May 27, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Risen Jesus invites to go beyond ourselves, our frail insecurities and our borders Passing the test You could hear the noise of a fight between two students down the hallway where, waiting to take a test, I was pacing back and forth nervously. I had the idea to go and calm them down, but I held back because I worried that I’d be called and marked as absent. Better to leave that to others… But the shouts kept getting louder, and I could not just be indifferent to my neighbour, which is something important to me. A moment later I ran down to separate the two and have them cool down. Coming back upstairs, after a while I heard my name called. In the study hall I answered all the questions and passed. A passed exam – and I hadn’t failed the other one, either. (Antonio, Italy) In the convent Following a few enthusiastic years after I entered the convent, a feeling that I was living a life without affection, almost without kindness, crept up within me. One day while I was recovering at the hospital, I was completely alone, while all the other sick people around me were surrounded by tenderness and affection. Later, stressed at having made a big mistake with my life, I centred myself in prayer and understood that God had entrusted me with a mission to be a source for others of that affection that I was looking for myself. When I returned, I was “healed” – I had the strength to begin again. And things were not like they had been before! (G. d. G., Slovenia) Technology My husband is interested in all the latest technology, but some devices leave me feeling hopeless, and I am slow to adapt to what’s new. Over time I began to feel inferior, and he would exacerbate it by pointing out what I didn’t understand and even making fun of me in front of our children. This ended with me throwing out my mobile phone and closing myself off in silence. It was my oldest son who explained to his father that something wasn’t right and, as an example, he reminded him that I had been to the doctor and he hadn’t even asked me how the visit had gone, adding, “If your tech distracts you so much, why did you want a family?” When my husband came to apologise shortly after, I told him we should be grateful for the children we have. (E. d. F., Slovakia) Divorce When our daughter confided to us that she was close to divorce, we once again decided to share her pain, doubts, problems, without judging. We would often call her on the phone so she wouldn’t feel alone. When she came to our house with her children for a few days, we welcomed her with extra affection. Having returned home after those few days, she called to say that she no longer wanted to go ahead with divorce proceedings and wanted to do her part to rebuild her marriage. (J. S., USA)
Chiara Favotti
May 26, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Suppose that just for once the media stopped being part of the problem and became part of the solution. This is a story by Austin Kellerman, news director at the local NBC TV station, and his team. They worked to lessen violence in their city. https://vimeo.com/333061434
May 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Interview with Dr. Pál Tóth: “Applying the principle of fraternity to Europe as a political category means building institutions which pursue collaboration in diversity, to achieve the common good”. European elections are underway for the representatives of the 27 member states of the European Union in the European Parliament. 400 million citizens have the right to vote between 23 and 26 May, considering two opposing ideas of Europe: pro-Europeanism and Euroscepticism. This polarization is identified by some as following the geographical East-West divide of the so-called “Old Continent”. Pál Tóth, originally from Hungary, cultural advisor on the Planning Committee of Together for Europe , a network of over 300 Christian communities and movements promoting a “culture of reciprocity” in the European context and beyond, gives his perspective. “It’s important to realise that as the European Union expands, whereas new member States may quite quickly embrace a market economy and democratic legal system, actually synchronizing all the very different cultural realities present in the Union is a much slower process. I use the word ‘synchronize’ and not simply redressing or adapting after the social and political conquests of the West (of Europe), because I’m personally convinced that East Europe possesses values which are the fruit of a long history of suffering and as such are of great value. We just have to think of the love for truth expressed by the Czech people, from Jan Jus to Vaclav Havel; or the small communities emerging within the “Church of silence” witnessing to the life of the Gospel; or the people who continued to fill the churches in Poland throughout the period of national secularization; or the Orthodox icons which give such unique access to the Christian mystery, especially potent in such an image-dominated era. As I see it, East Europe is not yet capable of expressing these values adequately. It continues to react impulsively to phenomena it identifies as stemming from a moral decline into decadence. But progress is not made by criticism alone; there needs to be a journey of growth together, a ‘synodal process’ – as Pope Francis would call it – involving welcoming, understanding, speaking with clarity but without being offensive, deconstructing our prejudices, and discernment as a community”. The Brexit issue poses an existential question to the remaining States of the European Union: is it better to face present and future challenges alone or in a cohesive unit? “I believe the radical transformation of the world in which we live places challenges before us which we simply cannot manage on a national level. German sociologist Ulrich Beck speaks of a metamorphosis of the world, which calls for a completely different way of thinking than before. Climate change, migration, organized crime, the ‘common evils’ of global capitalism, cannot be addressed effectively on a simply national level, but rather with the force of an integrated political approach.” Chiara Lubich and Igino Giordani, founder and co-founder of the Focolare Movement, were very clear on the idea that a united Europe should promote world peace. In the light of the charism of unity, how do you rate the chances of adopting fraternity as a political category? “Democracy in the modern world has developed as a competitive system, involving the distribution of power, a battle between different parties, a process of checks and balances, civil society curbing the excesses of public power. Applying the principle of fraternity as a political category means building institutions which pursue collaboration in diversity, to achieve the common good. Over the past two centuries, the principles of liberty and equality have been translated into legal and political categories. Now it’s time to work on the category of fraternity, which incorporates the values of reciprocity and mutual responsibility. On the political scene, alongside the political parties as agents of competition, we could see the institutions of civil society emerging to take on public roles. There are alternative models, and movements for spiritual and cultural renewal, such as the Focolare, could play a significant role in this process.” The Focolare’s commitment towards unity in Europe is evident in the Together for Europe project. Ilona Tóth, member of the project’s planning committee, describes how the initiative came about. “At the eve of the Third Millennium, founders and leaders of Christian communities and movements active in Europe (Chiara Lubich, Andrea Riccardi, Helmut Nicklas, Salvatore Martinez and others) pledged to place their charisms at the service of the continent, on a common foundation of mutual love. The aim was to invigorate Europe from a spiritual standpoint, based on Christian values, alongside the established geographical and economic perspectives.” What has been achieved so far? “The Together for Europe network is generating ‘leaven’ for people in Europe with a culture founded on Gospel-based fraternity. These gatherings throughout Europe help to demonstrate unity in diversity. In their own environments, the protagonists launch initiatives promoting peace, the family, protection of the environment, solidarity and a fairer economy etc. They are seeking ways to respond to the demands of a continent in crisis.”
Claudia Di Lorenzi
May 22, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Less than a century has passed since the end of World War II, yet it seems that today’s Europe has somewhat lost sight of its original challenge. The old continent was setting for two world wars, with millions of dead and many cities and communities destroyed, yet in the 1950s it launched a renaissance that could not even have been hoped for. The founding fathers of the present-day European Union saw beyond the special interests of each country and thought on a grander scale: a community of peoples who would be able to design an economic rebirth and future of peace. We talked with Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement, in an interview that took the form of nine questions. It was released in time for the European Mariapolis that will take place over the next months of July and August at Tonadico, in the region of Trent, Italy. The interview unfolded into a plain-spoken, frank conversation, taking on topics such as politics, youth, bearing witness as Christians today, the Europe we hope for, and what a European Mariapolis might mean. Diversity between various communities of peoples is valuable, affirmed Maria Voce, and there is no need to give in to superiority or nationalism. At the Mariapolis, diversity becomes a way for everyone to be enriched, becoming a moment in which everyone can show the wealth of their culture. “If everyone stretches themselves to do this,” she continues, “no one feels the need to assert their identity, because everyone’s identity is recognised, valued and enriched by unity.” And this is what the European Mariapolis can give and signify for those participating, fulfilling together a phrase that Chiara Lubich said back in 2004: “The highest dignity for humanity is not to feel like a cluster of peoples who are often at odds with each other, but being one people out of mutual love that is enriched by each person’s diversity, and as a result safeguarding the unity of the different identities.” Another topic that was covered was the role of young people in today’s society and their scarce participation in political life. Maria Voce does not doubt their abilities, and she values the witness of many young people who presently have an influence, for example, on environmental issues. The new generations are committed “to projects that look to the good of humanity, not just the immediacy of the passing day, for projects that require concrete action and that show an authentic life,” affirms Focolare’s president. The task for Christians, as well, is difficult enough, but they can spread values of solidarity, fraternity, love for the last and the least, for the poorest, by personally living a life that follows the light of the Gospel. The questions could not have overlooked her own meeting with the charism of unity, which happened in Rome during her university years and, as a result, her first experience of Mariapolis, which we discovered occurred in 1959 in the Dolomite valleys, where she got to know Chiara Lubich. Maria Voce herself is a witness to that wide variety of people who took a break each year in those enchanting places. They were attracted by being able to experience reciprocal love and fraternity first-hand, thus fulfilling Jesus’ prayer, “May all be one.” The final question drew out a hope and a wish from her. “My hopes for Europe are that it might discover its beauty and calling: peoples who are united, who are recognisable as themselves, yet who see in each other common principles and values. The history of people is also my history, the history of every European people is also my history. It’s part of my story and lives within my story.”
Patrizia Mazzola
May 20, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Risen Jesus wants us to have the experience of new life and peace with Him that we can then share with others. For others Ever since we were young, inspired by our Christian convictions, my husband and I have always tried to live for others. We come from poor families: my parents worked in mining while Ramon’s parents were farmers, and we are well aware of the hardships and needs that result from financial poverty. Our dream came true when we were asked if we would manage a fund for children in an adoption at a distance project. Thanks to the contributions we have received we have been able to follow 23 children and buy a piece of land where we have built a centre that can accommodate about twenty children from poor families, enabling their parents to go to work. There is also a small sewing workshop for mothers. Through many people’s generosity, we will be able to develop this activity for the children’s benefit and for their families. (R. J. – Bolivia) My fourth pregnancy In the ninth week of my fourth pregnancy I discovered I had contracted rubella. The days that followed were the most difficult days we had ever had to face as a married couple. This was a problem that was bigger than both of us. The doctors warned us that there was only a 5% chance of having a healthy baby. Today’s mentality would say that “rejecting” the pregnancy was the right solution. My husband left me free to choose, but I wanted him to tell me he accepted this new creature. This was in fact what I had already done the very first moment I became a mother. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so intensely in my life. One day my husband said to me: “What if our son has not been affected or has only been slightly affected by the rubella?” It was the sign I had been waiting for. We embraced one another and from that moment on we felt more united. After six months, a handsome, healthy boy was born. (J.O. – Switzerland) Thieves in our home One day, when we returned to the house that we had built with great effort, we discovered that everything in our house had been stolen: the thieves had even taken the sink and the toilet. We couldn’t afford to replace what was missing with new items, so we started looking around second-hand shops when we suddenly recognized some of our things in one of the shops. The shopkeepers said they had bought them from some boys in the neighbourhood whom we knew well because they were our neighbours. We went to their house with the intention of reclaiming what was ours, but also to make the boys understand their mistake. When presented with the facts, they did not deny anything and we went with them to recover our property. On the way, we talked openly about values that give meaning to our lives, while they might have expected a harder reaction. Perhaps this is how we have made our small contribution to peace. (B.O. – Venezuela)
by Chiara Favotti
May 19, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Another day of global climate action is due to take place all over the world on 24 May. An idea which began with a sixteen year old Swedish girl, the protest coincides with the fourth anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Laudato Sí”. We asked the economist, Lorna Gold, a member of the Focolare Movement who works for “Trocaire”, the Irish Catholic Agency for Development and author of the book “Climate Generation: Awakening to our Children’s Future”, to tell us why we need to commit urgently as individuals and all together to protect the planet. You are a specialist in international development and have worked for almost two decades in academia and non-governmental organisations. Where does your commitment to the environment come from? My work for environmental justice began when I was young and I started campaigning to build a more united world with the young people of the Focolare Movement. I remember, in particular, meeting young people living in Amazonia in Brazil who told me how the forest was being destroyed. I was horrified and very quickly started to campaign in my school and community to protect the Amazon. I later studied and did a PhD on sustainable development, focussing on the Economy of Communion as an example of economics where people are focused not so much on consumerism as sharing and building the common good. In my work in “Trócaire” which works to support people living in poverty, I have seen that if we fail to protect the earth, we are also failing the poor – and all of us. Without protecting the basic conditions for life on which all of us depend, there is no way out of poverty. 
You have been supporting an initiative called “FridaysForFuture” promoted by Greta Thunberg which is being taken up by many young people and parents in Ireland. What do you do every Friday? I have been very concerned about climate change now and for many years have worked hard to influence policies of governments. I was really touched by Greta Thunberg. There have been others like her before but now, with the power of social media, there is a chance for the words of one child to become a “fire” which can move everyone. She was calling on everyone to go out and protest on Fridays, in particular on 15th December 2018. Initially, I didn’t think this was directed at me but eventually I did protest outside our Parliament. And I returned every Friday. The number of people joining us each week started growing and similar groups started springing up all over Ireland. By 15 March 2019 the whole country was mobilised: 15,000 children and adults came out onto the streets of Dublin and 40 locations around the country. How do we make commitment to the planet change our way of life? We have to protest and act. Anyone can start a Friday protest in their local community and log it on the Fridaysforfuture.org global map but you can also do a positive action like planting trees. This would generate a double impact – protest and plant! The global protests will take place regularly now, like this one. Together witth the Global Catholic Climate Movement, which Focolare is part of, we are calling on people of all faiths and communities to join the students that day. How much has your encounter with the charism of the Focolare influenced your work and life choices? 
My choices in life for sure have been influenced by the encounter with the Focolare. I have learned that Love conquers all. To solve climate change we need everyone to work together. We have technologies, ideas and even money. Yet all too often there is a lack of collaboration and genuine goodwill to work for the greater good. I believe the Focolare Movement has an important role to play in generating spaces where everyone else can be supported to work together in a spirit of genuine collaboration. Where did you get the idea of writing a book and why? What kind of commitment do you propose to protect the planet? The idea to write Climate Generation came from my deep concern that parents do not see what is happening to the climate or understand how it will affect their own children. I have worked on this issue for two decades. The situation is terrifying. Unless we change our societies radically in the next decade, our children will face runaway climate change of 4 or 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Put simply, civilisation as we know it would not survive. The vast majority of species would be wiped out. Our children would face a burden which is impossible to bear. For me, as a mum, that is just not acceptable. There is huge interest in the book here in Ireland and it has just been published in the USA by New City Press. I am hopeful it will get published in other countries too. In terms of what we can do, I suggest three things: first we need to reconnect with the earth, God’s wonderful creation. We need to find ourselves again in the great communion-fellowship, not only with our fellow human beings but with the entire cosmos. Secondly, we need to change our own lifestyles to minimise our impact on the environment. This involves somewhat of an ‘ecological conversion’ as Pope Francis calls it. A good starting place is to do your own ecological footprint online – there are many tools available on the web – and you will see where you can make the most impact to reduce your footprint. None of the choices are easy – and some require some major changes. Finally, we need to join with others to build political pressure for the BIG changes we need. Individual actions are not enough. Divesting our public investments from fossil fuels is a key step in this direction. Campaigning is also essential until the pressure for change is so big, it is unstoppable.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
May 17, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Many Venezuelan migrants have arrived in Peru and other South American countries in search of a better life. Irene Indriago Castillo is a Venezuelan clinical cognitive psychologist who collaborates with the Focolare Movement in a variety of ways. She is currently working as an international organisational specialist in Peru. We have asked her about her personal and professional experience in this role. 
What makes the migrants suffer and what gives them hope? The people arriving in Peru have often used the cheapest form of transport possible to travel from Venezuela and have left behind everything they owned and the people they love. After the journey and the challenges of passing through migration controls, the experience which is sometimes called “from illusion to delusion” begins. These people have very little money but they want a better life for themselves: they want a home and a job so they can financially support family members who have remained in Venezuela. Unfortunately, these dreams soon begin to disappear and life becomes very difficult. They suffer a lot because they are separated from their relatives and probably receive very little news from them; the normal pattern of life is lost and they do not feel safe and secure anywhere. Sometimes they are worse off than they were in Venezuela. Adjustment is difficult and this can create difficulties between couples. These people are surrounded by a sea of uncertainty which saps away their spiritual and emotional energy. Only people with a very clear aim and a deep faith are able to overcome such challenges quickly. 
What are their greatest and most urgent needs? Their most immediate need is to earn enough to maintain themselves. They also need to work through the legal processes required to gain permanent residency and to acquire healthcare provision. They need to find ways to maintain contact with their families in Venezuela and they need help and support to handle their frustration, doubts and sadness. There are many children among the migrants: what traumas do they face and how can they be helped? Children and adolescents usually know that the reason why they are migrating is to find a better life, nonetheless, they are still emotionally shocked when it actually happens. They do not have the same capacity as adults to handle change. Through the workshops that I hold for them, I have come to realise that the decision to travel to Peru is always taken by the parents and the young people are never asked for their opinion. Although they understand that migration may lead to a better life, they do not all want to come. They see their parents less, they are anxious, they communicate less and don’t have friends. They do not all get a place at school in Peru and those who do are often called offensive names by the other students. Their sadness, anger and fear is often expressed in forms of behaviour that their parents don’t understand: they may be rebellious or cry a lot or become very isolated. It is really important to spend time with them, to find ways of communicating and to form groups with people of their own age so they feel supported Do you think there is any hope that these young people will have a better future? While there is life there is hope. We need to focus upon their resilience as a means of strengthening their mental and emotional capacity to deal with such great challenges in life. From a human rights perspective, the country in which they are now living must guarantee basic nourishment, healthcare and education. It is also essential to support them as they maintain communication with their family members and build new friendships. They also need opportunities to learn about their new environment and they have great need of spiritual support. These are all means to form people with sound values and a vision for the future and the capacity to make choices which will help them to fulfil their dreams.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
May 16, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Maria Voce and Jesús Morán continue their journey in Lebanon: the roots of a culture in a country with a very complex social, political and religious situation. The challenge of an authentic dialogue as a key to Lebanon’s rebirth. “It’s time to build a new nation”, said a large poster overlooking the motorway, but the speed of the Lebanese traffic did not give one the chance to find out who published this appeal and the intentions behind it. 
The members of a small Focolare delegation, headed by Maria Voce, its president and Jesús Morán, its co-president, were returning to Beirut from a trip to the north of the country. There, they visited the Valley of the Saints, the spiritual centre of the Maronite Church, the largest Christian denomination in country. This area is also well known for the Cedars of Lebanon, a small forest at an altitude of 2000 metres where one can still find species that probably date back to the time of King Solomon, that is 3000 years ago. The members of the delegation were so impressed by the richness they discovered during this visit, that on their return journey to Beirut they affirmed the great capacity of this people, who can boast of 7000 years of history. The Lebanese managed to survive at the crossroads of three continents and three great religions and to safeguard their creativity in extremely difficult conditions. As they approached nearer to the capital city, they thought more of the country’s present situation, that leaves very little space for hope. In Lebanon, there are currently 18 religious communities. The state and public administrations function on “emergency” management. Ethnic, religious and political groups, big families, economic interests and foreign powers are deeply intertwined. Wounds, caused by the so called “civil” war, that took place between 1975 and 1990, have not yet healed. One of the bishops they met during these days said: “We haven’t had the courage to face the harm we have caused to one another, so no one has ever asked for forgiveness”. Comments show the fear of another outbreak of war. 
“It is time to build a new nation”, said the poster on the motorway. This provoked a very spontaneous question: how can this ever happen? Jesús Morán answered this question during a round table conference held at the faculty of Philosophy at the Holy Spirit University (USEK) near Beirut. His answer could be summed up in one word: dialogue. The Co-President of the Focolare Movement insisted: “Dialogue is part of man’s nature. Through dialogue man becomes more man; he fulfills himself by giving himself to others. It is not so much a matter of words or thoughts but of giving oneself. This requires silence and listening; it requires risking one’s own identity, even one’s own cultural and ecclesial identity. However, one’s own identity is not lost; it is enriched through one’s openness to others”. 
So, does dialogue build a new nation? Is this another one of those alluring theories that the Lebanese people have come across in recent years? The 150 Christians and Muslims gathered at the so-called “Yellow House” on May 13 can answer these questions. Located on the former demarcation line between East and West Beirut, the Yellow House was rebuilt as a historical symbol to remind people of the trauma of war. The testimonies shared by those gathered there were moving and convincing. They spoke of their friendship that began during the war when they were simply made welcome by the Focolare. A Muslim woman described how small gestures of closeness and attention, reciprocal visits and unbiased relationships transformed friendship into a real family. “Dialogue is possible only between people who are true. And it is only love that makes us true”, Jesús Morán said in his speech. The Christian and Muslim friends and their experiences are a proof of this. May be it is just a small seed, that will grow slowly, just like the cedars of Lebanon. But it is certainly a seed with overwhelming strength, from which a new nation can be born.
Joachim Schwind
May 15, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Luigi Butori is an Italian focolarino living in Ho Chi Minh City. After over 20 years in Asia, he has seen its great beauty but also dramatic situations and contrasts. We went with him to see his work supporting and enabling the poorest of the poor, first in Thailand (see the CH Conference call of September 2015) and now in Vietnam. https://vimeo.com/333055587
May 13, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The focus for discussion was safeguarding the Amazon – not only one of the richest ecosystems on the planet but also a “forest of cultures.” Look at the Amazon with the eyes of those who live there, “make yourself one ” with the indigenous peoples who inhabit it in relationships of exchange and perfect balance. While the Earth is a mother who gives life, it is humanity’s role to care for it – to protect the wealth of its creatures, while being at the same time a creature within Creation. This is the over arching vision of both the promoters and the participants of the fourth edition of the Village for the Earth, which was held in Rome promoted by the Focolare Movement together with Earth Day Italy. From April 25 to 29, they addressed the theme of safeguarding the Amazon, which has an ecosystem among the richest on the planet and at the same time contains “forest of cultures.” From the park at Villa Borghese, the appeal was renewed for the protection of the environmental and ethnic-cultural biodiversity of the Amazon. Described as one of the Earth’s “lungs,” the Amazon has been exploited and looted for too long by multinationals and governments who see it only as a source of income. The extraction of oil, gas and precious materials, and the growing deforestation of areas destined for intensive agriculture or for the construction of dams and other infrastructure – reports Francesca Casella, Director of Survivor International Italy – is a “deliberate attack” that puts at risk the survival of the ecosystem and the tribes that inhabit it. These tribes are illegally evicted from their lands, deprived of sustenance or even exterminated. “We are hungry and thirsty for justice for all those who have died fighting for our people and for our lives,” Hamangaì, an indigenous student representative of the Patax people in the Brazilian state of Bahia, said. “We ask humanity to stop and listen to the original peoples, the bearers of thousands of years of wisdom.” This cry was answered by the hundreds of organizations, institutions and entities – civil and ecclesial – that took part in the event and agreed to work together for the protection of the Amazon, this land that constitutes an inestimable ecological heritage, but which also offers itself as a model for the coexistence of hundreds of populations with different cultures, ethnic groups and religions. It’s a model to be protected, therefore, according to the spirit indicated by the Lord to Moses in the Bible: “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy ground” (Ex 3: 5). This was the biblical passage that Pope Francis quoted during his apostolic journey to the Amazon, in 2016, and that Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, proposed once again to the participants in the Village as the model of how our we should approach encounters with the indigenous inhabitants and their land. The bishops of the world will meet in October to discuss the theme of the Amazon, searching for “New paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology.” This is the title given to the coming Synod by the Pope. The cardinal added that the presence of the Church in the Amazon is significant, with “7 Episcopal Conferences, 106 bishops and thousands of priests and pastoral workers.” A special attention that comes from the awareness that everything is connected, as the Holy Father underlines in Laudato si ‘, where he invites everyone to an “ecological conversion”, or, in other words, to assume the interdependence of all Creation, of nature with humanity and among all peoples, and therefore to change lifestyles in order to overcome individualism and to adopt global solidarity as a criterion for action. In this sense we can look at the work of the Capuchin Friars of the Holy Land, who are present in 72 villages living alongside indigenous peoples. They are also engaged in the fight against prejudice towards the indigenous peoples. While the indigenous are seen, by some, as backward peoples, the Friars assert that there is much to be learnt from them. “We are slaves of time, while being with them you understand how sacred it is to be together, to listen to each other,” says Father Paolo Maria Braghini, a Capuchin missionary for 20 years in the Amazon. He adds, “St. Francis would be happy to live today in that part of the world.” According to Rafael Padilha, professor at the University of Vale do Itajaì, in Brazil, this Amazonian model in its biodiversity, can and must be replicated elsewhere – while adapted to individual realities. He also emphasized the importance of promoting an economy that puts the person at the centre, for example through projects like those inspired by the Economy of Communion born of the charism of the Focolare Movement. Father Laurent Mazas, Executive Director of the Cortile dei Gentili, stated that the challenge, even in the so-called developed countries .is to move from multiculturality to interculturality, “from duel to duet, respecting the treasures of each culture.” At the end of the talk, in the Magnolia Avenue of the Villa Borghese, as a testimony to the common commitment to safeguard the forest and the peoples that inhabit it, a holm oak tree was planted in some soil from the Amazon.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
