Focolare Movement

Genfest: A Work in Progress

Feb 4, 2012

A weekend to bring preparations ahead for the great event being promoted by youths of the Focolare at the end of August. Youths from more than 40 countries have already signed up.

“The Genfest’s main message will be: Unity. This is why we chose the title, “Let’s bridge,” recounts 23 year old, Philippino, Ark Tabin. The construction of a bridge is to be used as a metaphor for the construction of authentic relationships which is the main theme of the program that will take place in the Sport Arena of Budapest (with a seating capacity of 12,500) and on the bridges that cross the Danube River, from 31 August to 2 September 2012. Orgainizing the event is already an experience of unity which is based on the constant effort to welcome and listen to the other. This leads to true dialogue and deep relationships. A new phase of this experience will unfold this 11 and 12 February with seventy youths who will gather in Sassone, Italy to prepare the 10th edition of the program. “Although we’ve been awaiting them for a long time, we also feel that this shouldn’t be just another event, even if it’s a great event, but that it should mark another step on a journey, a point of arrival and a point of departure in the building of a United World. There is a need for this testimony of unity nowadays. We can’t turn back,” recalls 23 year old Brazilian, Thyrseane Tupinamba who is on the central organizing comittee of the Genfest, together with other youths and adults from a variety of countries – the United States, Hungnray, Argentina, italy, Brazil. . . Youths seventeen years old and older, from more than forty countries have already signed up to attend the event in Hungary. A preview of the program is available on the web page: www.genfest.org You can find the Genfest page on Facebook in English, Portugese, Polish, Spanish and Italian. Follow us there!

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