World of Education: The Friendship Mail
“I work in an elementary school as an assistant teacher. There is a boy in my classroom who wears a hearing aid. For the sake of privacy I’ll call him F. He has problems getting along with his classmates who are then disrespectful towards him and excluding him from their games. There is a general atmosphere of rivalry among the children who compete in underscoring the errors and defects of those who seem to be weak. So I decided to engage them in an activity that would be gratifying to them and would help them to see the good in one another; and hoping that they would also see the good in F. This is how the Friendship Post began: One morning a colourful mailbox with slots appeared on the teacher’s desk. A cartoon image of GB&W was pasted on top. The pair of smiling cartoon characters were saying: “I have a surprise for you!” I suggested to the children that we could use this box to say good things to each other during the week, good things we had noticed in one another during the day. The messages could be signed or anonymous and addressed to anyone. We could send drawings, poems or small gifts. We teachers also wanted to participate, writing mostly to the children we thought would not receive a message. These messages would then be read every Friday afternoon. The children enthusiastically agreed to the suggestion and began writing messages, letters, poems and drawings. At the end of the first week the entire classroom was overflowing with enthusiasm. Opening the mail was a moment of true sharing in which everyone finally focused on the positive rather than the negative. Every child received a letter and promised to respond to the sender. We teachers had kept watch for those who hadn’t received a message when the box was opened. We would write short thoughts for some, and for others we would send a small cartoon image of GB&W. The recipients of the comic strips asked about the comic strip characters and I offered some explanations. A deep and beautiful dialogue was begun. From then on receiving a comic strip was seen as a privilege, something special that was cherished. During the weeks that followed the atmosphere in the classroom had changed noticeably: the children were more polite to one another, a bit because they wanted to receive a letter, a bit because of the positive bonds that had begun to be formed among them because of the positive compliments they had received from their peers. 
However, it was more of a struggle for F. to benefit from the Friendship Post. He refused to write messages to his classmates, saying that he would surely receive none from anyone else, except teachers. This went on for two weeks. During the third week, however, one girl wrote a message to F. saying that he was her friend because he lent things to her. F. broke into tears and angrily ripped up the note. But the next week he asked me to help him write several letters and, in the following weeks, he began to receive messages that were filled with compliments that filled him with surprise. Then he decided to write everyone a friendly message. For him, who was always so selective in his relationships, it was a very big step that was filled with emotion. The “friendship mail” continued until the end of the school year, becoming an integral part of the scholastic programme as a vehicle of friendship and reciprocity for everyone.” (M. T. – Italy)
Twenty projects were presented, such as New Families Onlus Project that collects more than 6 million euros every year for adoption-at-a-distance projects; a network of young film-makers which is focused on social training; the work of many men and women religious who go out into the streets to meet the immigrants and disadvantaged; communicators who are at the service of legality and the common good; the promotion of synergy between citizens and institutions at the territorial and national levels for the promotion of good practices in response to the emergency of immigration.
At the front of the emergency stands legality: a legal project for regulating gambling, which is connected to the Slotmob campaign (mobilising public campaign by citizens ‘for good gaming’ and ‘against the new poverty of gambling addiction’); the promotion of critical consumer choices, the creation of networks and areas of cooperation in response to “racketeering, usury and widespread illegal practices. Institutions and citizens, associations and business owners are weaving together a common path towards a widespread culture of legality.
“Remove from the centre the law of income and profits and put the human person and the common good there instead,” said the Pope in a peremptory statement before a crowd of thousands of unemployed people during his recent visit to Sardinia. It is the “young unemployed, people on unemployment assistance, the poor, entrepreneurs and traders who are struggling to survive.” These are the ones who must be kept most at heart. In this alarming context of uncertainty in which the Pope did not hesitate to strongly affirm that “there is no dignity without work,” he was presented with several testimonials in response to his plea. One was that of the Cooperativa Primavera 83 (Spring 83 Cooperative) that began from the initiative of the Councillor of Social Services for the Commune of Cagliari, who wished to use the financing of a Regional Law to provide jobs for a group of teenagers with social problems, by entrusting them with the care of some school gardens. 
In 2008, to celebrate 25 years in operation, the cooperative gave the commune of Cagliari a garden area on the roundabout in front of the cemetery. It is dedicated to some shareholders of Primavera 83 who died of AIDS in the 1990’s. “Now, after 30 years in operation,” continues Maria Grazia Patrizi, “this cooperative that adheres to 
The bishops present were unanimous in welcoming the idea. In order to open itself to the existential peripheries, the community had to interrogate itself, be confirmed by its brothers and sisters and increase the unity among all. Final proposals included: to work as a network in order to be enriched and to be of help to one another; to work together at finding new paths and, in this way, have a greater impact on the local environment. The Diocesan Movement of the Focolare began in the 1970’s and developed mostly in the diocese of central Italy. Together with the Focolare Movement its goal is to “work towards the realization of Jesus’ testament that all be one (Jn. 17:21), by animating local church structures (parishes, organizations and diocesan environments) through
Gaffar from Afghanistan had to seek asylum in Holland for him and his family. Life in the refugee camp was not easy with one room for the whole family. The children had to play outdoors when they were bored and disturbing to others. Every day Gaffar attempted to invent something new that would keep them busy in a positive way. Gaffar is a journalist and to keep his own mind active, he began translating a book. One day his friend, Frank, brought him a typewriter. To Gaffar it was like touching heaven with his fingertips. Now he could type his translation. Then his roommate exclaimed: “I would like to have one of those too!” Gaffar told him: “Take it; it’s yours.” Later that same day Peter arrived with a computer for Gaffar. It was still working well, and had been given to Peter when the computers at his office were replaced with new ones. “Seeing all the things you are doing for the children, I thought it could be helpful for you in preparing activities for them.” That month the Word of Life that was being lived said: “