![Muneeb Sohail]()
Apr 17, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
The young Pakistani who was hit by a stray bullet during clashes in Karachi. “Go ahead, with the firm decision to live our great Ideal radically, to offer the society around you the love that shines in your hearts, and that Muneeb too would have wanted to gift to many. Certainly he will continue from heaven to live and work with you and with the whole Movement, so as to give rise day after day to a new, united, peaceful and supportive people”. With these words, the president Maria Voce encouraged the gen (youth of the Focolare) in Pakistan to follow the path of Muneeb Sohail. He died after being hit by a bullet during the heavy and violent clashes last January in Karachi, while he was returning home with another gen after an English lesson. Unfortunately, such clashes frequently occur in this southern metropolis of the country. Muneeb would have turned 20 next May. Right from an early age, he had begun to live and appreciate within his family the spirituality of unity. He had lost his father as a child. When he grew up, he took it upon himself to pass on the lifestyle he had discovered to youth as well as to younger children. He used to say that in order to “deepen and understand it better”, he went to live together with other gen during the spring of 2012. He made an indelible impression on them. Speaking of him they said: “For me he was an angel. He taught me to live with God. He was a true friend for us children”; “When I first met him, he immediately shared with me his experiences and his life, and he never missed an opportunity to love concretely”. On 7th October last year, a month after the large international event in Budapest, the Genfest was also held in Karachi despite the tense situation prevailing in the city. Muneeb was at the forefront during the preparations and in the programme, adhering to and spreading the ideal of a United World. On 17th January, while greeting his mother, Muneeb said: “I’m happy to give my life to Jesus”. And now the baton passes on to all the gen in the world, to all those who support the United World Project – UWP, and to all those who feel called to build bridges of peace and brotherhood everywhere.
![Muneeb Sohail]()
Apr 17, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Joanna: “I was so anxious
to know if my friends
were ok.”
Two days after the bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, the city remains traumatized, partly paralyzed. The inhabitants, though shaken and shattered by the violence, want to stand up against the sense of fear: “We’re the ones to decide when to finish the marathon,” says Joanna, a 19 year-old college student in Boston. An event has been organized for Friday evening – to walk the last five miles of the marathon, which is where the police forced them to stop. The walk will be a sign of hope to show the world that there’s more good than bad in the city of Boston.
Joanna was cheering for several friends who were running in the marathon; she was standing about five miles away from the finish line. “All of a sudden, there was chaos; there were cops everywhere telling the people that the race was over.” Joanna was scared; nobody knew what happened, more-so because the cell phones were not working. There was talk that there had been two explosions, then she overheard two policemen speaking about a bomb attack. “I started to realize that my friends were right there in the middle of it all, and I was so anxious to know if they were ok”. Feeling helpless, Joanna took refuge in a cafe’ when one of her friends who had participated in the marathon walked in the door. “I bought him something to eat; I listened to him”. By doing these simple acts of love, Joanna realized that we can’t remain paralyzed with fear.
She found out that all her friends were fine, though one girl was very close to the bombings. “Unfortunately, a lot of families and other students cannot say the same,” says Joanna, “I’m praying for them.” Every evening, Joanna goes to Mass at 10 pm, and she invited all her friends to go with her. To her surprise, they all turned up. Mass there was normally attended by just a handful of people, but this time the Church was full. They weren’t all Christian, but everybody felt the need to pray.
More than 12,000 people have already signed up for the Friday walk. Though the sad, strange atmosphere still lingers and continues to be a suffering, Joanna is sure of one thing: “We have to show the world that love is stronger. We have to believe more than ever before in a united world, and to do our little part.”
By Susanne Janssen (Living City Magazine, NY – USA)
![Muneeb Sohail]()
Apr 16, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
“We have a chance… we can speak on common themes of Christian theology.” With these words, Prof. Stanciu, Dean of Orthodox Theology at the University of Babes-Bolyai, recommended to aim at what unites rather than divides. “We all know that there’s need for love and there are no elements of disagreement when one speaks of love. Why not benefit from this opportunity?”
This second meeting was held on the 16th April at the department in an atmosphere of harmony of thought and life. It was entitled: “Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” (1Jn 4,16).
Orthodox and Catholics in turn presented academic papers and life experiences in an atmosphere of intellectual and spiritual productiveness, as a fruit of the shared intention to live this moment in the light of Jesus’ words: “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt 18,20). “From the presentations it seemed to be that there was not just a dialogue of concepts among the speakers but also of hearts”, commented an Orthodox professor. “We not only spoke but also lived”.The friendly and fruitful relationship among some Catholics and Orthodox has in fact developed over several years.
Bishop Vasile
The Meeting began with the Metropolitan of Cluj Andrei’s greetings to the nearly seventy participants present, and ended with the speech of bishop Vasile, the Metropolitan’s deputy. He drew a parallel between the birth of the Focolare and Saint Basil’s activity or the message of Assisi “because in the difficult times the world was passing through, they knew how to bear an extraordinary witness to Christ, uniting forces with whom they helped society advance, mobilizing all the Church’s energies in order that it might mirror that what it ought to be and for which Christ founded it.” He also wished that these meetings of mutual enrichment, knowledge and fruitful exchange, would continue to be held on a regular basis.
In order to highlight the importance of the event, the Metropolis radio hosted a programme with various interviews.
![Muneeb Sohail]()
Apr 15, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Behind the Korean peninsula’s crisis there are profound political questions and delicate power relations. The crisis between North and South Korea and the threats to attack the USA with a North Korean nuclear warhead have generate tensions locally and throughout the world.
‘How are we living these days of tension because the threats from North Korea?’ say Sok In (Alberto) Kim and Won Ju (Maris) Moon who are responsible for the Focolare Movement in Korea. ‘We are praying in a special way for politicians on both sides and for all the countries involved, asking that may have the light and the strength to act according to conscience. And for us it is a chance to live out love for our neighbour with greater intensity.’ They also say, ‘We are full of trust, sure that good will always triumph’ and that they do everything with ‘the hope that a stable peace will return as soon as possible.’
They have been encouraged by a message sent by Maria Voce who is following the situation of Korea and adjacent countries with particular attentiveness. She has assured the Focolare community of her closeness in spirit. ‘I hold you, together with the Korean people, in my prayer and in my heart. Together let us renew our faith in the Father’s love.’
She has invited everyone to pray, all united, with greater intensity the Time Out for peace in the world, asking that new conflicts are avoided. Maria Voce visited the Focolare community in Korea in 2010. She was struck by their characteristic commitment to build, through dialogue, relationships of fraternity in all day to day situations everywhere: ‘a contribution to a solution of peace in the many hotspots in the world.’
Sok in Kim and Won Ju Moon write that the moment of the Time Out is being lived with great intensity by everyone, ‘entrusting to God all the countries where there is warfare and especially our own land.’
The Focolare has been present in Korea since the 60s, and the first focolare house was opened in 1969. The Movement’s community is made up of people of every age and vocation. Especially significant for them have been political and economic initiatives and their commitment in interfaith dialogue.
A comment in Italian on the Korean crisis can be found in Città Nuova online in an interview with Paquale Ferrara, an international relations expert.
Apr 12, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
In Egypt child labour is a real social emergency. Out of population of about 80 million people, the work force includes more than 2 million children between the ages of 7 and 15. Many of them have to leave school to keep their families. In Cairo, working children often live on the streets and are exposed to many kinds of violence and the risk of serious illness.
AMU (Azione per un mondo unito, meaning Action for a United World), an NGO inspired by the spirituality of the Focolare Movement, which for years has working with the Foundation ‘Koz Kazah’ (‘Rainbow’ in Arabic), has continued its commitment in 2013 to work for the children of the Shubra district of Cairo. They are minors between 5 and 15 years old, doing unskilled work and coming from extremely difficult home situations. The prime objective is to give them back their childhoods by creating conditions suitable for their ages. A centre has been established and the children come to it one day a week, when they are off work, and they have the chance to learn how to read and write and, through games, sport and art, they learn how to recover their self-esteem and their ability to interact positively with others. The older children, who have been coming to the centre for several years, help the new ones fit in with the various activities. A club has been set up called ‘Edn Masr’ (Child of Egypt).
Seeing how successful it has been over the years, led the centre to venture into offering job training courses: as electricians and carpenters for the boys, as dressmakers for the girls. An interesting confirmation of this activity is taking place with a theatre course held by a professional director. In September they managed to offer a first performance at an important peace day run by Koz Kazah together with two Muslim associations, one that cares for orphans and the other for people with disabilities.
Hanaa Kaiser, the local representative of AMU for the project said, ‘The peace day was a unique opportunity for our children to feel appreciated and part of society. The performers came from every social category among both Christians and Muslims.’ She went on to say, ‘We have seen that sport plays an important part in educating boys, and so we have organized a football tournament with other sport’s centres in the city. For girls things are very different and in our various activities we find we can help them overcome several prejudices deeply rooted in some parts of society. For example, R., among the brightest girls in the school, was supposed to finish her studies after middle school in order to get married, which was all that was thought possible for her. Our support made it possible to convince her parents to let her carry on and become a nurse. This was an important sign of change also for other families.’
Another important achievement has been attained by four boys who passed the government literacy examination. With the certificate obtained, they will be able to get a job and a driving licence, and work, for instance, as taxi drivers. This will certainly be an example for others and encourage them to better their living conditions.
Project data for 2013
Project: Children at risk – in the country and locally: Egypt, Cairo
Beneficiaries: 120 minors
Local partner: the Koz Kazah Foundation
Total cost of the project: €27,624.37
Local funds: €12,352.63 – funds asked from AMU €15,271.74
Source: AMU Notizie and AMU Newsletter
http://www.amu-it.eu/2013/03/08/egitto-andata-e-ritorno/?lang=en
http://www.amu-it.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/NEWSLETTER-formazione-giugno-2012.pdf
http://www.amu-it.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/AMU-Notizie-n%C2%B04per-web.pdf
![Muneeb Sohail]()
Apr 11, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
“The months spent at Sophia have helped me to bring together what I believe in and what I live: a more just world that with equality in diversity. Everything – the economy and political science classes and the opportunism to meet students and professors at Sophia from around the world – all of it has made me a different person inside. Then there was the work that made me more tolerant and aware of other’s needs, sufferings and joys. Now it is a treasure that has become part of me.” These words were shared by Valeria as she was being interviewed by the Brazilian journalist Valter Hugo Muniz concerning her year-long experience at Sophia University Institute of Loppiano (Italy). 
“For me, working in the social field has always meant integrating my profession with my desire for a more fraternal world in which everyone’s rights are fully respected,” Valeria continues. “Before going to Sophia I had been working for three years as a social worker in the Borro Quarter, which is one of the poorest quarters of Montevideo (Uruguay) where families, teenagers and children live under extremely vulnerable conditions. I tried never to lose sight of my main objective of affirming the dignity of the people, involving them and creating social spaces where isolation could be overcome, and facing problems together through dialogue and collective action.” 
Last December Valeria returned to Montevideo and has been involved in a project that focuses on children between the ages of 5 and 12, and their families. “The year spent at Sophia,” she concludes, “was quite intense in many ways. It was a turning point for me that required me to change. . . and the learning hasn’t ended. I’m still assimilating the new categories that I learnt there. I now see my activity as an on-going “walking together” in which it is necessary to see each other with eyes of genuine fraternity. What needs to improve are not only the material standards or the quality of life, but also the awareness of our common citizenship.” In collaboration with: Valter Hugo Muniz Source: Sophia University Institute
