Young People for a United World: a new start!

Apr 30, 2011 | Non categorizzato

“Only those crazy enough to think they can change the world can actually do it”. This impression left by one of the participants of the 2011 YPUW Meeting gives us a clear idea of the feeling amongst the 500 young people present: Young People for a United World aren’t about utopian dreams but follow an Ideal that’s worth giving your life for!

A general and intense joy was at the base of the meeting’s festive atmosphere. Here are some of the many impressions left by the young people present: “You need a huge heart to believe in this ideal but you’ve helped me believe in it too”, “You need only look at our faces to see that we are people who are now truly happy”, “I can’t wait to radiate this light unto the whole world, I’m going home with this one task in mind”.

The morning before leaving for Rome to continue festivities at the prayer vigil in Circus Maximus and ceremonies in St. Peter’s for Pope Wojtyla’s beatification, the Meeting’s program focused on the true nature of YPUW: a vision enlarged unto the whole world.

Piero Coda, president of the University Institute Sophia (Loppiano, Florence), along with two of the institute’s students, guided a reflection on the importance of dialogue in every situation. The three speakers underlined the importance of this dialogue for today’s civilisations that, after centuries of separate development, are now called to interdependence, exchange and continuous dialogue. Piero Coda’s following comment seemed emblematic: “History is made by some prophetic figures who know how to illuminate man’s actions, constantly guiding him towards new horizons. Those who build bridges daily, teaching the art of dialogue with their lives, are equally as fundamental to this process. You can be these bridge builders”.

A delegation of young people from the Japanese Buddhist movement Rissho Kosei-kai also participated in the Meeting. They presented their association which has had deep ties of friendship and dialogue with the Focolare for years; they spoke about collaboration for the Arms Down project, the activities they carried out last year in favour of nuclear disarmament and the recent activity to help victims of the Japanese earthquake. Their limpid words underlined how ‘building bridges’ between different movements, cultures and experiences brings about the most unexpected results.

At the end of the Meeting the young people from Rissho Kosei-kai said, “After this exchange with YPUW we are more certain than ever that we are all different, but that using these differences to reach unity is an amazing experience!”

World Unity Week can be followed until 8th May 2001 on: www.mondounito.net

[:it]Solitudine

Apr 29, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Lampedusa: An experience of sharing

Apr 29, 2011 | Non categorizzato

“The guests arrived soaking wet and most of them were barefoot. A relationship of empathy and gratitude was immediately created between us. They excused themselves for everything: the traffic they caused, the queues in the supermarkets and bakeries…”

“This situation has led to a true community experience over the last number of months. Everyone is doing their part to generously help these brothers and sisters with clothes, food, etc.”

The experience is characterised by concrete acts of solidarity: “In the days previous to the disembarkments my bag with all its contents, including my cell phone, was stolen. I bought another phone and, before taking it out of its box, I met a young Tunisian man whose cell phone didn’t work. He told me, ‘My mum is desperate because she hasn’t received any news from me’. My new cell phone came to mind. ‘He needs it’, I thought and decided to give it to him. He was truly happy and soon after managed to contact his mum.

A few days after the emergency situation began, the Young People for a United World along with other members of Focolare’s local community in Sicily and in collaboration with the Agrigento Caritas Centre sent a container full of clothes and primary needs to Lampedusa

After this first stage of great dedication, a certain discouragement began to spread through the island’s native inhabitants; an understandable reaction when 90% of the population live off tourism. “Certain that God will not abandon us nor let himself be out-matched in generosity, we tried to sustain all those around us encouraging each other not to be overwhelmed by worries for the future”.

The local bishop of Agrigento, Mons. Montenegro, invited everyone to see the face of Jesus in these brothers, recalling the Gospel excerpt: “when I was hungry… when I was a stranger...” He wrote to the President of the Republic and local authorities immediately started to step in. Everyone felt a great joy and a true sense of having received more than they gave. It was an amazing experience and it still continues: some families fostered a child for a period, others opened their doors at meals times or offered the possibility to use their showers, not to mention donations of food and money. The local fishermen gave crates of fish that the guests roasted on makeshift barbeques.

This communion of experiences and of material goods is continuing and is spreading throughout Italy.

[:it]I bambini e papa Wojtyla

Apr 29, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Model of Incarnate Love

Apr 29, 2011 | Non categorizzato

[:it]Castel Gandolfo: credenti e non credenti in dialogo[:de]Der Dialog hat Vorfahrt[:es]Castel Gandolfo: creyentes y no creyentes en diálogo[:fr]Castel Gandolfo : croyants et non croyants en dialogue [:pt]Castelgandolfo: crentes e não crentes em diálogo[:zh]岡道福堡：有信仰的與沒信仰的展開對談

Apr 29, 2011 | Non categorizzato

[:it]È cominciato il meeting GMU 2011

Apr 29, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Santa Venera

Apr 28, 2011 | Non categorizzato

[:it]”Pensieri” di papa Wojtyla per i giovani

Apr 28, 2011 | Non categorizzato

United World Week 2011

Apr 28, 2011 | Non categorizzato

United World Week (UWW) aims at fostering peaceful relationships, nurturing mentalities based on reciprocity betweens different populations and cultures, promoting respect for the dignity of each man and the identity of every community and population. UWW strives to contribute to an ever more united world, involving as many young people as possible. The idea took life in 1995 and UWW now takes place every year all around the globe.

The opening of United World Week this year on 29^th April will take place during an International Meeting for young people when, at 9pm CET, there will a live internet linkup: http://live.focolare.org/smu/. 7 days full of social, cultural and sports activates will follow. There will be a constant news feed on: www.mondounito.net.

On the evening of 30th April at Rome’s Circus Maximus Young People for a United World (YPUW) will hold a prayer vigil in preparation for John Paul II’s beatification on 1^st May in St. Peter’s Square. Among the participants in the YPUW’s International Meeting currently underway there is a delegation from the Buddhist movement Rissho Kosei Kai.

United World Week will draw to a conclusion on 8^th May with another planetary linkup: Follow the Light, a day of celebrations with young people all around the world. This event, the climax of UWW, will take place in the home town of the young girl, Chiara Luce Badano, who was proclaimed blessed on 25^th September last. The event can be followed on http://www.gmutorino.it/