“Inside The Label” is part of United World Week giving people the chance to make a difference by choosing good quality, ethically produced goods and social responsibility.Note the date. 11 May, just a few days after United World Week (1-7 May 2019) is “Inside the Label” day when we can “vote as we spend”. This is one of the main actions for 2019 planned by the Focolare’s Youth for a United World, an exercise in “economic democracy”, as the Italian economist, Leonardo Becchetti, who started the day, has called it. Let’s see what it is about and how we can get involved. According to Becchetti, “Voting as you spend expresses the sovereignty of the consumer, who decides with their purchasing and saving power whether to reward or penalise companies and/or countries that act responsibly or irresponsibly from a social and environmental point of view… Many problems we face, as Pope Francis says, are due to an economic system which is no longer able to solve people’s problems and those relating to the environment. The solution is to create a new and sustainable economic model which is both inclusive and participative.” Leonardo Becchetti affirms that “the only way to do this is to build it up from the grassroots, together. Hence the idea of voting as you spend: becoming responsible consumers, conscious of the role we can play and the power we have to reward companies that make profits, without harming their employees, customers or the environment, through the items we purchase. We have the power to judge and choose companies that are leading the way in social, environmental and financial sustainability”. The young people of the Focolare want to encourage people to shop ethically and support companies that are economically and socially responsible. But how is this vote cast?Supermarkets are the “polling stations” where shoppers are invited to take part in a workshop lasting about 2 hours. Scoreboards, ballot boxes and real ballot papers are prepared. The idea is to present the “candidates”, which are a selection of products divided into 5 categories: pasta, coffee, chocolate, tinned tuna and fizzy orange drinks. An information sheet on each product gives details of the characteristics and criteria on which to judge the product such as protection of the environment, respect for workers, traceability of raw materials, etc. The workshop is set out like an election day and votes are cast by the purchase (or not) of products on the basis of their different programmes, i.e. on the basis of the information gathered. And it’s all done like a talk show, with exit polls, projections and the counting of votes. These “Inside the Label” workshops have three aims – to bridge the gap between the consumer and the hidden choices businesses have made concerning their products, so as to generate awareness; to encourage group participation by voting for the products; and finally to generate change. When consumer choices are directed towards the common good, they can influence companies to act more ethically like the companies whose goods were purchased. We will share developments on the “Inside the Label” campaign on this website and the United World Project website, and information on the “candidate” products is also available on the website for this initiative.
Rome, 30 april 2019 “We are at Fiumicino airport and we are waiting to take the plane leaving for Beirut. Then we will continue to Syria. We will visit these two countries and the people who are waiting for us with so much joy. Truly our joy to find them again is great because we don’t see them after a long time. The thing that I have in my heart right now is the thought that I am going to find a country in full desire for reconstruction. So a country that lives, that has so much hope, both Lebanon and Syria. And I hope that the Lebanese – they too have experienced the pain of war – that they are now in a moment of peace, are so generous as to help the Syrians who are now beginning their reconstruction. There is so much hope. We also want to contribute to bringing this hope, with our presence, with our affection, with the assurance that we are close to them with the whole world. ” Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement
It’s a shop where no money changes hands. Instead freely donated goods are passed on to those who need them. It’s one of the most recent fruits of the experience of the Diocesan Movement in Ascoli Piceno, in central Italy.It’s been called the “giving and reusing shop.” Here you don’t pay with cash or a credit card, but with a smile and a firm handshake. You go there to donate objects, clothes or appliances – or to receive those that you need. That’s how it works. It is located in the historic centre of Ascoli Piceno, a city in central Italy that is dotted with towers and medieval bell towers made of travertine stone. “Passamano” is the name of the shop. It means “passing from one hand to another.” It grew out of the experience of a branch of the Focolare Movement called the Diocesan Movement. Deeply rooted in six dioceses of central Italy, the Diocesan Movement operates at the service of the local church, promoting an intense life of communion within the ecclesial reality. Alessia Giammarini, a young mother of two children aged 9 and 6, has been a part of the Diocesan Movement since primary school: “I started attending meetings in the parish every Saturday afternoon when I was in third grade. Later I discovered that there was an entire community around our group, which was made up of young people and adults who took care of the little ones. I still remember the first school camp. For me it was a moment of fundamental growth, where I realized that God was calling me to make a personal commitment. For many years, in addition to running the parish youth group, I was involved in catechism and the choir. It is still a path of growth for me, and for many others. For us the parish is not only a place of service, but above all it’s a place of communion.” Alessia’s personal history was further enriched when this commitment was extended to the diocesan level. This is how she explains it… “Some of us entered into service as deacons or as ministers of the Eucharist. Others, like me, proposed a series of radio programmes about the local Christian community to be broadcast on the diocesan radio channel. For each episode we invited people from various movements and associations, religious communities, diocesan bodies … or the bishop himself, to present initiatives and events. Our presence as a Diocesan Movement then began to become visible at the political and institutional level. For example, Ascoli was the first city to be awarded the International Prize “Città per la Fraternità” (Cities for Fraternity). It was awarded because of an initiative we had launched involving the whole city and the mayor accepted the award on the city’s behalf. In recent years we have launched events dedicated to citizenship, such as the “Festa della Fantasia,” (Festival of the Imagination) which was included in the Ascoli Carnevale, or the “Capodanno di tutti,”(New Year for Everyone) which promoted involvement of the most disadvantaged people. ” How did you come to open the “Passamano” shop? “It was the proposal made to the diocese and to Caritas to respond to the multiple situations of poverty caused by the recent earthquake in central Italy. In this city, “Passamano” has become a clearly visible reality, a way to promote the culture of giving, the practice of reusing things and emancipation from the mentality of consumerism.”
From #zerohunger to “Into the label”: the youth of the Focolare Movement also take the plunge to work for a better present and future for all: eliminating hunger and poverty, and increasing the sense of social responsability are only some of the main objectives of these protagonists. The 2019 edition of United World Week could not happen at a better moment. It is taking place when youth from all over the world, especially the very young ones are invading squares, parliaments and the social networks with colourful expressions of a unique cry that expresses their aspiration to save the planet in order to have a better world and a better future. Things happening during these days show that Greta is just the tip of an iceberg; we may say that she is the spark that has started the fire and encouraged thousands of children to come into the open and declare why they protest and also reveal their hope. Marina, a young girl from Brazil, who is presently at the International Youth Centre of the Focolare Movement explained: “We will concentrate on giving our message from May 1 to 7, during United World Week which is organized every year. Together with the adults we want to tell the world that we are fully committed to struggle against poverty so that there will be no one in need, and we want to work to eliminate hunger”. Two initatives: #zerohunger and #intothelabel Marina continued: “There are hundreds of initiatives organized in the world; two of these are being promoted in a way to reach as many people as possible. The first one is the #zerohunger campaign through which Teens4Unity are promoting a lifestyle with commitments to eliminate hunger, such as sharing a meal with people in need or involving restaurants in accepting the idea of “prepaid meals”. This means that they allow customers to pay in advance for one or more meals that are to be distributed to those in need. Then there is “Into the LABel”, the responsible consumption laboratory, set up by a group of young people who adhere to the Economy of Communion. This consists of the possibility each one of us has to “vote with the portfolio”, because when we choose to buy a product rather than another, we are also chosing to reward the values and the production style of the company. Chiara, one of the promoting group explained that we also vote when we go to the supermarket, that through our wallets, we exercise our “purchasing power”. Prof. Leonardo Becchetti, a veteran of this concept talked of the civil responsibilty it involves; he explained: “May be we do not think about it, but it is quite clear that when we buy a product we express a preference, we reward and support the work of the company that produces it, the way it carries out its business, its declared mission, its internal processes, the relationships with its employees and suppliers, its environmental impact”. “Global” appointments Two dates have to be kept in mind for the coming United World Week. On May 5 there will be the launching of the Run4Unity, the traditional worldwide relay where teenagers and children express their commitment to build one human family so that there will be no more people in need on earth. From 9 to 16 June, there will be the “No one in Need” event at the Mariapolis Luminosa (USA), where reports about activities carried out worldwide to fight hunger and poverty will be shared.
Even in the most tragic and complex of situations, there is always something that we can and should do to contribute to the “common good”.Should we close the business? We were about to close the business because the serious economic crisis in our country seemed to leave us with no alternative. However, with our own children we reflected on the fact that for six of our employees and their families, the work with us was their only source of income. We decided to ask for God’s help and search for other solutions even if this meant running considerable risks. Raul was not feeling very hopeful when he went to the largest store in the town to ask if they wanted to buy the tiles we produce. To his great surprise, the managers not only placed an order with us, they also asked if we could become their exclusive suppliers. Work increased and we had to take on more employees. This experience strengthened the bond among us both in the family and in the business. (R. F. – Brazil) Refugees Two weeks before Easter, 180 refugees from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan were moved into the army barracks in my town. Most of them were Christians: many were young, in fact, some were still children. They had been stopped at the frontier with Egypt because they did not have the correct documentation and had been held in a detention centre. They were shocked and overwhelmed by the sub-human conditions in which they were forced to live. They were given only bread to eat each day and occasionally rice but, nonetheless, they still fasted because it was Lent! I felt that Jesus was asking me to love him in a concrete way in those brothers. I spoke to my friends and together we collected money, medicine and food and we began to prepare for an Easter meal for them. In a short time, we had meat, fruit and vegetables – all the things they had not eaten for so long. My father helped by using his car to transport the food we had prepared. You cannot imagine how happy they were. It was an Easter that I will never forget. (M. A. – Egypt) Rubbish Every time that I met our neighbour, we used to argue because very often she left her rubbish piled up in front of our doorway. This had gone on for years until the example set by some Christian friends convinced me that I had to be the first to love. One day the usual problem had happened with the rubbish but I immediately thought that this was my opportunity. I went out with a sweeping brush and began to clear up. She was there waiting for me to react. This time I looked at her, smiled and asked how she was. She was surprised and answered very politely. From that day onwards, every time that she sweeps and tidies the area at the front of her house, she does the same for me and we have become friends. (R.C.- Colombia)
Rome, Italy ‘Caring for the earth and for the people who live on it. Identifying common goals and ways of making progress towards those goals.’ This is the shared purpose drawing a host of associations, professionals, civil and ecclesial institutions to Villa Borghese in the heart of Rome, from 25-29 April, to form an “Earth Village” for the fourth year running. Promoted by Earth Day Italia and the Focolare Movement, this annual event aims to support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda and to promote the principles expressed in Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Sì – on care for our common home”. Anthonia Testa, from the Focolare Movement in Rome, explains how they linked up with Earth Day Italia. “It goes back to November 2015 when we participated in the Laudato Sì march which Earth Day had been asked to organize. At that time, we were planning our next annual Focolare gathering, the Mariapolis, hoping to hold it in the heart of Rome, as our foundress Chiara Lubich had wished. Earth Day Italia invited us to locate the Mariapolis where and when they’ve been celebrating World Earth Day for many years. It was a truly providential meeting between an organization dedicated to awaking public awareness of environmental issues and us, a people passionately committed to making change on many fronts and to promoting all that is good and beautiful in the city of Rome”. The Pope visited the “Village” in 2016 and he encouraged those present to remain firm in their commitment to “transform the desert into forest”. He was not only referring to the physical environment, but also to those human situations where life is under threat … “The Pope spoke about social friendship. He had before him this group of people which included immigrants, imams, ex-convicts, young people recovering from addictions – a forest which is not uniform, not neat and tidy but full of life. The phrase ‘transform the deserts into forest’ has become our mission”. How does the “Earth Village” hope to respond to the Pope’s appeal? The “Village” aims to be a model, a place where everyone can feel part of a community. A place where it’s possible to build solid relationships, which are at the root of an integrated ecological approach. A place where no-one’s contribution is considered small if it’s shared. A place which welcomes the commitment to reach sustainable goals in economic development.” Motivated by Laudato Sì and the UN’s 2030 Agenda, this year particular attention is being paid to the Amazon. What prompted this choice? “The Amazon symbolizes cultural biodiversity both environmentally and ethically. In October there will be the Synod of Catholic Bishops for the Amazon region. In the light of this, the “Village” aims to focus on these aspects and on the Church’s action in this area. Participating in the Village are the Capuchin Franciscans who have animated a Mission in the Amazon region for over 100 years, Survival International which for 50 years has worked to support indigenous tribes, and the Pontifical Council for Culture’s consultation body ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’.” Meeting people in different environments and situations is a means of evangelization .. “It makes me think of Chiara Lubich words: ‘to lose ourselves in the crowd in order to fill it with the divine’. In the “Village” there are around 200 different associations and dozens of expert speakers, sporting personalities, artists as well as all the people passing through. You have only one ‘instrument’, your heart. And the commitment held in common to love everyone. Many times we really see deserts being transformed into forest, and we cannot but recognize God’s intervention. Personal relationships mature and the pearls of the Gospel can be sown: love in action, social engagement, care for the vulnerable, reciprocity.” Young people are very much in the front line in wanting to protect the environment. What is their role in the Earth Village? “29 April sees children and young people with their schools and universities focusing on the 17 United Nations Goals, through the ‘learning service’. This is a voluntary service launched last year with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. This year it welcomes participants from all the pontifical universities and also students from other countries through the support of the Fondazione Scholas Occurrentes.
Note the date. 11 May, just a few days after United World Week (1-7 May 2019) is “Inside the Label” day when we can “vote as we spend”. This is one of the main actions for 2019 planned by the Focolare’s Youth for a United World, an exercise in “economic democracy”, as the Italian economist, Leonardo Becchetti, who started the day, has called it. Let’s see what it is about and how we can get involved. According to Becchetti, “Voting as you spend expresses the sovereignty of the consumer, who decides with their purchasing and saving power whether to reward or penalise companies and/or countries that act responsibly or irresponsibly from a social and environmental point of view… Many problems we face, as Pope Francis says, are due to an economic system which is no longer able to solve people’s problems and those relating to the environment. The solution is to create a new and sustainable economic model which is both inclusive and participative.” Leonardo Becchetti affirms that “the only way to do this is to build it up from the grassroots, together. Hence the idea of voting as you spend: becoming responsible consumers, conscious of the role we can play and the power we have to reward companies that make profits, without harming their employees, customers or the environment, through the items we purchase. We have the power to judge and choose companies that are leading the way in social, environmental and financial sustainability”. The young people of the Focolare want to encourage people to shop ethically and support companies that are economically and socially responsible. But how is this vote cast? 
It’s been called the “giving and reusing shop.” Here you don’t pay with cash or a credit card, but with a smile and a firm handshake. You go there to donate objects, clothes or appliances – or to receive those that you need. That’s how it works. It is located in the historic centre of Ascoli Piceno, a city in central Italy that is dotted with towers and medieval bell towers made of travertine stone. “Passamano” is the name of the shop. It means “passing from one hand to another.” It grew out of the experience of a branch of the Focolare Movement called the Diocesan Movement. Deeply rooted in six dioceses of central Italy, the Diocesan Movement operates at the service of the local church, promoting an intense life of communion within the ecclesial reality. Alessia Giammarini, a young mother of two children aged 9 and 6, has been a part of the Diocesan Movement since primary school: “I started attending meetings in the parish every Saturday afternoon when I was in third grade. Later I discovered that there was an entire community around our group, which was made up of young people and adults who took care of the little ones. I still remember the first school camp. For me it was a moment of fundamental growth, where I realized that God was calling me to make a personal commitment. For many years, in addition to running the parish youth group, I was involved in catechism and the choir. It is still a path of growth for me, and for many others. For us the parish is not only 
a place of service, but above all it’s a place of communion.” Alessia’s personal history was further enriched when this commitment was extended to the diocesan level. This is how she explains it… “Some of us entered into service as deacons or as ministers of the Eucharist. Others, like me, proposed a series of radio programmes about the local Christian community to be broadcast on the diocesan radio channel. For each episode we invited people from various movements and associations, religious communities, diocesan bodies … or the bishop himself, to present initiatives and events. Our presence as a Diocesan Movement then began to become visible at the political and institutional level. For example, Ascoli was the first city to be awarded the International Prize “Città per la Fraternità” (Cities for Fraternity). It was awarded because of an initiative we had launched involving the whole city and the mayor accepted the award on the city’s behalf. In recent years we have launched events dedicated to citizenship, such as the “Festa della Fantasia,” (Festival of the Imagination) which was included in the Ascoli Carnevale, or the “Capodanno di tutti,”(New Year for Everyone) which promoted involvement of the most disadvantaged people. ” How did you come to open the “Passamano” shop? “It was the proposal made to the diocese and to Caritas to respond to the multiple situations of poverty caused by the recent earthquake in central Italy. In this city, “Passamano” has become a clearly visible reality, a way to promote the culture of giving, the practice of reusing things and emancipation from the mentality of consumerism.” 
The Pope visited the “Village” in 2016 and he encouraged those present to remain firm in their commitment to “transform the desert into forest”. He was not only referring to the physical environment, but also to those human situations where life is under threat … “The Pope spoke about social friendship. He had before him this group of people which included immigrants, imams, ex-convicts, young people recovering from addictions – a forest which is not uniform, not neat and tidy but full of life. The phrase ‘transform the deserts into forest’ has become our mission”. How does the “Earth Village” hope to respond to the Pope’s appeal? The “Village” aims to be a model, a place where everyone can feel part of a community. A place where it’s possible to build solid relationships, which are at the root of an integrated ecological approach. A place where no-one’s contribution is considered small if it’s shared. A place which welcomes the commitment to reach sustainable goals in economic development.” Motivated by Laudato Sì and the UN’s 2030 Agenda, this year particular attention is being paid to the Amazon. What prompted this choice? “The Amazon symbolizes cultural biodiversity both environmentally and ethically. In October there will be the Synod of Catholic Bishops for the Amazon region. In the light of this, the “Village” aims to focus on these aspects and on the Church’s action in this area. Participating in the Village are the Capuchin Franciscans who have animated a Mission in the Amazon region for over 100 years, Survival International which for 50 years has worked to support indigenous tribes, and the Pontifical Council for Culture’s consultation body ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’.”