“Will the day ever come when we can share our culture with the western world?”
This was the question posed by Martin Nkafu, professor of African culture at the Pontifical Universities in Rome. He was giving voice to the suffering of a continent which is still lacerated by the deep wounds caused by Western exploitation through colonialism and slavery, wounds that are still the underlying cause of many conflicts and situations of extreme poverty.

Martin was speaking to a cosmopolitan gathering of more than 25,000 young people, representing five continents, who filled Flaminio Stadium in Rome to participate in the Genfest 2000, one of the youth gatherings of World Youth Day. Genfest is an international event promoted by the Focolare Movement’s “Youth for a United World”.
 
One of the projects launched was “Project Africa 2000” which was received with great enthusiasm by the youth present.
The project involves: first the twinning of African cities with cities in other countries in order to promote a better understanding and appreciation of their diverse cultures; fund-raising projects for the hospital in Fontem, located in the heart of the forest in Cameroon, to enable the building of a new wing for AIDS patients; the establishment of dispensaries and vocational schools in other parts of the country.

Personal outreach also has an important part to play. Young medical practitioners and teachers were invited to dedicate a period of their life to work in Fontem, perhaps opting to do community service in the place of military service where this is possible. But opportunities to build ties with the African people are manifold, especially with those who work or study in our cities. Another opportunity is that of campaigning for the cancellation of foreign debts in developing countries.

The project was launched by Chiara Lubich who challenged the young people with a new vision: to contribute towards the development of “new peoples”. The idea was the result of her recent visit to Fontem in Africa where she returned after an absence of 30 years. She told the story of the Bangwa people – referring to it as a “fairy tale” – who were dying out due to the high infant mortality rate, but who, instead, have achieved a very high degree of development. They also became the centre of a new evangelisation for many other African countries due to the witness of mutual love among the African and white people through which many works were born: hospitals, schools, cottage industries. This has been the experience of the Focolare Movement in these lands. Martin Nkafu, the son of a Bangwa tribal chief, said: “I myself have found the answer to the question I posed at the beginning. We can say that today Fontem is a model town, one among many, in which the mutual sharing of African and western cultures is possible”.

Genfest 2000, an event promoted by “Youth for a United World” every five years, was an expression of today’s youth culture and creativity: music, choreography, folklore. A very moving item was that performed by a group of young people from Lebanon: there were Muslims, Christians, members of the Maronite and Coptic Churches.
There were many testimonies shared, such as that given by Jean Bosco from Congo, a country torn by ethnic conflicts. Together with his friends, they risked their lives: “We placed ourselves like human shields in front of those who were in danger of being beaten to death. We succeeded in saving many lives.” There were also stories of solidarity in Kosovo among refugees, and testimonies of dialogue between people of different religions: a Muslim girl from Mindanao, in the Philippines, shared her experience, as well as an afro-american Muslim boy, a Hindus, and Japanese Buddhists.

“Don’t be afraid to be saints of the third millennium”. This was the Pope’s invitation to the young people. When the story of Chiara Luce Badano was shared during the Genfest, it was an emotional moment for all those present in the stadium. At 18 years of age she died from a tumour. She had said: “At times I feel overwhelmed by the pain. But it’s Jesus who comes visit me”. And she wanted to be buried dressed in a wedding gown, ready to meet her Spouse. The cause for her beatification is underway.

“And the Word came to dwell among us.” These words chosen by the Pope for World Youth Day were the focus of Chiara Lubich’s experience. With freshness and invoking a sense of wonder, she recounted at length the divine adventure of the beginning of the Focolare: the discovery of God who is Love in a climate of hatred and violence during the war, the commandment of mutual love, the heart of the Gospel which brought about an experience of unity in times of great trial. “We experienced a joy we had never experienced before, a new peace, a new ardour. It was a light – His light – that was guiding us. It was Jesus who was fulfilling his promise: ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name – that is, in my love – there am I in their midst’ .”

And it was this joy stemming from the many experiences of peace, of profound dialogue between young people of different religions, which overflowed onto those present at Flaminio Stadium. The mandate given by Chiara to the young people was this: “If we love, the world will change. A united world will not be a utopia”.

This mandate was taken up the Mayor of Rome, Francesco Rutelli, in his concluding address at the Genfest. He described the young people that had invaded Rome as “a river of love” and he added, “Perhaps you came to Rome to learn something. Instead we are the ones who have much to learn …”

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