28 Mar 2019 | Non categorizzato
‘Europe time to dialogue’ is an initiative of the Focolare Movement, designed to contribute to the debate leading up to the forthcoming European Parliamentary elections. You can find the page on Facebook. The choice of a social network like Facebook is significant. According to experts, recent important elections have been influenced by increased activity on social media by groups attempting to sway results – often with motives that are incompatible with democratic principles. This is why we need to become a presence on social media if we want to promote themes related to the common good, inclusion, participation and solidarity. ‘The Europe time to dialogue’ campaign will offer arguments for a more fraternal and a more cohesive Europe in these times marked by the widespread rise of new social egoisms, neo-sovereignties and nationalisms. The culture of unity that springs from the charism lived by the members of the Focolare Movement needs to be at the service of policies that encourage and promote efforts to collaborate, to share and to bring people together. After all, Chiara Lubich and Igino Giordani are included among the great proponents of a united Europe. They consistently held that a united Europe should be a promoter of world peace and global distribution of goods. In reference to “The United States of Europe for the United States of the World,” Igino Giordani, in writings dating from the 1920s, and Chiara Lubich, in the numerous instances in which she spoke to politicians from all over the world, both gave clear pictures of the European Continent’s destiny. This is why the posts in Europe: time to dialogue will have two aspects to them. They will include a message from the past, that is, a quote about a united Europe and its universal mission from leading figures such as Chiara Lubich, Igino Giordani, Pasquale Foresi, Alcide De Gasperi, Konrad Adenauer, Robert Schuman, Paul-Henri Spaak, Jean Monnet and others. They will also include commentary on current events in the light of the teachings of these leading figures. To follow us, just find Europe time to dialogue on Facebook. You can leave a comment or a reflection and then share the posts with your friends.
Alberto Lo Presti
26 Mar 2019 | Non categorizzato
Anna Maria, Jessica and Talat: testimony to friendship among people from the three monotheistic religions. When the walls of distrust and prejudice fall down, you experience that it’s possible to look to the future with courage and hope. https://vimeo.com/319522327
24 Mar 2019 | Non categorizzato
An interview with the Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, present at the Edu x Edu Conference: “We need to rebuild the bond between the one to be educated and the educator”. In an ever-changing world, it is not always feasible to find definitive solutions for certain issues. Yet, it is always necessary to be updated, to put right, to reinterpret and above all to look for solutions for the unsocial situations that grip those engaged in education today. The Church has always, but particularly in recent years, emphasised the pressing need of attention to educational emergency, considered as one of the greatest anthropological challenges we have to face in our times. Pope Francis continues to insist on this challenge because it is the root, the cause of flourishing social inequalities. Very often this is underestimated by politics, and so treated with total indifference. Msgr.Vincenzo Zani, Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, shared his views about this at the round table on “The vitality of dreams: giving a soul to education” during the international conference held recently at Castel Gandolfo, “EduxEdu”, “Be educated to educate – growing together in a relationship that educates”. This project was launched in 2016, and there are about 400 educators, young people and teachers from the Focolare Communities in different countries that participate in it. This year’s initiative was organized by the Focolare Movement together with LUMSA University, Sophia University Institute, AMU (United World Association), EdU (Education and Unity) and AFN (New Families). 
Msgr. Zani’s speech focussed mainly on the generation gap, the split between cultures, values and ideals, provoked even by the digital revolution, an extraordinary potential but often disorientating. The infosphere era, the developments in information and communication technologies are causing a change in answers to fundamental questions. In the face of such a scenario, what does Pope Francis propose? If we look at the past, we realise that education was a community task, a relational sharing. Networking, a 365 degrees dialogue among all educational agencies are key remedies that can contribute to overcome this challenge. In fact, to educate is not to remain fixed in one’s own securities, and it is neither abbandoning oneself only to challenges, but it is holding on to values and confronting one’s own views with other realities. Msgr. Zani emphasised that one of these dimensions is transcendency, the relationship with God. We are invited to build relationships, to be of service to others, to propose a kind of knowledge which is not selective but relational, one which tends to include, to re-establish the basic principles for an “educational pact”. This pact has to allot the space needed by those responsible for all educational, social activity to build a harmonious relationship among family, school, educational and civil institutions and culture. Thus, if we want to be able to answer to the challenge launched by the Pope, we definitely need to re-establish this alliance. It is precisely to relaunch the commitment towards rebuilding this educational pact that Pope Francis has entrusted the Congregation for Catholic Education with the task of promoting an international event that will be held in Rome on October 4, 2019. Msgr. Zani said: “We need to accompany men and women of the third millennium, especially the young ones, to discover the principle of fraternity, that underlies the whole reality. The significance of this principle is becoming more evident owing to planetary interdependence and the common destiny of mankind. The Pope will be proposing a “Magna charta” of principles and objectives signed by him and by others in authority that represent various vital and institutional sectors in the world. It is intended as a commitment to be accomplished through concrete projects at all levels in the field of education. Rebuilding the educational pact at a global level, educating towards universal brotherhood, means recomposing the state of social relationships damaged by individual selfishness and collective greed, while focusing on mutual respect and love to transform and improve personal and social life. Pope Francis insists that if we want to change the world we need to change education”.
Patrizia Mazzola
22 Mar 2019 | Non categorizzato
New relationships can be built in families or at workplaces by sharing what we have and what we are. A change of gift Our wedding anniversary was approaching, and our children were preparing a surprise for us.We have been married for 46 years and we have five children.Two days before celebrating our wedding anniversary, my husband and I were given tickets for a holiday in a hotel which our children paid for us. We were thrilled by this. However, a few minutes later the telephone rang: it was a lady I know, who sounded very sad when she shared the news that a seriously ill person needed an urgent operation but had no money to pay for it. The amount needed was precisely that of the tickets for our holiday. We didn’t think twice about giving up our holiday to help this person. The surgery took place on the same day of our anniversary. It was a success and this person is now doing well. (A. – Angola) Doing my best to keep the business going I work in the administration of a healthcare facility that in recent years has been facing financial problems. The working relationship between the managing directors has been quite a difficult one, and no one bothered to listen when I drew attention and suggested reviewing the company’s accounts. One day I felt I could no longer remain silent when faced with such mismanagement and the exorbitant fees paid to various professionals employed by our company. I spoke to one of the partners with whom I have a very trustworthy relationship and we agreed about asking for serious professional advice. This led to some small improvement, and my head of department, who was adamant about closing down the business, decided to keep it going for another year of trial. The first financial tests revealed that we employed more staff than what we could afford, so it was decided to dismiss one employee and give part-time work to another. I proposed reduced hours of work for everyone rather than losing one’s job. My proposal was accepted. There are still a number of problems, but I try to make myself available even from home to listen to everyone, to share with my colleagues their uncertainties and fears, especially the fear of losing their job. (R. G. – Italia) I started from the block of flats where I live “One Saturday afternoon I went down to the entrance hall of the block of flats where I live and placed carefully on a small table all the things that I managed to collect from my room”, related G. who is 7 years old. Some days before, G. looked for comics, magazines and shells she collected because she wanted to set up a stall to sell things to her neighbours. She continued: “I have also written a small note inviting families who live in the same block of flats to give me some of their precious time and visit my stall. For about two hours I welcomed my visitors to the stall and explained to them that the money from my sale would go towards helping some of the poorest children who are my age”. Many bought various items and she managed to collect quite a good sum of money which was contributed towards a solidarity project. (G.- Italia)
22 Mar 2019 | Non categorizzato
Focolare communities are among those struck by cyclone and floods in South East Africa Last week Cyclone Idai hit South East Africa bringing devastating floods to central Mozambique, as well as neighbouring countries. We are in contact with Focolare members living around Beira and Chimoio, including a team who run a mission for around 500 people. It comprises a hospital, a school, two colleges and the Fazenda da Esperança rehabilitation centre. At the moment, the entire mission compound is completely under water, cut off without drinking water, light or access to food. Fortunately none of the residents were killed by the cyclone, but many in the surrounding areas have died. Caritas and the local authorities are working to reach such isolated areas to supply food and other essentials. But an even greater challenge is about to emerge once the waters subside. According to Beira’s Bishop Dalla Zuanna: “We’ll have to start rebuilding when the emergency lights have been switched off.” The Focolare Movement’s international Emergency Coordination team has mobilized to gather funds and to support the local population as it struggles to recover. Contributions can be made through one of the following: Azione per un Mondo Unito ONLUS (AMU) IBAN: IT58 S050 1803 2000 0001 1204 344 Banca Popolare Etica BIC: CCRTIT2T Emergenza Mozambico Or: Azione per Famiglie Nuove ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT55 K033 5901 6001 0000 0001 060 presso Banca Prossima Codice SWIFT/BIC: BCITITMX Emergenza Mozambico
20 Mar 2019 | Non categorizzato
That your child has a behavioural disorder is not what any parent wants to hear. But, as this family has discovered, it can be a catalyst to deeper listening and to accompany your child with perseverance and self-giving. ‘Growth through living our child’s difficulties together as a family.’ This is the approach taken by Natalija and Damijan Obadic from Slovenia, married for 14 years with four children. Their youngest, Lovro, now aged six, was diagnosed three years ago with Attention Deficit Disorder. He was offered drugs and the standard treatments as the only options. However his parents are experiencing the effective contribution which relationships can make to his care, enabling his treatment to be more effective. This approach sometimes throws up surprising solutions. But there is no quick-fix. Every day is a fresh challenge. The unity of the family members and their union with God is what sustains their daily efforts. Natalija, how did you react to the news that your child suffers from Attention Deficiency? I’m a teacher, so I immediately thought of the children I’ve worked with who had this disorder and the many problems they faced. Immediately, that same day, Damijan and I understood that the best way of loving Lovro in his condition was for one of us to leave our job. We had a mortgage to repay and only modest salaries, so it was going to be a sacrifice. But we knew that helping to meet Lovro’s needs would require a lot of love, time and energy. It was hard, and risky for our family situation, but at the same time we were sure that God’s love for us would sustain us. What is this experience with Lovro teaching you? We’ve learned how to listen to him very attentively. When you ask him to do something, you have to check if he has really understood what you’ve said, then follow him as he does it and keep directing him back to what he’s meant to be doing. If not, he will constantly revert to playing. For him to complete a task is equivalent to climbing a high mountain. It appears too steep to him, so he rebels and refuses to do it. Sometimes, it will lead to a crisis, with uncontrollable shouting, throwing things around, kicking and punching. In these moments, calmly and gently you need to find the way to redirect him to what he’s supposed to be doing. We’ve learnt that our love for one another gives us the capacity to help him, and that our love for Lovro guides us to understand what to do for him. How do you deal with the difficulties of daily life? We pray with him every day, asking for the strength for him to overcome his difficulties. He’s aware he has this disorder, so that is a big step towards dealing with it. We rely on the love among us to help us follow the specialist’s directives well. Most of all, we’ve understood that Lovro must feel our unconditional love for him at all times. Your other children are involved in taking “special care” of Lovro. What is their relationship like? We’ve spoken with our other children about Lovro’s needs, what we can expect from him and how to keep on helping him in the right way. Because it’s such an all-consuming commitment, we decided to take turns on different days of the week. We encourage the children not to “take pity” when they ask Lovro to complete a task, because they have to help him learn that he has duties which must be finished. They really are helping him. We began to see a difference after just three months. One evening we told him to put on his pyjamas and then come to sit down at the table. For the first time ever, he actually did so without getting distracted at all. That called for a real celebration!
Interview by Claudia Di Lorenzi
