“Young people of the world, unite”: this is the invitation that Chiara Lubich extended to the younger generations 60 years ago, so that each one could answer God’s call to live for unity in a practical way. Today, this mission remains as relevant as ever and, in these extremely troubled times, continues to be a way ahead that often goes against the current. It refuses to let hatred and division have the last word. It means to journey as a family with hope and action, with a constant desire to live for a united world.
Run4Unity, the worldwide marathon of the Teens for Unity, takes place every year, on the first Sunday of May, at 12:00 in every country in the world. Imagine that while some young people are running against the background of the Egyptian pyramids, the prizes for the race just concluded in India are being awarded and in Asunción in Paraguay, preparations are underway for sporting events about to start in a big city park. Races and tournaments dedicated to peace and solidarity that, starting in Oceania and ending in the Americas, involve thousands of young people over a 24 hour period, all ready for the “start” when their time zone reaches noon. At that time they receive the relay baton from the countries of the preceding time zone and, one hour later, they pass it on to the countries of the next time zone.
A brilliant and simple idea which came from the International Centre of Teens for Unity and some Gen 3 boys and girls in 2005, after Chiara Lubich, who had just returned from a trip to India, told them about the beautiful experience she had when she had been invited to participate in a huge vent of young people of the Hindu Swandhyaya Movement who were deeply committed to sport. Chiara said, “Perhaps sport could be a way forward for young people.”
The format of Run4unity spread in the blink of an eye, adapted locally according to the different countries and the particular characteristics of each culture: sport became combined with initiatives for interreligious dialogue, development projects for those most in need, care and protection of the environment and commitment to peace and fraternity among peoples.
In 2025, the DG EAC (Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) a Directorate of the European Commission, together with the EACEA, (the European Education and Culture Executive Agency) which manages funding programmes for education, culture, audio-visual media, sport, citizenship and volunteering launched the #BeActive EU Sport Awards.
New Humanity of the Focolare Movement submitted the long standing international Run4Unity project which was selected as a finalist in the Peace category. The Run4Unity organizers said, “A few weeks ago we learned that we had been selected from among 279 sports initiatives and that we were among the 15 finalists, 3 for each category The communication included an invitation for 2 representatives of each project to go to Brussels on 23rd June, 2026 for the award ceremony,. Agostino Spolti (formerly co-responsible for Ragazzi per l ‘Unità) and Elisabetta De Bernardi (a Gen 2 from Turin who had participated in several Run4Unity events focused specifically on peace, both as a Gen 3 and later as a Gen 2) went and …we won!”. This prestigious recognition comes in 2026, 21 years after the first Run4Unity, which this year saw relay events take place in over 100 countries, with thousands of young people, accompanied by youth leaders and adults in a fruitful intergenerational collaboration.
Sport is a way to live inclusion, concern for others, respect and growing together and – as stated in the competition announcement, it is obviously a way to form and spread a culture of peace. Agostino Spolti said, “We won because Run4Unity embodies all these elements: sport, the passing of the baton between different countries, the experience of belonging to one human family, taking time to reflect and to pray for peace with the “Time Out” and all of this has enormous educational value.”
Following the profound experience shared with young people during the 2026 Hackathon, the second phase of the “One Humanity, One Planet: Synodal Leadership” programme is now getting underway. It offers a six-month virtual training course that combines in-depth study and dialogue based on participants’ diverse backgrounds, the exchange of projects and experiences, and the development of initiatives with local impact and global reach.
It is aimed at people aged between 18 and 40 who have experience in political representation, public administration, social movements, political parties and advocacy; who are committed to social and political transformation or interested in strengthening their capacity for dialogue, cooperation and collective action; and who are willing to contribute both practically and intellectually throughout the programme.
Lasting six months, delivered 100% online, completely free of charge with an estimated commitment of three hours per week, the programme aims to reach 500 young people this year.
“We are living in a historical moment marked by deep geopolitical tensions, socio-environmental crises, increasing social fragmentation, and high levels of polarization,” say the organisers in their introduction. “These challenges call upon us: they reveal the limits of traditional governance models and the urgent need for new forms of leadership capable of generating dialogue and activating processes of collective action to promote peace and unity. In this context, we have chosen a synodal style of leadership: a leadership based on listening, participation, shared responsibility, and the construction of shared solutions. If you believe that politics can be a space to regenerate relationships, promote the common good, and care for humanity and the planet, this call is for you. We invite you to become part of an international space for training and cocreation of political initiatives together with other young leaders from different regions of the world, in order to rethink governance in the face of today’s challenges”.
The deadline for applications is Friday 19 June 2026.
“We should have the courage to reach out to one another, the courage to come together.
This is not simply a motto for the United World Week, but a choice we all make every day. And if we do so, it becomes a path to peace.”
Margaret Karram and Roberto Almada, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, through a brief chat, encourage us to approach dialogue with determination and to choose it in a practical way in our daily lives.
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Actions, initiatives, activities and world events to generate a network capable of living and testifying that universal brotherhood is really possible. This is the driving force behind United World Week (UWW). Supported by the United World Project together with the Focolare Movement and Youth for a United World (Y4UW), this global action takes place every year from 1st -7th May, crossing continents, oceans and becomes a concrete opportunity to transform values such as unity and peace into shared experiences.
People of different cultures, ages and backgrounds, each in their own city and community, embrace this invitation with the aim of creating authentic meeting spaces, networking energies, ideas and testimonies capable of generating real change.
This year’s edition proposes a strong and timely theme: #ChooseToDialogue. In a world marked by conflicts and growing divisions, it becomes even more urgent and meaningful to rediscover the value of encounter, listening and mutual understanding. Choosing “Dialogue” with courage today means opposing the logic of conflict and opening paths of peace; overcoming distances and transforming differences into opportunities for unity. The proposal for this UWW? A daily journey that invites you to experience this choice in various areas:
• May 1st – Interculturality & Dialogue
• May 2 – Art & Social Engagement
• 3 May – Health, Sport and Ecology
• May 4 – Economy and Work + Education and Research
• May 5 – Communication and Media
• May 6 – Active Citizenship and Politics
• May 7 – Peace & Human Rights
Various methods and proposals are available to make this happen, from the Time-out, an invitation to a shared moment of silence and prayer that unites everyone in asking for the gift of peace, to the Inspiration Box, a resource full of ideas and suggestions to be put into practice during the week.
Don’t miss:
Peace Got Talent – Living Peace, the broadcast of Living Peace International from 14:00 (GMT+1, Rome time) on Saturday, 2nd May on YouTube (@ unitedworldproject and @livingpeaceinternational), offering inspiration through the talents and messages of unity and peace shared by young people worldwide.
Run4Unity: the global relay for peace. At noon in each time zone, young people “pass the baton” to the next country, creating a worldwide wave of unity that circles the planet. Many countries are already organising their stages as part of this global race, such as Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay, Argentina, Uganda, Burundi, New Caledonia, Italy and Croatia, among others.
– May Day Loppiano (Italy). From 1st-3rd May, the Focolare international town near Florence will host the 1st May event in Loppiano, the Festival of Fraternity dedicated to young people. ROOTS, discovering what unites us, is the title of the event: three days of meetings, stories, reflections, workshops, exhibitions, educational and sports activities focussed on the theme of roots and cultural diversity. An invitation to go deep, to rediscover one’s cultural and spiritual origins as a starting point for encountering others.
– Also in Portugal, at the Focolare’s little town “Rainbow” in Abrigada (Alenquer), 1st May will be an occasion for celebration and commitment to building a better world. Promoted by Youth for a United World, the event, with moments of sharing and workshops, will bring together people from all over the country and guests from different continents who believe that brotherhood is not just a dream but a reality that is built day after day, with concrete gestures of solidarity, dialogue and hope. The title of the event: “Connect. Do you have the courage to build bridges?”
How to organize events, share stories and join United World Week 2026?
From 26th January to 1st February 2026, Rome hosted 100 young political leaders from 36 countries for the conclusion of the first year of the two-year political formation programme “One Humanity, One Planet: Synodal Leadership”—a challenge to develop a different style of governance, starting from the paradigm of fraternity.
Following an online pathway of work in 16 learning communities, they came together for a political hackathon—literally a creative and collaborative marathon—focused on what most deeply wounds the global social fabric today: corruption, inequality, widespread violence, unethical digital transition, the ecological emergency, and declining civic participation. The programme, promoted by the Political Movement for Unity and the NGO, New Humanity, together with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, aims to restore an active role in decision-making processes, from the local to the global level, to young people. Giovanna Maroccolo – Italy (Italian)
Watch the video with interviews with young people from different countries. Turn on subtitles and then choose the language you want.
