The Political Movement for Unity and the NGO New Humanity, both expressions of the Focolare Movement, supported by Porticus, are promoting a global political project entitled “One Humanity, One Planet: Synodal Leadership”. Aimed at young people aged 18-40 with experience in political representation, government leadership or social movements, the programme offers academic training, personalised mentoring and a hackathon in Rome with international experts.
Objective: to strengthen the participation of young politicians in global advocacy processes, through a collaborative journey of reflection and action between socio-political leaders, generating a global network of young leaders from different continents. The challenge is to overcome the current crises (social, environmental, political and economic) and contribute to building a leadership network for the development of international political strategies.
The program will start at the end of April 2025, the deadline for submitting applications is 31st March, it will last for two years and is fully funded (free of charge). It will include contributions from prestigious academic institutions and international NGOs. The format will be mixed, both in person and online through interactive modules with experts from around the world, including renowned political leaders and university professors. A week-long event is planned in Rome, from 6th-12th October 2025, with international guests to co-create proposals for collaborative actions at a global level to solve current social, environmental and economic challenges.
Language will not be an obstacle. Simultaneous translations will be available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, Italian and other languages as required.
What does the programme offer?
The initiative is a process of global collective action that integrates training, information, networking, tools and meetings. It offers experiences and methods to increase the quality of policy and improve its impact on social transformation. Participants will have access to learning spaces, collective knowledge-building and exchange with international scholars and experts, with spaces for reflection among the participants alongside dedicated discussion sessions. Each young participant will receive ongoing mentorship from an experiences political leader to refine their political, social, economic and environmental project. In the second year, participants will join a global network of 600 young leaders from different continents.
At the end of the program, participants will receive a formal diploma certifying their participation in the program.
In this year dedicated to the Jubilee of Hope, the Gen 4 (the children of the Focolare Movement) in Rome decided to embark on a journey to discover more about the history of Christianity and understand how to live the Jubilee in their city that is welcoming millions of pilgrims from all over the world. The stages of their journey are the Vatican Basilicas in Rome: St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major. They asked Father Fabio Ciardi, OMI, professor of spiritual theology and author of numerous books and publications, to be their guide.
First stop: St. Peter’s Basilica
In October 2024, two months before the Jubilee began, the group of 33 children with as many adults, learned about a very special reality before entering St. Peter’s Basilica. It is located next to the residence where Pope Francis lives. It is the Dispensary of St. Martha, a place where the Gospel becomes incarnate every day through the assistance given to hundreds of mothers and children. It’s an opportunity to explain to the Gen 4 how the Jubilee can be lived concretely by helping others.
Father Fabio explained, “It is a real family clinic, which began this work of care for poor children and their families in 1922. Today over 400 children, with their mothers, are assisted free of charge by about sixty volunteer doctors. They are mostly people without a residence permit, without health care”. Services include gynaecological and paediatric examinations as well as dental care for the homeless.
Father Fabio then linked this story with the story of Saint Peter, using some drawings. The children listened attentively to his voice through headphones: “Jesus met Simon the fisherman and invited him to follow him. ‘Come with me,’ he said, ‘I’ll make you a fisher of men.’ And he gave him a new name, he called him Peter, which means “rock”, because he wanted to build his Church on him”. And as the story continued, we moved to the Basilica to pray at the tomb of St. Peter. “Peter came to Rome. When Nero set fire to the city he blamed the Christians. Peter was killed in the circus of the emperor Caligula that Nero had renovated…and finally the tomb of Saint Peter in his Basilica”. There was an atmosphere of deep recollection among Gen 4, despite the influx of tourists on that Roman Saturday afternoon. Going towards the Holy Door you pass some masterpieces of art. In front of the Pietà, Father Fabio said, “This statue of Our Lady was very dear to Chiara Lubich. Every time she came to the Basilica she stopped here to pray to Mary”.
The stop in San Giovanni in Laterano
The second stage was in January 2025. This time the group was larger: 140 people including 60 children, always under the expert guidance of Father Fabio, met to discover the Basilica of St. John Lateran, full of surprises and treasures related to the history of Christianity. Attentive and curious, with headphones in their ears, for just over two hours Gen4 listened to Father Fabio’s fascinating story.
Gen4 at St. John in Lateran Gen4 at St. John in LateranGen4 at St. John in Lateran
In his blog, Father Fabio wrote, “It was wonderful to tell the story of the obelisk, it was nice to explain the meaning of the cloister, it was nice to tell the stories of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist and to let the children go and find their statues in the Basilica. It was nice to show the ancient Papal throne and the current one, on which the Pope e sits to take possession of his office. It was nice to point out the relics of the table on which Jesus celebrated the last supper and the one on which Peter celebrated here in Rome. It was good to go through the Holy Door together…It’s good to be with the children and tell them beautiful things…”
At this point, the children have built a special bond with Father Fabio. They walked beside him in the Basilica, held his hand, asked him questions to learn more. A Gen 4 asked, “What’s Heaven like?” He replied, “Imagine a busy school day. When it’s over, you go home to a beautiful, welcoming, warm house, where your parents, grandparents and friends shower you with love. You feel happy in that moment, don’t you? It’s like that in Heaven: it’s a place where you feel good, where you feel at home!” This stage also came to an end. We returned home happy and aware that for us, the Jubilee must be a time to give hope and happiness to the most disadvantaged, to our poor, to those who suffer.
The journey with other generations
Waiting to continue this journey with the Gen 4, the Gen3 (40 teenagers), the Gen2 (30 young people) and a group of adults, fascinated by the positive experience that the children were living with Father Fabio, also wanted to follow the same journey, always guided by him.
Father Fabio wrote in his blog, “First the children, then the teens, then the young people and adults. St. John Lateran, St. Peter, St. Paul and St. Mary Major. So I keep living the Jubilee, over and over. The story of history, art and spirituality, because it is all intertwined, human and divine, past and present. These monuments live on, still speaking after hundreds of years and continue to narrate beautiful things”.
Gen 2 at St. Paul outside the WallsGen 2 at St. Paul outside the WallsGen 2 at St. Paul outside the Walls
And the young people thanked Father Fabio “for preparing our hearts for such a beautiful experience, you helped us to go through this stage of the holy year together, with meaning and joy. We really liked the atmosphere you managed to create, arousing in us the desire to visit together other places in Rome which were important for the first Christians and you gave us the desire to deepen the meaning of being pilgrims on the way to the goal of Paradise”.
This February we celebrate the XI International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking which falls annually on 8 February – the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, the Sudanese nun who had the dramatic experience of being trafficked as a child.
This year the event is inspired by Pope Francis‘ invitation to be pilgrims of peace and apostles of hope and is part of the events linked to the Jubilee 2025. The theme is: Ambassadors of Hope: Together against Human Trafficking.
Celebrated all over the world, the World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking was introduced by Pope Francis in 2015. Coordinated by Talitha Kum, it draws on a network of organisations – including the Focolare Movement – with the aim of praying together, reflecting collectively on the realities of human trafficking and supporting victims, survivors and vulnerable populations. In a particular way, this initiative aims to promote and help women, children, migrants, refugees and young people.
This year, during the week of 4 to 10 February, various events will take place to raise awareness of the issue. More than 100 representatives of the various partner organisations – young people from all over the world, supporters and activists, survivors, refugees, migrants and public figures from the world of art and cinema – will gather in Rome to promote an appeal for hope, peace, love and unity of the Catholic Church with the aim of healing the wounds of the world. Among other events, Gen Verde will participate in the event ‘Invoking Hope and Promoting Healing Events’ on 6 February at 4-7pm (Italian time) at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
But the central event will be the online pilgrimage scheduled for 7 February from 11.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (Italian time): a marathon of prayer and reflection across all continents and available in five languages.
Recently, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published the Declaration ‘Dignitas Infinita’ referring to serious violations of human dignity, such as human trafficking described as ‘an ignoble activity, a disgrace for our societies that call themselves civilised’. Likewise, it stresses the importance of combating phenomena such as the ‘trade in human organs and tissues, sexual exploitation of children and young girls, slave labour, including prostitution, drug and arms trafficking, terrorism and organised international crime’. It also mentions the repercussions of this crime against humanity. “Trafficking defaces the victim’s humanity, offending their freedom and dignity”.
It is currently estimated that 50 million people globally are affected by modern day slavery. Those who suffer the consequences most are women and children. The Jubilee year and the theme of hope highlight the importance of promoting this value through concrete actions such as the global fight against the despicable reality of human trafficking. We are therefore called to action, to be ambassadors of hope, because the human dignity and fraternity that we all uphold are in grave danger.
The city of Goma, capital of the North Kivu region (Democratic Republic of Congo), was attacked and is now controlled by the armed rebel group M23. Conflicts between Congolese government forces and the M23 militia intensified after the killing of General Peter Cirimwami, governor of North Kivu province on the 25th of January 2025.
The Focolare Movement has been present in Goma since 1982 with a very active community which provides aid to people in need and has numerous initiatives serving the poor and refugees. A women’s focolare opened in 2019. Since 2020, a Social Centre has been built to provide basic necessities and shelter, thanks to the help of various organisations and people of goodwill. At the same time, career guidance and training courses have been set up to offer dignity and the means of survival to refugees, with particular attention to single women with children. Many people have thus been helped and, among them, are those who have recently arrived at a refugee camp near the “Louis Quintard Centre / Focolare”. Since 2023, thanks to the support of AMU, a micro-credit support project has been set up and, since the riots intensified last February, AMU has also supported the local community of the Movement to carry out emergency actions there, in particular by providing drinking water and hygiene kits to the many displaced people in the city’s refugee camps.
Tension in the region is very high and there is a growing apprehension about what may happen in the coming days with the possibility of an escalation of the conflict. This could have tragic consequences for a city and a population that are already living in difficult situations due to conflicts that have been ongoing for more than thirty years.
That is why we want to invite everyone to strengthen their prayers by joining in the “Time out”, a minute’s silence and prayer for peace that we offer every day at 12 noon local time, as well as to support all actions for peace and to encourage diplomatic actions that seek an end to all conflicts that are still taking place in the world.
Azione per un Mondo Unito ETS (AMU) IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 at Banca Popolare Etica Codice SWIFT/BIC: ETICIT22XXX
Azione per Famiglie Nuove ETS | Banca Etica – filiale 1 di Roma – Agenzia n. 0 | Codice IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 | BIC/SWIFT: ETICIT22XXX
Causale: Emergenza Goma
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“Let’s start from the least, from those who are rejected and abandoned by society.” This is how the “Chiara Lubich” Hogar Centre for the elderly began in the Peruvian Amazon. A place where, thanks to the generosity of a family, together with the Focolare community, they welcome elderly people who are abandoned, who need help, who need to be cared for, who need a hot meal or simply who need the warmth of a family.
In a world marked by war, crises, and polarization, dialogue and cooperation remain the only paths to peace. With this conviction, New Humanity NGO joined the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum that convened its Group of Friends at Cascais, Portugal, from November 25th to 27th. Under the theme “United in Peace: Restoring Trust, Reshaping the Future — Reflecting on Two Decades of Dialogue for Humanity,” the event brought together diverse stakeholders—including religious leaders, academics, youth, media, and civil society representatives. High-profile attendees included António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, the king Felipe from Spain, several current foreign ministers and previous prime ministers of European countries.
New Humanity NGO of the Focolare Movement and member of UNAOC’s Multifaith Advisory Council highlighted the organization’s commitment to fostering a just and united society, where faiths are spaces of encounter and collaboration. Rooted in decades of grassroots initiatives, New Humanity bridges local action with international diplomacy to tackle global challenges and promote peace. This participation underscored the importance of multilateral efforts to restore trust and reshape a future of harmony and collaboration among international institutions, religious organizations and the private sector.
Our commitment
During the Global Forum, Ana Clara Giovani and André Correia, youth representatives of the Focolare Movement, along with Maddalena Maltese, the main representative of the New Humanity NGO in New York, presented the document “Together to Care – For Our Human Family and Our Common Home.” This document represents a commitment by the Youth for a United World (Y4UW) to the Pact for the Future, approved by the United Nations last September.
At Genfest 2024, a gathering of 4,000 youth from around the globe held in Brazil, eight hubs of innovation were launched to foster the unity of the human family and care for our common home. These eight United World Communities have consolidated and developed proposals and projects inspired by the spirituality of unity of the Focolare Movement, in alignment with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and the UN’s Pact for the Future. These initiatives focus on areas such as sustainable development, climate action, the promotion of peace and human rights, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion, and youth empowerment.
These projects and proposals form the core of the document presented in Cascais. It opens with a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, acknowledging his tireless efforts to champion peace and sustainable development. Among the key proposals are the establishment of a High-Level Youth Forum to integrate youth perspectives into global decision-making, and preparations for the UN’s 80th anniversary and COP 30, showcasing youth-led solutions for urban sustainability and climate justice.
Presented to Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative for UNAOC, and Felipe Paullier, High Representative for Youth Affairs, the document received enthusiastic support. Both leaders recognized New Humanity’s long-standing contributions and expressed interest in further analyzing the proposals. This engagement underscored the pivotal role of youth in shaping policies for a just and sustainable future, strengthening the connection between grassroots actions and international diplomacy.
To expand the reach and effectiveness of this work, United World Ambassadors, a youth network, will play a pivotal role in connecting grassroots initiatives to international frameworks like the United Nations, ensuring that local actions resonate globally.
New Humanity remains committed to bridging grassroots initiatives with high-level organizations, advancing its mission to promote fraternity, dialogue, and sustainable development. The connections established during the UNAOC Global Forum will be instrumental in strengthening the impact of our projects and amplifying the voices of youth worldwide.
Ana Clara Giovani and Maddalena Maltese
To download the document, in English, click on the image
