, to respond by calling for an immediate ceasefire, protection for civilians and the instigation of peace negotiations.

In this scenario of war, as violence continues to intensify and there seems to be no hope for a future of peace, some young Syrians belonging to the Focolare Movement met for their annual congress.

Joseph Moawwad, 24, was there. He wrote to us to share his personal experience. “I’ve been living through a very difficult period lately, a sense of half-heartedness and no enthusiasm; even for this congress, perhaps because of the strong tensions that all of us young Syrians are experiencing. For over 13 years, war and all its consequences persist with the most recent attack a few days ago in Homs. We heard about it right at the beginning of the congress. Despite this, my great surprise was to meet 90 young Focolare people from all Syrian regions. It was as if a storm had removed the ashes that covered the embers of my heart and so the “fire” burst out in me. Experiences of communion, sharing, fraternity between us and that effort to live mutual love in order to have the presence of Jesus among us (cit. “Where two or more are united in my name, I am in their midst”, Mt 18:15 -20) erased everything I felt before and made that flame had been enkindled in me again, become stronger.

At the end of the day, when we were praying together, I felt that I wanted to make a decision: to protect that “flame” that had reignited, to make it grow, to give it to the weakest and most discouraged people. I discovered that unity with the other young people of the Focolare and the mutual love that binds us, are the solution to all this hatred and the evil around us. And then the presence of Jesus in us and among us: it is he who gives us strength and will give us hope for a better future”.

Lorenzo Russo

Dialogue, education, work: a pact to generate peace

Jan 1, 2022 | Non categorizzato

In his message for the World Day of Peace on 1 January Pope Francis issues a strong warning to politicians who invest in armaments rather than education. What can be done to give young people hope and reverse this trend? We asked Prof. Buonomo, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. Today, according to the World Bank, there are almost 100 million more people living in a state of impoverishment because of the Covid-19 pandemic and world military expenditure in 2020 has risen, despite Covid, to almost 2 trillion dollars (in 2019 it was 1650 billion) according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). Data that prompted Pope Francis to issue a tough yet hopeful message for the 55th World Day of Peace, which falls today, 1 January 2022. The Pope proposes three elements – dialogue between generations, education and work – as tools for building lasting peace. How can this message be contextualised amid the challenges facing society today? We asked Prof. Vincenzo Buonomo, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. How can dialogue between the generations be initiated to build peace? On what trust is it based today, given that both the pandemic and the development of technology have created so much loneliness and indifference? “First of all, the Pope’s message presents dialogue not only as a goal for building relations between the generations but as a method. This, I believe, is the most important aspect to be grasped, and it is the aspect that also enables us to make dialogue an effective instrument for peace because very often we only link the element of dialogue to the possibility of communicating. In reality, dialogue presupposes something more.  There is a pact between generations, a pact in which the given word has its own meaning. Very often we have made of dialogue nothing more than a technical tool rather than something we share which therefore becomes a method or a daily action’. In recent years, education and training have been regarded as expenditures rather than investments, and military expenditures have increased. What steps should politicians take to promote a culture of ‘care’ rather than ‘war’? “The relationship between the educator and the one being educated is one that has to be built every day on the basis of renunciation of both parties. This type of educational methodology should also serve the great issues facing humanity. The problem of the arms race and the consequential diversion of resources for other areas, is that armaments are linked above all to a concept of power. So it is by means of education that we have to try to promote shared values. This is the aspect the Pope’s message is highlighting because if there are shared values – peace for example – this becomes a way to overcome conflict.  Conflict is overcome by eliminating armaments, so it’s a concept that has a chain reaction”. Work is the place where we learn to make our contribution towards a more liveable and beautiful world and is an indispensable factor to preserve peace but job insecurity and exploitation have increased because of the pandemic. So what can be done to give hope to young people to combat insecurity and exploitation? “Work is not simply something that guarantees peace in society as is traditionally said. Work is something that guarantees peace. Without the prerequisite of work, there is no education, no intergenerational relationship, no dialogue because the person is not only sustained by work, but also expresses their dignity. We find this in the Magisterium of the Church and from Pope Francis who has stressed this on several occasions. Consequently, today politicians, or rather those with responsibilities, the so-called ‘decision-makers’, need to make work a priority and not just one of the many items on the political agenda. I believe that the younger generations don’t just need a job but a job that manages to express their qualifications and, above all, makes them feel that they are protagonists in the decision-making process at work. The element that links the three headings – dialogue, education and work – is therefore the word pact. The pact between generations, the educational pact, the work pact – this is the key word putting them in the function of peace.  Otherwise they would simply be three scattered elements not linked together”. Clicca qui to read the Pope’s message for the 55th World Day of Peace.

Lorenzo Russo

Margaret Karram: turnover in leadership and a synodal approach

Jun 17, 2021 | Non categorizzato

Interview with the President of the Focolare on the decree of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life on the turnover of leaders governing lay associations. Encourage leadership turnover. On June 3 a Decree approved by Pope Francis was promulgated by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life that regulates the length of mandates of leadership roles within international associations. A single mandate can last at most five years up to a maximum of ten consecutive years. This is the indicated norm (with relative specific insights, including possible dispensations for founders), while a detailed explanatory note helps to understand the spirit of the measures: to foster greater ecclesial communion, broader synodality, an authentic spirit of service, to avoid personalism, abuses of power, and to increase missionary enthusiasm and a genuine gospel lifestyle. We discussed the decree with the President of the Focolare, Margaret Karram. Did the decree of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life concerning the turnover of leadership roles in lay associations come as a surprise to you? We weren’t expecting a decree of this nature at this time, but the content didn’t surprise us. A process has been under way for a number of years in the Focolare Movement that takes into account the turnover in roles of government. This applies at the international centre and in the countries where we are present, putting limits to the length of mandates. The Decree showed us once again that the Church is a mother. In taking care of associations like ours, the Church accompanies and helps every reality to find organizational forms that allow it to remain faithful to its own charism and mission, in keeping with the journey of the Church in today’s world. For this reason, we fully welcome the spirit of the Decree and all it has determined, which also chimes with the open reflection in the Movement on representativeness in the governing bodies that we have already shared with the Dicastery. The opening paragraph of the Decree states that: “The international associations of the faithful and their internal government have been the object of particular reflection and a consequent discernment by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life”. Do you perceive therefore some concern about movements in general? And towards the Focolare Movement? I would say that the Dicastery is certainly paying particular attention to the Movements, and we can witness to this, bearing in mind that it is its particular task. Then, as they are such a varied reality, the Dicastery is sure to have some concerns. The Decree itself emphasises the “flourishing” of these associations and recognizes the fact that they have brought  “an abundance of graces and apostolic fruits for the Church and the world of today”. It is not the Church’s intention to curb the charismatic drive of the movements, their innovative strength and their missionary impact. It wants to help them achieve their specific aims which are always directed towards the good of people, of the Church and of society. The Decree offers structural elements that can help reduce some of the dangers by limiting the time a person can hold positions of government. However, I do not see in these interventions a particular focus on the Focolare Movement, also because a turnover in leadership roles is already included in our Statutes . In his address to the participants in the III World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities in November 2014, Pope Francis pointed out a method for reaching the ecclesial maturity also hoped for by his two predecessors: “Do not forget, … that to reach this goal, conversion must be missionary: the strength to overcome temptations and insufficiencies comes from the profound joy of proclaiming the Gospel, which is the foundation of your charisms”. What do you think about this? I agree fully! What the Pope has called for requires a twofold commitment: it is necessary always to return to the Gospel, to the Word of God and to be aware that the charism of one’s founder is nothing more than a new and modern reading of the words of Jesus, illuminated by a gift of the Spirit, which enables them to be lived from a particular standpoint. We must therefore take into account that a spirituality, which is born of a charism, is a way of proclaiming the Gospel and therefore of working for the good of the Church and of humanity. Is healthy generational change and a turnover of people in leadership roles enough to ensure there is synodal government, carried out in a spirit of service and hence avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, from personalism to abuses of power? I would say that this cannot be enough if real, lasting and fruitful cultural change is to be achieved. I think we should first ask ourselves what is the purpose of leadership in an association like ours. Although generational change and avoiding past mistakes are important, these are not the aims. The main purpose of our leadership – as I think is true of every ecclesial movement – is to ensure that the movement goes forward and develops in the genuine spirit of its own charism, following the design that flows from it and fulfilling the purposes for which the Holy Spirit gave it life. The decree itself emphasizes that “government within the associations of the faithful be exercised in coherence with their ecclesial mission, as a service ordered to realising their own purposes and to the good of their members”. It is a work of continuous updating, improvement and renewal which requires above all a conversion of hearts to the Gospel and to one’s own charismatic roots. Generational change in governing bodies, through a frequent turnover in leadership roles, can enable the updating  of an association, and can help to avoid – as the explanatory note from the Dicastery says – forms of appropriation of the charism, personalisation, centralisation and expressions of self-referentiality, which can easily cause serious violations of personal dignity and freedom, and even real abuses.” But a turnover in leadership roles alone does not guarantee a correct exercise of power. We need other elements that we have been implementing and continuously improving for several years, such as a path of spiritual and human formation to a coherent leadership, to a gospel lifestyle and to one’s own charism. Therefore it is a style of government that highlights community discernment, with new forms of accompaniment and synodal methodologies for the choice of candidates for positions of leadership. Specifically, in three years’ time, several of the people elected at the General Assembly last February will have to be replaced. Do you already have an idea of how to proceed, also in order to modify the current Statutes which provide for six years as the duration of office and the possibility of a second term? We are already in line with some of the points made in the new Decree, especially as regards the maximum limit of two consecutive mandates for leadership roles.  What needs to be changed now is the duration, from 6 to 5 years. We had already started the process of setting up a commission for the necessary revision of various points in our Statutes, to which is now added as a priority the work of adaptation according to the Decree. It is a task that we want to do calmly and carefully, because we would like not only to accept these new norms simply as stated, but also and above all to accept  their spirit and to study well how to apply them not only regarding central and international bodies, but on a large scale, also in the local governing of territorial centres. In any case, we would like to do everything in dialogue with the Dicastery, studying some specific aspects and some areas of doubt. They have specifically said that they are ready to listen to us on any issues. When Pope Francis met the participants in the General Assembly, he highlighted some issues to which particular attention should be paid: self-referentiality, the importance of crises and knowing how to manage them well, coherence and realism in living spirituality and synodality. What has been done or will be done to follow up on these points? We consider Pope Francis’ speech to the participants at the General Assembly as a programmatic document, together with the final document of the Assembly itself. With great joy we see how much the study and research of ways of applying these two documents are bearing fruit in the various geographical areas in which our Movement is present. Two central points are emerging: attentive listening to the cry of suffering humanity that surrounds us, in which we rediscover the face of Jesus crucified and forsaken, and a new family spirit in our Movement, beyond all subdivisions. This expresses the core of our spirituality: to offer the world a model of life in the style of that of a family; that is, brothers and sisters on a universal level, linked together by fraternal love for every man and woman and preferential love for those who suffer most, for those most in need. What is the style and the methods of this new leadership of the Focolare Movement? What is new in Margaret Karram’s heart? I feel it is particularly important, within the leadership of the Movement, to have an experience of  “synodality”. This means conducting everything in a spirit of listening and to restore to interpersonal relationships that gospel based fraternal love, of truth and charity, that also illuminates the place that belongs to each person, that is, the central one. For example, as the General Council, we have just had the wonderful experience of listening to those responsible for the territorial areas of the Movement all over the world . They are the ones who are at the grassroots; they know the potential, the needs and the cultural and anthropological characteristics of our communities. Listening to them, what emerged was all the liveliness and creativity of “Chiara’s people”, who want to take on board the different forms of disunity and heal the wounds of humanity around them. Perhaps it is not even necessary that the International Centre should always give directives or guide the path of the Movement. What matters is that the Centre always guarantees the unity of the entire Movement and that it highlights what the Holy Spirit is gradually showing us all.

Aurora Nicosia

Source: Città Nuova    

#daretocare 2021-2022, dare to care for people and the Planet

May 11, 2021 | Non categorizzato

If the United World Week 2021 has closed its doors, however, the commitment does not stop. The young people of the Focolare Movement, together with all the other promoters and partners of the #daretocare campaign, renew for the years 2021-2022 their commitment to “dare to care”, focusing on caring for the planet and for people, encouraging a true ecological conversion, taking responsibility for changing lifestyles, making them more sustainable, and trying to involve as many people as possible in this revolution. Over 800 events, more than 400 “Run4unity” races around the world, about 2,016 hours of streaming with insights on politics, migration, justice, rights, economics, health, ecology, dialogue, art. Not just theory. Not only experts. But many ongoing best practices, actions of sensitization and solidarity that have involved groups of young people, parishes, associations, families, the religious, entire communities, and even newspapers. All generations represented, with a special protagonism of children, who participated with actions of active citizenship. It was precisely on Europe Day that the United World Week 2021 concluded in Brussels, entitled “#daretocare”, this festival of fraternity that for 9 days engaged thousands and thousands of people from all over the planet, who witnessed and promoted the urgency of “dare to care”, that is, the need to make “care” the common denominator that can guide our actions as citizens and those of politicians. If the heart of the event, the main event, was in Brussels, there were many events organized in the rest of the world, in which everyone could participate, thanks to an interactive calendar: from France to Korea, from Bolivia to Sierra Leone, from the Philippines to the Holy Land. “#daretocare, people, the planet and our ecological conversion” And now, one would wonder, is it all over? Whatever happened to so much mobilization? The effort certainly doesn’t stop with the end of United World Week! In fact, the young people of the Focolare Movement, together with all the promoters and partners of the #daretocare campaign, renew for the years 2021-2022, their commitment to “dare to care”, focusing on people and the Planet, proposing an “ecological conversion”. That is, promoting and implementing integral ecology, through initiatives that can involve associations, organizations, institutions but also through our simple daily gestures, to break the logic of violence, exploitation, selfishness, typical of the culture of waste. Planet Pledge Separating waste, not buying fast fashion, taking part in solidarity initiatives for the disadvantaged of your city, avoiding the use of plastic items, cooking only as much as you can eat, treating other living beings with care, using public transport, turning off unnecessary lights… With the new campaign #daretocare we are all invited to make a commitment for the people and the Planet and to endorse it “publicly” through the website: http://www.unitedworldproject.org/daretocare2021/. Small actions can help generate big changes! Internationalization of vaccines And then, great scope for health. Strong was the call, the urgency, throughout the United World Week, to make the Covid-19 vaccine a common good for all, shared across borders. The young people, in fact, have reiterated their commitment to stimulate the governments of their respective countries to practice the internationalism of vaccines: “We call on EU leaders here in Brussels and all leaders around the world to seriously make Covid-19 vaccines accessible to everyone, no matter where they are. We pledge to continue to push for vaccine access for all”. Alongside this, as part of the new #daretocare campaign, the desire to “get our hands dirty” was born, reaching those peripheries of the world that have difficulty accessing care and assistance, especially in this time of pandemic. The appointment, for the development of this initiative, is set for May 20, on the eve of the Global Health Summit, at 13:00 (UTC+2), always on platform: www.unitedworldproject.org.

Tamara Pastorelli

Source: www.unitedworldproject.org