It is a tough programme: to “win over” a city. For some years now, “Ragazzi per l’unità”, (Teens for Unity), have been working in their own cities, wherever the local community faces challenges.

Their motto joins together two words in one: Colori (= colours) and Amo (= I love). (The two words together give Coloriamo = Let’s colour!). All over the world, they try to choose the drabbest areas of their towns and cities.  With imaginations inspired by love, their aim is to colour them, with the think globally, act locally vision that society needs today.

In Milan the choice of the young people is a Romany gypsy campsite. In Rwanda they have chosen an orphanage, the children’s ward in a hospital, and Aids sufferers. In California, in a school were racism is a problem, they have started a club to spread a culture of respect for diversity. In  India, Christian and Hindu young people go to help their disabled peers.

Let’s hear from a group of young people from Africa, who have started to visit prisoners in Iringa, Tanzania.

“The first challenge was to convince the guards to let us in. The next one was how to bring the gifts that we had put together in common: fruit, salt, soap….also the “Word of Life” leaflet, our experiences and our songs. We walked for three kilometres before we reached the entrance, which was guarded by police. ‘You can’t all come in’, they said, ‘and whoever you choose, they can’t sing in there’. They did however let us take our gifts in.”

“We read the Word of Life with them and told them how it had changed our lives. While we were speaking about the love of God, which is for everyone and that we can love too, the guards were silent and listened. At the end, the prisoners showed their joy with songs and dances, it was their way of thanking us. The guards were left speechless and they asked themselves who we were. We went home happy and with new resolve to continue the colouring of our city”

From Città Nuova n. 1- 2008

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