“The competition has been and remains a unique way to introduce Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, to younger generations and to an audience that engages with her work on a cultural level,” says Giuliano Ruzzier, a teacher and collaborator of the Chiara Lubich Centre.
Promoted by the Ministry of Education and Merit, New Humanity and the Historical Museum Foundation of Trentino, this year’s theme is peace. Participants are encouraged to explore the meaning of peace in light of Chiara Lubich’s contributions. Ruzzier explains, “From her extensive legacy, particularly where she explicitly addressed this theme, we have identified four perspectives from which to reflect on peace.”
These perspectives include constructive dialogue among people of different religions and cultures, overcoming economic disparities, fostering personal commitment to fraternity through relationships of proximity and spreading a culture of peace. Prof. Giuseppe Ruzzier continues, “Chiara Lubich viewed humanity as a whole. She is well-known for her call to ‘love others’ countries as our own. Her emphasis on everyday relationships is particularly distinctive. As she said, our days can be filled with practical, humble, intelligent acts of service, expressions of our love. Every little gesture has an effect on society.”
The contest is open to primary, middle and high school students. “As in past years, we especially hope for broad participation from Italian schools abroad, given the clear international scope of this year’s theme.”
When asked how he would encourage his colleagues to promote this initiative, Ruzzier replies: “This contest offers students the chance to reflect independently and creatively on a highly relevant and important topic like peace. It also provides an opportunity to engage with the significant thoughts of a woman who profoundly shaped and experienced the 20th century and expressed herself in many ways.”
Speaking from the stage of the Genfest 2024 in Aparecida, Edy, a Peruvian Catholic, accompanied by 13 other young people from various Christian Churches and Latin American countries, said, “Ikuméni has transformed the way we young people relate to each other, the way we look at each other and how we can have unity in diversity”.
But what is Ikuméni? It is a four-month training course in a leadership style based on the art of hospitality, cooperation and good practice. Edy continued, “A highlight was our final face-to-face meeting”. Pablo, a Salvadoran Lutheran, immediately intervened: “One thing that had a big impact on us was learning to generate cooperation initiatives together, which we call good ecumenical and interreligious practices, working alongside people from different Churches and religions, willing to serve in the challenges we face today in our cities and rural areas.”
Ikuméni offers young people various paths for implementing good practices: this is how initiatives for peacebuilding, conflict resolution, integral ecology and sustainable development, humanitarian issues and resilience have emerged, working together not only with people from different Churches, but also with civil society to care for one another.
“In my case, we started a peace-building initiative in the social sciences faculty of the university where I study,” shared Laura Camila, a Colombian who lives in Buenos Aires and is a member of a Pentecostal ecclesial community. She stressed, “We need to work together for peace, we really need it. So in collaboration with various Churches, initiatives were born to strengthen resilience by creating ecumenical and interreligious networks and workshops for dialogue and training in conflict resolution”.
The Ikuméni training itinerary is a scholarship program and therefore there is no cost for the participants who are selected to participate in the course. It requires a commitment of 4 hours per week and attendance in person at the regional Ikuméni meeting. Young people aged 18-35 years old who have completed secondary education are eligible to participate. It is organized by CREAS (Regional Ecumenical Advisory and Service Centre) with the collaboration of several organizations.
Enrolment is currently open for the 2025 program. All the information is available here: https://ikumeni.org/
Have a look at the video we filmed a few months ago in Buenos Aires during the team meeting.
A young girl in love with God who discovered she had bone cancer at the age of 17, yet, even in her illness, she never stopped being nourished by her love for God which was stronger than anything else. “For you Jesus. If you want it, I want it too!”
She was in the fourth year of school when she got to know the Focolare Movement. She then joined a group of Gen (New Generation) who are the young people of the Focolare. She did not talk about Jesus to others, she communicated him with her life. In fact, she said: “I don’t have to talk about Jesus, I have to give Him… first of all by being in an attitude of listening, but above all by my way of loving”.
“Chiara Luce is the name I thought up for you. Do you like it?” wrote Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, in response to one of Chiara Badano’s letters. “It is the light of the Ideal that overcomes the world…”
Chiara Luce left for Heaven on 7 October 1990 pronouncing these final words before she died: “Mamma, ciao. Be happy, because I am”, as the climax of suffering lived in the radiant light of faith. Her short life now serves as an example to follow for thousands of young people all over the world. The Chiara Badano Foundation set up to keep Blessed Chiara’s memory alive and eternal, and to preserve the places associated with her, continues to receive many requests and reports confirming that Blessed Chiara Luce is known and loved all over the world, especially among young people.
On her birthday which is her liturgical feast day (Chiara was born on 29 October 1971) there will be an intense day of celebrations in Sassello (Italy) where she was born, to which everyone is welcome. It will also be possible to follow some of the events via live-streaming on Chiara Badano’s official website: Fondazione Chiara Badano.
For full details of the programme, please see the poster (at UTC time+1).
The young people of the Focolare Movement, in conjunction with the Genfest in Brazil, also organised 44 local editions of the Genfest in various countries around the world. Here are some pictures of the events in the various countries and some short testimonies from Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Egypt, Jordan, Slovakia and Korea.
Genfest 2024, an international event promoted by the young people of the Focolare Movement, took place in Brazil in July and was attended by over 4,000 young people from all over the world. This event was divided into three phases.
In the first, the young people volunteered in some social projects in various countries of Latin America.
In the second phase the young people gathered together in the big arena of Aparecida to experience two days of celebration and sharing testimonies of life.
In phase three they then divided into small communities according to their professional experience to put into practice the ideal of unity and fraternity of Chiara Lubich.
Genfest 2024: Together to care
Amazon, land of caring and the future 
Genfest 2024 concludes second phase: a yes to peace
Let us not be at peace until we bring about peace!
Phase 3 of Genfest 2024 has come to an end, but it is only the beginning…
‘Start Here and Now’ the new single by Gen Verde
An original condominium
Genfest: the road comes into existence 
Mariapolis Ginetta and Polo Spartacus: the courage to change
From the “tri-national” community – a future of fraternity for Latin America
CEU: different flowers in the same garden
UNIRedes: hope for Latin America and the world