News of United World Week around the globe

Indonesia: In Medan, there were meeting points at the University throughout the week, to get acquainted and to work together for the victims of the tsunami and the earthquake at Nias; also scheduled: a marathon race and an ecology project to clean up the city (population: 3 million).
Singapore: Initiatives to promote dialogue and understanding among youth of different religions by following the “Golden Rule.” Everyone was invited to make a commitment to build “a more united Singaporean society.” Signatures were collected to accompany a declaration that will be presented to the government.
India: In Mumbai, there were fund-raising activities for the building of an orphanage; in New Delhi: Cineforum and visit to the poor in the houses of Mother Teresa; in Goa, prayer vigil for peace.

U.S.A. : In Manhattan, New York, at the Jesuits’ Fordham University, one of the activities of the United World Week was a program entitled “Interreligious Dialogue: A Way to Peace.”

Argentina: In Rosario, night at the theater to benefit Project Africa in collaboration with one of the city’s universities.
Bolivia: “We chose one of the most disadvantaged cities – El Alto. A revolution deposed the President of Bolivia two years ago. This city, situated 4,000 m above sea level and inhabited mostly by descendants of the Aymara (the first people of Bolivia), symbolizes our efforts to build unity among the Bolivians. Together with adult members of the Movement, for more than a year now we have been holding monthly sessions dedicated to discussion of current national issues, viewed in the light of the Gospel. We named these initiatives ‘De El Alto al Alto’.” This was what the Youth for a United World of Cochabamba wrote us, as they organized the activities for the United World Week together with their Aymara friends, all of them “high level” projects.
Brazil: At Sao Paulo, 123,000 calendar notebooks were printed containing the United World Week calendar of activities as a reminder of its message and how it can be put into practice.

Tanzania: In Iringa, following the encounter with the municipal authorities to inform them of the initiatives of the Youth for a United World, there was an ecology-inspired activity and a meeting organized at the orphanage.

Lebanon: The Youth for a United World have for some months now been working in teams to get the involvement of public institutions and to try to respond to Lebanon’s current problems. One of the strategies is interreligious dialogue. Scheduled for the United World Week: social activities with Muslim families in Nabaa; artistic and cultural activities like painting and music; forum on new politics at Beirut’s Faculty of Medicine; ecology day.

Italy: In Loppiano (Florence): forum on “Fraternity – A Response to the Terrorist Emergency;” soccer match with friends of the Arab community of Figline Valdarno.
In Lazio region: culinary contest; forum on the theme of immigration; meal service to the poor; program for children patients at Genzano Hospital; conclusion at Nettuno with various “unity workshops.”