Herdsmen and Cattle in Argentina

Aug 28, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Every day around the world thousands of people stand up for an integral economy. Aldo Calliera is the owner of El Alba, a company inserted within the Economy of Communion, involved in the raising of livestock in Santiago, North Argentina. Work begins early for this country folk, even before the break of dawn. Before the day begins mate is prepared, a typical South American beverage that is meant to be sipped through a silver straw by a group of friends. With each new round, stories are shared and bodies warmed. The owner did not wish to lose this age old tradition of his guachos, and he began to attend the early morning materas, but he was surprised that with his arrival the conversation languished and silence fell on the assembly. It was the same every day. Guachos are reared in a culture where everyone falls silent when the boss arrives, not because of disappointment but because from the times of the Conquest the worker has been considered inferior to the master. Thus, Calliera went away each day feeling that he had been given a punch in the stomach, and his heart shrank at the thought at not having been able to penetrate the wall. Gradually his insistence enabled hearts to open and names be shared, all but one: Ernesto’s. One day, Calliera was programming “the service,” which is the time and location coupling for the production of calves. After the planning session the engineer who was with him, was about to issue orders to the workers, but Calliera stepped in saying: “Leave it to me, to talk to my men.” Then he explained to the workers what had to be done and, instead of simply giving them orders, he asked them for their opinion. Ernesto, whose voice the owner barely knew, spoke up for the first time: “I think that we won’t have any calves next year.” Calliera was doubly surprised and asked why. The answer was simple: there was not enough water for all the animals at the place where he had planned to take them for mating. It might seem that anyone could have said it, but in this culture it is customary to respond “Yes, sir” to one’s boss, even when you disagree. Callieri relects: “Then I realised that it is only by having an optimistic vision of others that you can draw out the best in them. Only in this way is it possible to find treasures in others that otherwise remain hidden, and to discover the best way to draw them out. Each person’s talents are like virtues that you discover when there is mutual trust.” Needless to say, the Callieri heard Ernesto’s advice and changed the “service” and things went better. . . The matera had produced a small cultural change that helped everyone to build relationships based on reciprocity that neither workers, nor forefathers would ever have immagined. Source: EoC online

Migrants bring valley back to life

Aug 26, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Five years ago, the town was classified as having one of the lowest socio-economic communities in the Piemonte region. But the entire community learned about hospitality towards others and today, 30 refugees, almost all Africans, besides a family from Kosovo with three children, have been living for eight months now, in a housing unit owned by the Cottolengo Institute. “We have adopted them,” confided two eighty year olds sitting in the town square. They had done so during the war, specified the President of the “Pro Loco” organisation, with the Jews and the members of the Italian resistance movement. History repeats itself. The mayor, Lisa Giacomo did not have to convince himself and the 180 residents of the village. Out of these, only 90 live in Lemie all year round. It had already happened in 2011, when the problem of hosting the migrants and refugees arriving on the Italian coasts with rusty boats still was not such a burning issue. Already then, for Lemie, that arrival of ‘friends’ had symbolized the rebirth of the community The 12 children taken care of by educators and the parish priest were baptised in the parish Church during a ceremony which went down in the history of the town. It was a feast. All the families with the children were welcomed by families and other children of those alpine valleys. “Of course, at the start we were a bit surprised,” Lisa explained, “the population here has a a very high age bracket average, and it’s not easy to open oneself to others. Or at least, this was not the case. I didn’t have to give a lot of explanations since no one asked any questions. Giving hospitality seemed but a natural thing .” And the situation today is still the same as in 2011. And as in the past, the men and woman that arrived from Libya and other sub-Saharian countries will have to work, and make themselves useful. “With the Province of Turin in 2011 we had also implemented some job offers. Now some are applying for ‘restitution volunteer work’ which is useful to them and also to us.” the mayor remarked. And not only do these ‘refugee friends’ wish to stay in Italy, but the community itself is asking them to stay. “The citizens immediately accepted them, but what’s more, welcomed them,” confirmed Lisa, “and a couple of residents found jobs as educators with an association related to a cooperative. Problems? “Only bureaucratic ones. They applied for protection as refugees, but the time frames are very long.” Then the transportation issues: “I will ask the agencies managing the coaches for Turin to help them, since I think it would useless to make them pay the bus tickets for Turin.” On asking the mayor if the village has been reborn due to the migrants, he smiles and opens his arms . “Look at this valley. It is full of second homes, that open only in summer. Many young people continue to leave, even if their bond with valley is still strong. The new people who have come have brought some liveliness. Just go to the playground on a sunny afternoon and finally you will see children playing, shouting, enjoying themselves. They have even saved the school.” Excuse me? “Certainly. Five children more in school allowed the school to keep more teachers and a better quality in education. What else can we ask of these friends we have welcomed among us? The family has been extended and Lemie is no longer small and marginal. We want to be a different village, new and open to all.” Original article in Italian: Città Nuova online

Argentina: Mariapolis Lia covered in water

Aug 25, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

The Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe were recently hit with severe rainfall. The local news media says that 20,000 people were affected and more than 4, 000 evacuees. Some roads are closed and others have limited access. The rains are unrelenting and a weather emergency is in force. However, in some regions the rain has begun to lessen. Mariapolis Lia, nestled in the Argentine pampas region, is literally submerged in water along with the Solidaridad Industrial Park where several Economy of Communion Businesses are located. “The water has flooded two buildings in the Park and also the garage of a third building,” Jorge Perrin writes from Solidad Industrial Park. Another two buildings are at risk: the water level has risen to a few centimetres. In the other buildings water has flooded the basements, but the living quarters are secure for the moment. The Primicias greenhouses along the road have also been flooded and the production completely lost, exept for a section of tomatoes. Pasticcino (coffee biscuits) is moving its production with the help of tractor from Primicias. For the moment the water has not flooded any of the dwellings in the Mariapolis itself.” In many of the provinces of Buenos Aires the lagoons are connected with one another; the drainage channels are insufficient and the stretches of water become like oceans. “The channel of the Mariapolis and the Industrial Park had been cleaned recently and function well. But the problem of the road than links the Mariapolis to the nearby village is another story. It drains from another part. Access between the Mariapolis and the local village is completely flooded and it only possible to go from place to place in specialised vehicles.” “The solidarity amongst us is extraordinary,” he adds. The only automobiles capable of driving through the mud are the tractor and the Mariapolis van. So they’re always on the move transporting people to work, to school, to make purchases for others, or to take supplies to people, and so on. Throughout these days, in the countless telephone calls, in the communion amongst us, in the peaceful spirit with which we face every situation, I understand once again what a great family we are!” For enquiries on how to help.:polosolidaridad@gmail.com

Cuba: I was in jail and you visited me

Aug 22, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

“Since 1994 I have worked in the Pastoral Jail of the Archdiocese of Santiago in Cuba which also includes the city of Guantanamo. Together with other volunteers we see to their needs and those of their relatives, because these people are really the poorest among the poor. In 2007, when I encountered the spirituality of unity, it was if a ray of light penetrated me, and more than ever enlightened my service in jail and made me understand that in life we have to look for what unites and not what divides us. Sharing this way of life with others helped me a lot. Some said: «How can you deal with murderers and rapists, knowing that most of them do not even take notice of those who try to give them a hand…». This is true. At times it is so, but the spirituality of Chiara Lubich helps me to see in each of them the figure of Jesus crucified and abandoned. We only have to sow that small seed of the Gospel, without expecting anything in return. This conviction gives me strength and support and makes me feel less alone. It prevents me from falling into the temptation of leaving this service, and I can see that in the end, I will always receive more than what I have given. It has been some time now since we started to bring the leaflet of the Word of Life every month to the prisoners and also their families. After some time, to our great surprise, we found that in the special surveillance sector, a small community of prisoners was created, led by a young man. Together they discuss about the contents of the leaflet and during the month they try to put it into practice and make really significant experiences. “In my youth–Y recounted– I committed some crimes for which I am serving a life sentence. I am in the Guantanamo city jail (not far from the ill-famed American high-security jail). I found my faith in God through the members of the Focolare Movement, who for some years now have been visiting me regularly. I also wrote my story, where I talk about my meeting with God and of how it rekindled the hope in unending Life. Every day I try to put the Word of Life of the month into practice.» One day, another prisoner, Y, told us on the phone: «I’m down with fever and have a strong headache. I really needed to talk to you and took the opportunity of a permit to call you. Talking to you is like a balsam for me. » I ensured him that we were praying for him, and that Jesus came to save us, notwithstanding the life we live on earth. He said that he was also convinced of this and added «this is what I pray for daily, and it gives me the strength to go on loving everyone.” (Carmen, Santiago di Cuba)

Jordan: One year after the tragedy in Nineveh Plain

Aug 21, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Aug. 8, 2015: Iraqi Christian refugees attend an outdoor prayer service to mark a year since their displacement, in Fuheis near Amman, Jordan. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)

Tagaytay (Philippines): “United for Peace 2015”

Aug 20, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Beyond the insecurity of jobs

Aug 19, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

“My name is Marco and I am 35 years old. Since 2008 I have been working as a substitute Catholic religion teacher. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic reasons, I work only sporadically, on an average of about two months a year. This year I was called for three days in a school, for a week in another school after some months, and then for a few days elsewhere. On the average, it was about two months a year. In my capacity as an employee of the State I am not allowed to have two jobs and have to be available all the time when I am called to teach, since – should I refuse – I would be surpassed by others. I live with my parents and have a lot of free time, I take care of various house chores, some other commitments in the parish, and the education of youth and adults of an oratory where I coordinate the Word of Life monthly meeting; I do volunteer work in a home for the aged and am a member of the diocesan office for ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. All these activities keep me busy and active. But when work is scarce, a subtle veil of discouragement and low self-esteem grow in me, and everything always seems to become more difficult. One day, a friend, knowing about my work situation, phoned to say that he had met a student who needed tutoring in Latin and Greek. My friend knew about my educational background and was certain that I could easily fill the post. In effect, after High School I had never abandoned my knowledge of the classical languages. In fact, in order to understand the Old Testament better, I had recently even started to study biblical Jewish. Initially my first reaction was to refuse the offer, but I was given 10 days to think it over. Then, the student would have turned to other private tutors. Those who are familiar with the art of translating old languages are aware that translating for oneself or trying one’s hand in translating is one thing, and that giving private lessons to a person who needs to progress and achieve good grades on the report card, is another thing altogether. I needed a job even though this meant revising the grammar rules of Greek and Latin in ten days, and learning to teach it. To be able to succeed I would have had to drop all my other commitments for seven days and study from 8-10 hours a day. It was like a leap in the dark. And so it was: I started to study like crazy. And then, after a few days, the same friend offered me a room in his house, and even the keys to the house. Another friend who came to know about my “new job” introduced me also to his son who needed tutoring. But more than a teacher, he needed tutoring not only in Latin and Greek but also in philosophy, Italian and English literature, in short, the whole humanistic area. He was a desperate case. In fact he was a very problematic person in terms of relationships, and in the last year of high school had been given an “unclassified” grade. I entrusted myself to God and accepted to be his tutor. Today he has started to get a set of 8s and 9s and his enthusiasm is growing. Even his personal relationships have started to improve. I recently worked as substitute teacher for a month, continue to give private lessons in the afternoon and also keep up with my previous commitments.”

An ever-ardent Trent

Aug 18, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

The somewhat quirky diversity of the hall at the Chiara Lubich Centre in Trent this year was a bit surprising: 250 young people between the ages of 16 and 30 from more than 20 countries; 70 priests and seminarians and some twenty adults who are all committed in living the spirituality of the Focolare at the parish or diocesan levels. What was the idea behind this meeting which was planned for the 2cnd to the 8th of August? What is the connection between the different cultural backgrounds? The first answer can be found in the title of the meeting: “Like yesterday,” and the second answer in the city of Trent itself. All of these young people and adults were gathered to reflect on the first generative seed of their own spiritual charism and to look back even physcially at the journey that has inspired the Focolare Movement from its beginnings. “The meeting opened in an atmosphere of explosive joy,’ Ludovico and Elonora recount. “The programme is meant to be an immersion in the life of those early days and the radicalness in living the Word.” The programme alternated between thematic topics and excursions to the places where the Focolare began: Piazza Cappuccini, Fiera di Primiero, Tonadico, Goccia d’Oro. “During the Mass in the Cappuchin church,” Zbyszek writes, “we declared ourselves ready with the help of Christ’s grace, to give our lives one for the other beginning from the small things of everyday life. In the place where God had sealed the pact of unity between Chiara and Igino Giordani (Foco), we also wishe to renew that mutual love which we wish to live as they did that yesterday.” Then we had an opportunity to be enriched by presentations from experts in the fields of communication, interreligious dialogue and cooperation and development in the Action for a United World (AMU). Thanks to them we were able to reflect on communication and the challenges of our multiethnic and multi-religious society. Much time was dedicated to delving into the topics of immigration and welcoming thanks to the precious collaboration by the Cinformi Project, which presented the model of welcoming that has been proposed and applied by the city of Trent, placing itself at our service with active workshops involving two visits to refugee camps. Some of the most unforgettable moments of the meeting were spent with a hundred refugees who are waiting to see what the future will bring. Several of them came to see us at the meeting. Rita confided: “I was so struck by Lamin, a young Muslim from Ghana who had written a poem to his mother and wished to read it to everyone. It was a poem filled with nostalgia but also hope. The eyes of these people says it all and they can never forget.” At the conclusion of the meeting two goals were set – one short-term and the other long-term: the World Youth Day meeting (WYD) in Poland; and the unity of the world in accordance with Jesus’s prayer that all be one for which we wish to spend our lives. “We leave committed to becoming the ‘living Word,” Danilo and Emmanuele write and to take this “pure water from the source” into our own lands and into our daily life in our peripheries, offering it to every neighbour that goes by.”

Cuba prepares to welcome Francis

Aug 13, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Revolution Square and José Martí Memorial

the National Shrine of the Virgin of Charity of Cobre

The Focolare Movement’s contribution.

Thailand: Remembering a special friend

Aug 11, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Several Buddhist monks that visited the focolare regularly also knew her well. Benedetta was a woman who let herself be approached and known, without fear and with gentleness. She knew how to welcome people and you could go to her any time. Any problem, great or small, any need, some good news to share: she wasn’t scandalised by anything, she knew people’s hearts and knew how to love them. One bishop once said of Sister Benedetta that she was “a Sister of silver and gold” because of all the money she was able to find for the poor. When visiting the extreme north of Thailand, you were always obliged to go and ‘have a chat’ with her, as she would say. She enjoyed hearing the news of her ‘great family’ as she loved to call the Movement, and she shared its life with many others. We would often meet people in the Mariapolis to whom she had spoken about the spirituality of unity, or else someone who had passed by the focolare to meet us because they had heard Sister Bene talk about us. In other words, Benedetta was a true spiritual mother who gave much supernatural life to so many people, and many of them attended her funeral along with a large crowd of bishops, priests and laity. The small church of Wien Pa Pao and the adjoining convent where she lived were filled to overflowing. Sr Bene, of the Sisters of Charity of the Infant Mary, known to the secular world as Benedetta Carnovali, born in 1925, was a pillar of the Movement and many of the people who belong to the Focolare community of Thailand were personally drawn to the Movement by her (including Buddhists). ‘A real Sister and a true focolarina,’ as she was described by some: an ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ Sister, always on the go and, at the same time, ‘firm’ when personally loving the person next to her. She was a friend who would call you up to wish you a happy birthday, even though her voice became feebler every year, but not her interior strength. Whenever you approached her you were never given the impression that you had disturbed her: it was as if she had been expecting you alone and didn’t have anything else to do but welcome you. But she was quite busy, judging from all the adoptions at a distance which she personally saw to, up until the last days of her life. Sister Bene had met the Focolare’s spirituality of unity from an order priest in 1963, and from that moment spent her life that many in Myanmar – where she was living in that period and then in Thailand when all Religious were expelled by the regime – could know the spirituality and live it. When she was transferred to Thailand, she continued to deepen her friendship with the Focolare. When she went to spend a few days at the focolare, she nourished herself on the words of Chiara Lubich. Like all those who genuinely follow God, Sister Benedetta also encountered her nights, ‘the storm’ as she followed Jesus. She faced them as a true disciple of Jesus, with heroic charity. Deeply united with Vale Ronchetti, one of the first focolarine, she pressed on in the midst of much miscomprehension: ‘How can a nun belong to a movement with so many lay people in it?’ she was often asked; and there were other great and small persecutions that on a human level were completely absurd. Yet, in some mysterious way, God made use of these things to make Sister Benedetta more and more a Sister, more and more a spiritual daughter of Chiara (as Benedetta often said), and an apostle of unity who has no counterpart in the Asian southeast judging from the fruits she bore. She leaves a legacy of love, gentleness, sweetness and strength, loving service to the least: towards the people of the Akha tribe, for example. She leaves us withthat smile so typical of those who have experienced that it is possible to transform suffering in Love and make that Love their reason for living. Sister Benedetta ‘flew” to Heaven at the age of ninety, after listening to the Focolare song that she loved: ‘Solo grazie’. She died consumed but serene, just as she had always lived: in peace because she was certain that the ‘arms’ that had embraced her from her childhood (she was an orphan) and carried her through her life as a Religious, were there waiting for her now on this last stretch of her journey. She was a wonderful woman who shows that it is still possible to become a saint today. Luigi Butori

USA: Earth, Faith and Peace 2015

Aug 10, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Young people from five religions and several Christian denomination, specifically chosen as emergent leaders in the environmental field, met at Mariapolis Luminosa of the Focolare in the State of New York, USA, to reflect on safeguarding the planet, our common home. Guided by the ideals of Religions for Peace (RFP) and of the Focolare the Teach-in began with an analysis of the current situation of the environment and the strong link between global stability and climate change. The phenomenon of climate change calls for a new awareness and change of view, implied by the title of the three-day event. Perhaps it will find a solution thanks to the synergy between people from different religious backgrounds. This was the wish of the organisers of Teach-in, which was held at the end of July 2015. Despite the variety of their beliefs they came to the same realisation that every effort in favor of the environment will be more efficacious inasmuch as it is done together. Amongst the interventions were those of Rev. Richard Cizik (New Evangelical Partnership) and of the Rabbi Lawrence Troster, bioethicist who said that: “By 2050 we could have 50 million climate refugees, with serious consequences for peaceful coexistence amongst peoples.” His words were echoed by Asma Mahdi, oceanographer and member of Green Muslims, highlighting that the most vulnerable countries are Muslim: “In Bangladesh, for example, if the ocean level continues to rise, by 2050, 17% of the territory will be awash, forcing 18 million people to move elsewhere.” These are alarming figures, and several Polynesian islands would completely submerged. Amongst the speakers was Msgr. Joseph Grech from the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, who referred to several excerpts from Pope Francis’s Encyclical Letter Laudato si while underscoring how economy and ecology walk hand in hand, since all our actions have an impact on nature. Three environmental researchers from three different American universities were of the same opinon: Robert Yantosca (Harvard), Valentine Nzengung (Georgia) and Tasrunji Singh (Ohio), for whom the respective religious convictions have become motivating factors and guides in the scientific effort in favour of the environment. “Go out!” was the catch phrase that conducted the second part of the Teach-in and it led to the delineation of a series of behaviours to put into practice. John Mundell from the Focolare, owner of a company of environmental consultants, presented a landscape of initiatives connected to the “Earth Cube,” whose six sides present daily suggestions for renewing and conserving a healthy environment. There was also the visit to the projects at the nearby Esaurine Federal Reserve. RFP executive Aaron Stauffer, stated at the conclusion: “It has been a witness of the power of multireligious cooperation and peace.” And Brazilian, Lira Raiana, who is finishing her doctorate in ecology: “We’ve experienced that we have at least two things in common: an intense interest in sustainability of the planet and a religious belief that offers the correct motivations to take care of it. Each one of us came with our convictions and personal ideas and now we find ourselves united in the common objective of many: the protection of the earth and of its inhabitants.”

At the Jardin de Montbrillant

Aug 8, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Geneva, Switzerland, Rue de Montbrillant, n. 3. Like every other Friday I go to Jardin de Montbrillant, a welcome centre for needy people in this cosmopolitan city where you can have a free hot meal. Today, as always, at noontime, we welcome around 150 people of every nationality. The room is already full and everything is going fine. Amidst the usual faces in the diverse crowd I always notice someone new. My task is to find a place for each of them, to negotiate with one or another so that they will allow someone new to have a place to sit and eat in peace, which isn’t always easy given the physical and psychological state of many of the majority of our guests. But I’m mainly interested in giving a fraternal touch, to comfort the ones who are sad, depressed – to listen to the ones who feel desperate, to offer them some hope. . . In other words, to create a family atmosphere so that everyone feels loved just the way they are, beyond the diversity of ages, nationalities and religions. While we’re at table, the door opens and three of our Arab friends arrive accompanied by two newcomers. I immediately notice the hard, threatening looks on their faces. As soon as they are inside, they begin shouting that they want to massacre everyone and burn the place to the ground. The reason: they feel seriously offended by the caricatures of the Prophet that appeared previous days in the press, the main news of the week. The atmosphere immediately becomes tense and people propose violence. I already see plates flying and fists showering down blows. It’s time to act without delay, because the situation could quickly worsen. But what shall I say? What shall I do? I feel powerless but recognise in this acute suffering of today’s society that defends absolute freedom at the expense of deep values, the cry of the God-Man upon the Cross: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” This is Him before me now, through the reaction of this pair of Muslim followers. I place everything in His hands and stand up to go and meet them. I tell them that I share their pain and offer to talk about it after having something to eat if they would care to. In answer to my peaceful offer they allow themselves to be convinced to take a place at table. Suddenly their aggressiveness abates and tranquility returns, as if everyone perfectly understood the cause of their angry outburst. Lunch ends peacefully. I stay near them, trying to make them feel all the human warmth that I’m capable of. After lunch they apologize for their words and express regret for having voiced thoughts of revenge. This is followed by a moment of sharing about our respective faiths in total respect and mutual understanding. Before leaving, they embrace me, thankful for having been listened to. Now their relaxed faces express different sentiments than before. (Paquita Nosal – Geneva, Switzerland) Source: Città Nuova, 13/14, (2015).

Argentina: the unusual loot of a burglary

Aug 1, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

By the end of 2012 I had an awful experience. I was in a friend’s house with all his family and suddenly three armed and violent men entered their house to rob. They beat us and put us all lying down in the ground of his parents’ room. Then, they started interrogating us and shouting us “where is the money?” with guns in our heads… The father of my friend started saying to one of the thieves that he forgave him, but that was not the way he was supposed to act. The man was getting angry and we were afraid he would do something awful to my friend’s father. Surprisingly, the thief started crying and saying sorry. At that point, all the other thieves were gone with the family car, but this man, who seemed to be their boss, was still there with us. Amazingly he asked my friend’s father if there was something important, so that he would make sure we would get it back. My friend’s father told him that it was ok to take everything with him, but asked him the favour to return the car since he needed it for work. The thief promised to give it back, asked forgiveness to each one of us and left. The car, half an hour later, was found intact by the police. In order to build peace, I needed to forgive, and even if the thief asked for forgiveness, I didn’t quite feel like I could do it, my part was not completed. The fact of having felt powerless in front of a person that could take my life away or the life of people I love, just by a single movement of a finger, made me incapable of forgiving. And also, in front of the eyes of my other friends, they would say I had the right to hate, the right to be angry. I needed time, but I also needed to do something concrete to make sure I’d do my part to understand the root of so much violence, why would a person do something like that to another. So I decided, with other friends that are Youth for a United World (Y4UW), to start going to a shelter of men that have nothing. We wanted to at least start breaking the prejudices, sharing the pain and the difficulties of those who live in the peripheries. We are not politicians and we can’t do huge changes, but like one of my friends, Carolina, said: “I think that these small acts can help change the world, or at least, the reality next to me. Maybe at first sight it’s not visible, but you see the measure of your acts when the other makes you see it”. The moments shared with the men at the shelter helped me know about the “reasons” of that thief’s desperation. Thanks to having met these men of the street, that have, some of them, in fact robbed sometime, I knew they did it because they thought it was their last resource. I don’t know what I would do if people act like I don’t exist, if people don’t even answer me, if no one looks at me directly into my eyes and I have literally nothing and no one even cares… so then I felt that I had to forgive… and then I felt strongly that I was putting a brick on the construction of peace in my country. It’s simple, every Saturday we play games or play the guitar or we watch a football match (the World Cup was awesome) or even we play football together, then we have dinner and we get to know each other more, specially their stories, some of which are actually incredible, they are people that just need the strength to forgive others and themselves, but more than anything, they need to restart their lives. A group of specialists helps them progress, but us Y4UW have another role, as one of my mates, Francisco, tells “we grow next to them and we never stop making them feel our care, which is always mutual”. On December of 2013 the police in my city decided to do a strike and people went crazy and started looping businesses and shops and even the storage of a big charity organization was emptied. Lots of people were violently robbed and people started defending themselves with the help of their neighbors and it was like a small day of war between our people. The next day, after a terrible night of chaos, with other Y4UW we decided spontaneously to go clean the city, especially downtown where there were more ashes and dirt and to gather food for the charity organization. We said it all over the social networks and the media: at the beginning there were 15 of us, and then we ended up being more than 100 (and the people who brought food were even more). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WX_TbWHvVw&feature=youtu.be We realized that the TV news, that night, had at least one good news to talk about thanks to our initiative (because the media came to cover our actions) and a lot of people saw it. But that was not the only “good news”, because thanks to the food we gathered, the kids of a small kindergarten in a very poor neighborhood could eat. The kindergarten’s name is “The Light corner”. From that, a group of Y4UW didn’t want to finish there. As we continued to go to the men shelter, others decided to do something more for the kindergarten, so they started a project. First thing they did was to celebrate Christmas with them, playing with them, doing a live nativity scene and taking presents for the kids. Then they started thinking how to improve the facilities of this very small and poor place. In the meanwhile, they suffered a robbery of some construction materials and then all of us Y4UW, with the help of friends from University and work and families, we cooked and sold sweet cakes to make money to buy back the materials. Then with everyone’s help we gathered educational material, games and curtains for the windows, to also make more beautiful the space for the kids. One of the nicest things they live is what Caro, the Y4UW that leads the project says: “the relationship between us and the kids, their mothers, the teachers and the neighborhood has grown so much that we have become a family, where we share also our personal needs. One of the teachers, for example, is pregnant and she asked me for help because she couldn’t pay for a baby stroller. After sharing this necessity with a friend of mine from work, she decided to give the teacher the one she had at home, it was in great conditions and the nicest thing was that she decided to go and give it personally to her”. They have organized a dental hygiene workshop, an orchard workshop and also they did another Christmas celebration last year with new toys, donated by a Chapel of a city very near from ours. The next projects are to build bathrooms and to remake the electric wiring. Like my friend Caro said: “love is thirsty of love, love spreads in our hearts… and love “makes us cry with the neighbor” (like Pope Francis said in the Philippines). ‘The Light Corner’ gave me the chance to dream bigger and to believe we have all the hands that we need next to us, in our surroundings: family, work, university and friends, to make things go ahead. We just need to make the first step”. Source: United World Project

Cuba: Redemption of historic memory

Jul 30, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

“We received the news that Pope Francis will visit our country from September 19^th to 22^nd with great joy. The Holy Father wants to show us his affinity in a time in which, thanks in part to his mediation, we breathe the air of hope in our national life before the new possibility of dialogue in progress between the United States and Cuba. What he is doing as universal Pastor of the Church is very, very important in the search for reconciliation and peace among all peoples of the earth!” So write the Catholic bishops of Cuba in a message to all Cubans. While the Caribbean island prepares to receive the first pope from Latin America, we spoke in Avana with José Andrés Sardina Pereira, a Spanish architect with a specialization in sacred art and liturgy, who is also a Cuban culture enthusiast. “The project we are bringing ahead,” explains Sardina Pereira, “aims to be a contribution of the archbishopric of Santiago to the work started by civil institutions; that is, to seek to have the historic center of Santiago (with the complex of its colonial churches and parts of the surrounding area) included in the UNESCO world heritage list, as are already the historic centers of Avana, Trinidad, Camagüey, and Cienfuegos.” Having a Cuban father, Sardina Pereira in addition to being an architect is a Cuban history enthusiast. This nation, also known as the “Big Island,” was also, “one of the last Spanish colonies to obtain independence (1898), therefore the process of ‘transculturation’ has been the most prolonged. Studies on the origin of Cuban culture, as opposed to that of Spain, place its solidification in the course of the 18^th century, a time in which social, economic and cultural apprehensions, with a certain antagonism in respect to Spanish models and interests, were reawakened, all of which distinguish the island natives (the Creoles) from those arriving from the other side of the Atlantic.” Sardina Pereira clarifies that, “in the ethnic and cultural processes that give origin to the ‘cubanía’ (the essence of being Cuban), the Spanish and the Africans who arrived on the island brought with them cultures that were much more complex than those that are traditionally associated with ‘Spanish’ and ‘African’ concepts.” “Men and women from different linguistic, social, and religious groups, with different levels of economic development, coming from countries known today as: Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria, Congo, and Angola, arrived in Cuba.” Also people from other European countries, from Asia, and from the American continent itself. “Just think of the presence of the French in Cienfuegos or of the coffee fields on the east of the Island.” It is in this coexistence of a “rich and multi-coloured range of individuals from different geographical locations that the Cuban culture is born, one of the last cultures generated by humanity: audacious, integral, creative, and at the same time open, welcoming and respectful of diversity.” Sardina Pereira stresses how the Gospel message has been key to this genesis, as “this new country was founded thanks to the coexistence of individuals who were very different from each other: whites, coloured, and of mixed race, slaves and free people; many of them united by the love that Jesus came to teach us, a love that goes so far as to lay down one’s life. Just think of the heroism, the consistency, and the love of many fathers of the Cuban nation and of the many men and women who, following their example, generated it with their own lives.” People united by their faith who “travel together on a new ship in the tempestuous sea of history.” At this point in the conversation, our expert adds another element which he holds to be essential. Cubans are: “A people blessed by an extraordinary encounter with the mother of Jesus.” Such an affirmation alludes to that which tradition remembers as “the finding.” It is said that in the year 1612, three salt seekers (one of mixed race, one black and one white, three ethnicities who were up until that moment in conflict) found a small wooden board that was floating on the sea and upon which was the image of the Madonna with the inscription: “I am the Madonna of Charity.” “And this encounter with a Mother,” continued the architect with conviction, “is one of the elements which permits the Cuban people to discover true fraternity, which will be converted into an identifying symbol of this nationality. Mother of all, of sailors of every land, colour and creed.” Sardina Pereira likes to compare this hybridization to a typical dish of the center of the Island, made with a variety of ingredients called “ajiaco.” “In a globalized and ever-more interdependent world,” continues the architect, “many times intolerance of ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity continues to be the primordial cause of grave conflicts. Chiara Lubich, a great personality of the Catholic Church, in her discourse to the United Nations in 1997, affirms that to build a world more united and in peace today, it is necessary to love the homeland of the other as one’s own, and the culture of the other as one’s own.” Sardina Pereira concludes with a personal confession: “Fulfiling this work I realised how much the knowledge and the diffusion of the Cuban culture can be a contribution to peace in the world, as long as we are able to redeem its historical memory and its deep Christian roots and keep them genuine.” By Gustavo Clariá

Nigeria. Yakoko and the gift of rain

Jul 29, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

In Nigeria, there is great inequality in the development between cities and rural villages where there are almost no infrastructures and no electricity, medical care, roads, etc. Yakoko is one of these villages located closest to the desert, amid mountains – where the Christian and Muslim communities have always lived in great harmony. In the evening after working the fields, the men gather in the square to discuss while sipping an alcoholic drink produced from their Guinea corn. Some years back, a missionary, Sr. Suor Patricia Finba, had brought to Yakoko the spirituality of the Focolare and Felix, Abubacar, Nicodemus, Loreto, Father Giorge Jogo and others had made it their way of life. Last year they welcomed to their village more than 200 people who had arrived from the various regions of Nigeria, to get to know the Focolare spirit better. This year a group of youth and adults of Onitsha decided to pass a few days there. After a journey of 24 hours – which was at times dangerous – in over-packed public vans, loaded with bags and packs, they were warmly welcomed by the community into their homes. «We participated in their lives – Luce recounted – sharing all with them», «and – Cike added – we noticed that the youth were interested not so much in material goods, the clothes and medicine we had brought, but the spiritual ones, our friendship and our life-treasure: the discovery of God who is Love. » And so they decided to stay with us for a day of meditation, going on an excursion in the mountains which with its arid beauty, is an invitation to meditate. «It was an important event – Imma recounted. In an atmosphere of deep friendship we shared the values we believe in and on which we have based our lives.» And then in the following days, together we brought the material help to those in need, especially the elderly and the children and the many refugees who had come from the northern regions. We visited five villages. A Muslim community welcomed them with particular joy. Some of them had already started to live for unity in the world and with them we immediately felt a family atmosphere in which we shared joys and sufferings in that area. The villages, in fact, were undergoing a really difficult time due to the drought, and by tradition they had asked an important person of the village to pray for rain. But the rain did not come, and they had thus decided to kill this person. «On hearing this decision we were shocked and also started to pray to God to send rain – Luce continued – and in fact, on the third day, He blessed us with a great rainfall! But apart from the rain, we were so happy to have saved a person’s life.»

ROM, from evicted to included

Jul 28, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

For several years the ROM camp has needed to be removed because of serious health and environmental issues, but it was no easy task given the fact that it was home to thirty families. Mario Bruno, Mayor of Alghero, decided to involve the families themselves in choosing a new location for the camp. There are many unemployed people in Alghero and there are also many people on the list for a house. So, as the Mayor says, it can be difficult to make people understand “that there are specific funds, and sometimes we all have to take to heart social inclusion and sometimes take decisions that are unpopular that are sometimes not understood.” “The 30 ROM minors are just as important to me as each and every Algherese. And I have to try to show with facts that this is possible,” the Mayor went on, “and I have to help the Algheresi to take this step knowing full well that I hold all the problems in my heart and not only those of one side.” Concretely, finding solutions for the Algheresi is one way of showing this value for people. He did it by announcing a 3 million and six hundred thousand euro financing toward the construction of 28 dwellings for Algeresi citizens. BrAs a politician, at times Bruno finds himself in difficult situations which he says he tries to face “with common sense, delving into adminstrative decisions without skipping over them, because we are here to defend everyone’s good and not only our own, we are only administrators.” The Mayor felt the “need of coming to a solution in front of the complexity of the moment we are going through (. . .) in which you can be part of the answer and I believe that this answer can be given individually but also collectively, and giving a collective answer means living for a good that goes beyond us.” Watch the Video – original soundtrack in Italian https://vimeo.com/133758828

Burundi: a suffering that generates love

Jul 25, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

“Jean Paul is in his last year at the Faculty of Engineering and has known the spirituality of unity for several years. Burundi is going through a difficult political situation, because of the upcoming election. The political impasse has provoked many controversies that give rise to clashes and protests. Some people have lost their lives. It was in this context of great instability and suffering that Jean Paul and a friend, returning home on foot because there was no public transport, found themselves in front of a new and unexpected countenance of Jesus forsaken.” The one reporting is Marcellus, along with the entire Focolare community of Burundi and Rwanda. “It was the summer of May 2cnd when the two young men were assaulted by a group of wrongdoers. Jean Paul and his friend were brutally beaten to the point of unconsciousness. Helped by several police officers who found them thrown into a manhole, they were rushed to hospital. The friend had light injuries but Jean Paul was in serious condition: a fractured backbone and paralysis of the lower limbs. In spite of his serious state Jean Paul was always smiling and hoping to for a recovery. He entrusted himself to God and Chiara Lubich. “The fact that I’m still alive is already a miracle of hers,” he said. In a short time news of what had happened to Jean Paul reached the community which, besides praying for him, began to look for the money to hire an ambulance that would return him to Rwanda, where he would receive adequate care. On May 12th he left for Kigali, Rwanda, accompanied by a nurse and Séverin, a young man from his Gen group. The chain of love and prayer widened, involving the Rwandan and worldwide Focolare family, especially the Gen. Jean Paul and Séverin gave a strong witness of mutual love in Kigali, Rwanda. In hospital the people were astonished that the visits to this boy were more numerous than to all the other patients. They were also amazed that by the fact that Jean Paul and Séverin were not brothers, from the same village or ethnicity. The boys explained to everyone that the engine behind their action was something else: the spirituality of unity based on the mutual love that Jesus asks of us. After a few medical examinations, Jean Paul was operated on the back and chest, on June 10th in Roi Fayçal Hospital. The prices at the hospital were very high, but God intervened with Providence that was never lacking. Jean Paul, who never grew discourage, considers this experience a true miracle.   The surgery went well and this was encouraging to everyone. Jean Paul was transferred to another facility where he began physical therapy, and close monitoring by his physician and the team that performed the surgery. His condition is showing incredible improvement. He is beginning to feel hungry, physiological needs, pain and sensitivity in his feet. He is able to get out of bed and move around the hospital in a wheel chair. He continues to say that if it weren’t for this extended family he wouldn’t be alive. Jean Paul is very grateful to the Focolare community in Rwanda, to the Gen around the world, to the international Gen Centres, and to all those who have sent financial support and prayers. All our hearts overflow with gratitude to God for having given us the possibility of having this powerful experience that has aroused attention, communion, authentic love among His children and a powerful witness of the love that conquers all.”

The Basque region: a workshop where peace is taught

Jul 23, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

At the base of the itinerary of the Political Movement for Unity in Spain, is the desire to give an answer to a situation of violence being staged in the Basque Province by the armed struggle of the ETA. The objective is to try to heal the still open wounds and make an effort to ensure a future of peace. «It is a utopia, but it may be the only solution for our people.» There was a pressing surge of hope in some members of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa when about ten years ago, some exponents of the Political Movement for Unity (MppU) from Italy, spoke to them about fraternity as a political category.  This perspective almost seemed like a shock because of the atmosphere existing in the Basque Countries and the work of the ETA.. With the objective of obtaining independence for the Basque people, the armed groups of ETA continuously sowed an atmosphere of violence and terror. In fact, the tension was at its highest. During those times – the first six months of 2005 – a group of politicians belonging not only to different parties but also to diverse ideologies, got together to pave the way to a strategy that sought the renewal of politics, based on mutual acceptance of peoples, without exclusions. Thus a new ground for discussion and acceptance of the other was set, involving politicians of all convictions, State employees, members of labour unions, citizens… all thirsting for a normalized coexistence, and true peace. The meetings were held every two months at different locations, alternating between the various parties. Among the participants, there were those who were immediately threatened for their pacific membership, and they arrived with their bodyguards. And there were those who feared they would not be well received by their own party or  would be ousted. But they all tried to encourage one another, and overcoming every sense of mistrust, wished to testify that fraternity was possible, starting from themselves. As time passed, they saw the need to share this experience with politicians of other regions and communities. A group thus went to Madrid and participated in a series of encounters where they met other experiences, inviting everyone to unite Euskadi with the group of Gipuzkoa. It was a historic moment: four hours of dialogue (after lunching together) to get to know one another, and listening to and begging forgiveness from each other. Subsequently, they felt the need to draw up a document that each could bring to their own parties, to be studied as an alternative to the crisis. Many still felt the need to share the contents of the document and to hold seminars and round tables in other autonomous communities, also to present the experience of fraternity and pacific coexistence based precisely, on fraternity. When the ETA ceased its armed activities (2011) a new process began, though not simple, but which was a harbinger of hope. There are still many people, families, and groups that though sharing the same identity are divided and continue to clash, finding it really difficult to dialogue. The political workshop that had been created during those difficult times and simply called “workshop to learn about peace” – continues its journey toward pacification and search for peace, facing the diverse standpoints on historical facts and healing the wounds that are still open. They drew up a document named “Towards the path of reconciliation of the Basque society” (January 2013), that describes the basis to work on from then. This document is informally known as “The earth we trod on.” Every time dialogue seems to encounter a hitch, they try to start anew by helping one another believe that every man is a brother and that they could build something with all. This does not signify that the crimes should not be recognized as such, or  that the great number of people who paid for this with their lives are not acknowledged. On the contrary, by accepting the past and recognizing the injustice and senselessness of the violence suffered, they try to view history like a slow and painful path toward reconciliation and peace, in which all can and must give their own contribution. On 13 March, precisely at the eve of the anniversary of Chiara Lubich during which all over the world her view of politics was being deepened, this group held a meeting at “Las Juntas Generales de Gipuzkoa” (provincial parliament) in San Sebastian, inviting various experts, scholars, and political figures.  The debate was on “The relationship between common good and the common goods in globalization,” the basic manifesto of which, was sent beforehand to all and was greatly appreciated, and which described the deliberation to hold a “workshop to learn about peace.” In a climate of mutual acceptance, valid contributions emerged which were then integrated into the document itself, to be later diffused in order to promote the value of fraternity at all levels.

Living City wins two 2015 Catholic Press Awards

Jul 20, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

“We are honored, grateful and especially happy that the message of unity that we try to spread has been recognized. A special thank you to all our readers who support and encourage us on that path!”, the Living City editorial team reports. Living City received an award for the April 2014 issue for “Best coverage of immigration” by Marilyn Boesch, Susanne Janssen and Lori Chesser. The CPA jury wrote: “These stories are captivating and relevant, and they put the human element front and center.” In the category “Best Explanation of Church’s Position on Marriage”, Living City got the third place for the articles in the July 2014 issue written by Michael and Julie James, Pietro Riccio,Sarah Mundell and Emilie Christy. “The perspective on diversity in these pieces is valuable. There is a clear call to action to those who wish to use their faith to create dialogue and build bridges,” commented the CPA. You can read and share these articles on the website: livingcitymagazine.com

Paraguay: our thanks to Pope Francis

Jul 20, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Ore aguije Papa Francisco pe, ha peeme avei pe ñembo’ehaguere ore rehe. In the Guaraní language: «Our thanks to Pope Francis and to all of you for your prayers.» «As we had imagined, overflowing graces have fallen on the entire Paraguay people, ever since His Holiness was here among us,» Nelson Benítes and Margarita Ávalos, heads of the Focolare in Paraguay wrote, after the Pope’s visit to their country. «The children, the sick and the youth were the main protagonists of the visit. Over 80,000 “servidores” (“stewards” – almost all young people) from all over the country worked day and night for three days. But the preparations started at least three months earlier, a concrete fact that gives true hope!»  Nahuel Espinola recounts: «I was a ”servidor” of the Pope – It was simply fantastic! I’m 15 and I don’t know when I shall experience something like this again. I hope that his message will reach all the youth.» «There was  instant bond with the people,» and some scenes will never be deleted from my mind: the children of the choir of Luque running towards Pope Francis for a group embrace, the thousands of people who filled the streets, his car stopping in front of the women’s jail. «When they found out that the Pope was coming, the children afflicted with cancer in a hospital did not want to be discharged!». Then there was the visit to “Bañado Norte,” one of the poorest districts of the capital, where the Pope visited a sick woman at home. «For that event, she had prepared the “chipa” and “sopa paraguaya,” typical dishes the Popes likes. This was followed by the surprise visit to the parish of Cristo Re, to pay homage to the still intact heart of the martyr and first Paraguayan saint: San Roque González de Santa Cruz.» In Caacupé, Pope Francis consecrated Paraguay entirely to Mary. Then came the meeting with civil society, one of the most striking moments when he launched a discourse on dialogue, inviting all to dialogue, by losing all in order to understand the other, and “enter” into the other. «Concepts like the humane side of development, giving priority to the person, and not treating the poor like objects, impressed me deeply,» affirmed Julia Dominguez, a member of the Economy of Communion of Paraguay, «From now on, we must not dwell on sentimentalism, but live this daily.» César Romero, active in the association for families added: «In the dynamism and freshness of the programme, I saw a Church that was making a big effort to update itself in its methods and messages.» Silvano Malini, a journalist in Paraguay wrote: «In these three countries of the Latin American “periphery,” Pope Francis decisively stood on the side of the “rejects” of society and victims of injustice and inequality, but in doing so did not “attack” anyone but human miserliness – the only sources of the serious and dramatic problems of this country (corruption, egoism, low-quality democracy).» Malini went on to say: «The Pope’s exhortations fell on soil tilled by the Church in Paraguay, as could be seen in the meeting with the representatives of over 1,500 civil society organizations. Pope Francis, with authority, gave an example of concrete dialogue which is not easy but does help to make small but sure steps towards a common project. » «At campo Ñu Guasú, a million faithful awaited him. The sun shone on the crowd that had been waiting for 15 hours in the mud, because it had rained over the last few days. But nothing could stop the celebrations.» Esteban Echagüe recounted: «Neither the mud nor the weariness could deter the immense joy we all felt. I was so struck by the Pope’s affirmation that the parishes should really be places of encounter with one’s brethren, and a place of acceptance and fraternity, and if this is not so, we would not be true Christians.» «After a brief but intense moment with the Paraguay bishops, the Pope “miraculously” regained his strength to resume his pastoral journey! One could feel that he was tired as was natural for a 78 year old! But everyone was convinced that in front of the youth, Francis would be transformed.» In fact, more than 200,000 were waiting for him along the Paraguay River! He asked all to have a free heart and furthermore…, «continue to raise a “ruckus” but an organized one.» Leonor Navaro confided: «The Pope aroused in the youth and in all, the desire to be better… because he saw us the way we should be – and through his eyes the world discovered us as such. From now on we want to reflect ourselves in his eyes!» Along the way back to the airport, he was moved upon blessing a place which is a really painful symbol for the country: the remains of a commercial center where ten years ago, around 400 people died in a fire. Nelson and Margarita continued: «Through Bishop Adalberto Martínez, Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Paraguay, we wrote to the Pope that the Focolare Movement is praying for him. We had sent him a gift of a book on the Guaranì culture and on the development of Economy of Communion in the country. To conclude: «This visit, like that of Pope John Paul 27 years ago, will bring about vital and positive outcomes and spiritual effects also in the civil life of the country. Pope Francis was very clear in his words, but conveyed them with the tenderness of a Father! It is now up to them to make use of these moments of grace, “a before and an after” of the first visit of a Latin American Pope to Paraguay».  

An EoC business in Cameroon

Jul 18, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Pope Francis in Bolivia: A multifaceted and inviting harmony.

Jul 11, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

“I’ve discovered how the Pope favors the excluded. In some way it’s also my choice, but by his example I have understood how at times I continue to exclude, or I find myself in a group of people who keep silent in the midst of exclusions or injustices,” says Ana Maria Ceballos, a social worker in Bolivia. An impression that speaks of true conversion towards the excluded, one of the strongest themes of this step of the voyage of Pope Francis in Latin America. The same for Nestor Ariñez di Cochabamba, who lives in the Casa de los Ninos, a social project animated by the spirituality of unity: “In Palmasola the Pope said: reclusion is not the same as exclusion.” There, in the largest penitentiary in Bolivia, the most striking message was the pope’s “listening first of all, and then his saying that he too is a man who makes mistakes and who must do ‘penance.’ A message of hope for all the detainees.” “The pope’s visit to Bolivia leaves us with much to reflect upon,” he continues. “But I believe that what remains very clear is his preferential option for the poor, the motto of the Church in Latin America given to Puebla in 1979, which reminds us that the gospel brings the good news to everyone, but especially to those who are excluded and rejected by society. I felt that the Pope was speaking directly to us.” “His words are a call to conversion,” confides Pat, a Bolivian focolarina, after the meeting with priests, religious, and consecrated people. “But it is also much more: the sole fact of his presence in the midst of many ‘rare flowers of every age’ who one day said their yes to God, pushed me towards a greater commitment to sanctity, which then means to live with coherence the choice I made.” “Even from Bolivia, Pope Francis spoke to the whole world,” writes Lucas Cerviño, now 11 years in Bolivia, instructor in Missiology and intercultural theology. “At the mass in Santa Cruz there were many Latin Americans from nearby countries who listened to his call to not despair before the difficult situations that the world presents to us and that bring us to exclusion.” At the second meeting of popular movements, Pope Francis–before representatives from various continents who welcomed him with enthusiasm and attention–clearly indicated the way for social renewal, both local and global. “Land, Home, and Work,” continues Cerviño, “are sacred rights which permit us to dialogue with everyone in order to contribute to the common good. Pope Francis clearly highlighted for the members of social and popular movements that the fundamental aspect is the process, the starting of processes, for an economy at the service of peoples, to unite peoples on the way towards peace and justice, and for the defense of the homeland.” “Finally,” concludes Cerviño, “he left the Bolivian people a clear and beautiful consignment.” “Bolivia is at an historic crossroads: politics, the world of culture, the religions are all part of this beautiful challenge to grow in unity. In this land whose history has been marred by exploitation, greed and so many forms of selfishness and sectarianism, now is the time for integration. And this is a path we have to walk. Today Bolivia is capable, with its wealth, of creating new forms of cultural synthesis. How beautiful are those cities which overcome paralyzing mistrust, integrate those who are different and make this very integration a new factor of development! How attractive it is when those cities are full of spaces which connect, relate and favor the recognition of others! Bolivia in its process of integration and its search for unity, is called to be an example of such ‘multifaceted and inviting harmony,’ a harmony which invites along the path of strengthening the greater country.”

A family in Hong Kong

Jul 11, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

EXPO: Solar Power Cookers For Haiti

Jul 8, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

“Haiti, once one of the most prosperous French colonies, Pearl of the Antilles, today is amongst the poorest countries in the world, devastated by a serious ecological catastrophe,” says Ronald La Rêche, ex-deputy and candidate for the senate of Mont Organizé. Thousands of people live without access to traditional forms of energy such as electricity and gas. The constant recourse to firewood has led to to deforestation, which has a direct negative impact on climate change, causing desertification and progressive diminishment of the water supply. This led to the idea of supporting the Haitian population with the help of renewable energy, especially solar energy.      The “Cucine solari per Mont-Organizé Project was conceived  by the AFN, an association inspired by Focolare values – in collaboration with PACNE (Action contre la Pauvreté du Nord Est), the NationalMicrocredit Entity, the Agriculture Department of the Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II” , Tesla I.A. Ltd., and the SIOI (Società Italiana per l’Organizzazione Internazionale). Its goal is to introduce solar power cookers in the centres that are supported by AFN in the Mont-Organisé Haiti territory of Mont-Organisé. The solar cooker uses very simple technology, easy maintenance and installation, and it is possible to learn how to assemble it on site, favoring its dissemination amongst the community. It consists of a device based on a system of solar concentration. Through a lens, solar energy is transformed into thermal energy which is then stored in a battery. The project was presented on Saturday, July 4, 2015 at the “Cucine Solari, una risposta alle problematiche dei Paesi in via di sviluppo,” of EXPO di Milano 2015 in the Cascina Triulza-Civil Society Pavillion. President of the AFN, Andrea Turatti, explains: “The process we propose would use the solar cooker in schools, with the help of the AFN in Mont- Organizé, a rural area in the borough of Ouanaminthe, North-East Haiti. The next steps will be to train the teachers who, in turn, will train families and involve the local population in microcredit projects.” Attention to green technologies and overall sustainability were among the innovation cited by Luigino Bruni, professor of Economics at the University of Rome (LUMSA), and coordinator of the Economy of Communion. Then there is “the exploitation of local resources (such as the sun), the materials at the site, and the involvement of the population.” The economist said: “This is where the true success of the project is played out. It will work to the extent in which it is seen as a true opportunity by the local population.” Focolare president, Maria Voce, wrote: “The Cucine solari” project is in sync with the teachings of Pope Francis who has focused attention on the environment, making integral ecology the main focus of his encyclical letter Laudato si’, that is, the relationship beteen nature and the people who live in it. [. . .] This project that is founded on care for the environment and sustainable development from within the communities that benefit, can offer valid answers to the urgent problems of the country. The project seeks a resolution to the environmental crisis, health, nutrition, and  energy supply with an eye toward the basic needs of the most weakest and most vulnerable. It utilises solar energy, while being mindful and respectful of the local culture, offering opportunity for development and social inclusion of the most disadvantaged, such as the children who receive support and education in Focolare schools.

Lisbon: Healthcare: present and future

Jul 6, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

Teaching methodology: an interactive approach, open to dialogue, sharing, and re-working with the instructors, experts, and students together, through seminars, workshops, and debates. Subject matter: proposals, analysed and studied in the preceding 6 months by an international preparatory committee formed by several of the participating students with the co-operation of the experts.

• Relationships in healthcare activities
• Ethics in daily clinical practice, starting with several documents from international medical institutions, and finishing with clinical experiences on aspects such as end of life care.

Participants: students and young people from 20 to 35 years of age in the various professions of the biomedical field (medical doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, etc.) coming from various countries. Maximum number of participants: 50 Languages: Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish Objectives: Offer to healthcare professionals the skills necessary to care for the person and not only the pathology, and to remedy the fragmentation of care, guaranteeing that professionals are united in taking responsibility for the patient. At the end of the programme, a certificate of participation will be issued. Location: Cidadela Arco-Iris, Rua Senhora da Graça, 60 2580-042 Abrigada Tel. +351 263 799 995   + 351 263 790 131   Fax: + 351 263 799 091 Hours: The programme will start September 3rd at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude September 6th at 1:00 p.m. Cost: The cost, including meals and lodging for all days of the Summer School (starting with dinner September 2nd and ending with lunch on September 6th), transportation from the Lisbon airport to the location and return trip, and the touristic excursion to Lisbon, is 180€. Enrollment: Complete and send the registration form (www.mdc-net.org) to the address: mdc@flars.net. Registration will be accepted after the receipt of payment by means of a bank transfer to: ASSOCIAZIONE MEDICINA DIALOGO COMUNIONE (M.D.C.) IBAN: IT68L0335901600100000113321 BIC: BCITITMX For more information, please contact mdc@flars.net. ——————————————————————— Associazione Medicina Dialogo Comunione Via IV Novembre 7, 00046 GROTTAFERRATA (RM) Fax 06-94549841   Email: mdc@flars.net Website: www.mdc-net.org

From Brazil, João’s story

Jul 6, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

It was in the air. Too many times João had heard his parents argue, and the fact that he and his mother and brothers had to leave home because his father had a child with another woman didn’t surprise him very much. He was 16 then, he was involved in his parish, he had friends. Within him, though, he felt betrayed and dissatisfied, with a strong need for freedom, to be himself. It was an apprehension that led him to discontinue his studies. He took up his schooling again years later, only after he had found the real reason for living. “At 20 years of age,” recounts João, “I participated in a Focolare activity with the youth group from my parish. During those few days, I realized that the Gospel isn’t so much to be commented or reflected upon, as it is to be put into practice immediately. I was particularly struck by those passages which say how to treat our neighbors: the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule. I had gone to the activity out of pure curiosity, and instead it was the event which changed my life.” In Sao José do Rio Preto (State of Sao Paulo), which is my hometown, there are many people who live on the street. One evening, as I was going back home on my bicycle, I crossed paths with a man who was walking barefoot. His feet were dirty and wounded. At the sight of him, I couldn’t pedal any further. “That man is my neighbor, I have to go back to him.” Before I reached him, I took off my shoes to give them to him. He looked at me, surprised. I saw that he was wearing a T-shirt with my favorite soccer team on it, and I said to him, to take away his embarrassment, “So you’re a Santista fan? So am I! What’s your name?” He took the shoes, and we became friends. I was at the train station, returning from a meeting held in another city. At that hour–two o’clock in the morning–the means of public transportation no longer run, and so I started towards home on foot, crossing the center of the city. Looking around, I saw lots of people who took advantage of the fact that stores were closed to sleep in front of the shop windows. I wasn’t afraid, because this was my hometown. At one point, however, a big, tall man came up to me and asked for money. I must confess that I started to be a little afraid. Who was to say that he wasn’t violent? But I thought, “He, too, is my brother, the Gospel says so.” Calmly, I told him that I couldn’t give him anything because I had no money either. He began to tell me his story, then he had me put on his headphones. He was listening to a sermon by a Protestant pastor. I listened to the transmission for a bit, so that I could tell him that this person was saying nice things and that it’s good to listen to these positive messages every so often. He asked me, “Who are you?” Not knowing how to respond, I asked him why he wanted to know. He said, “Because nobody treats us this well.” This went on for 30 or 40 minutes. I thought about the distance I still needed to travel in order to arrive home, about the fact that I needed to wake up at 6 the next morning to go to work. But I felt that I had to stay a while longer to accommodate this neighbor who needed company and listening. In the end, after he had asked for my address in order to come to my house for a barbecue, we said goodbye, with the knowledge that we had each found a brother. One rainy day, as I was returning home on my motorcycle, I saw a man, soaking wet, who was trying without success to get up from a puddle. I recognized him: he was one of my next-door neighbors who was always drunk. In the nearby bar, there were several men who simply watched the scene without doing anything. Trying not to get angry, I stopped, left the motorcycle there and accompanied him home, explaining to his wife what had happened. Then I retraced my steps to go back for the motorcycle. As I walked, a phrase re-echoed deep in my heart: “You did it to Me.” I was no longer angry. It was enough for me to feel happy and to not blame those men, astonished, who continued to watch me.

Pope Francis in Ecuador: evangelize with joy

Jul 6, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide

” I want to be a witness of this joy of the Gospel and bring to you the tenderness and caress of God, our Father, especially to his children most in need, to the elderly, the sick, the imprisoned, the poor, to those who are victims of this throwaway culture.” Pope Francis spoke from the heart in the video message to his “dear brothers and sisters of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay,” on the eve of the voyage that from July 5th to 13th will bring him to three South American countries, praying “that the announcement of the Gospel can reach to the farthest outskirts and continue to make the values of the Kingdom of God a leaven of the earth in our days as well.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5QEBJ8-IJw “Right from the preparations we sensed that this visit would be a providential grace for the people of God in this land,” write Bernadita and Fabián, who are responsible for the Focolare Movement in Ecuador. Inés Loato is on the organizing committee. She remembers with gratitude the path undertaken in just two months of preparation: “it has been a new discovery meeting members of other Movements and church communities, a tremendous richness. We all feel we are truly brothers and sisters.” In this period they sought to “testify to this love as preparation for the grace that we will surely receive.” Many others were involved as volunteers, thousands throughout the country: “Joy, humility and love are the three consignments that the Church has given us for our volunteer work,” explains Adriana Guallasamin, a young volunteer and coordinator in the formation sector. A mission of “proclamation, door to door, in contact with many people who are far from the Church, but slowly responded to the invitation to help with the logistics.” “I am grateful to God,” she concludes, ” for this unique opportunity to serve the Church.” What to expect from the pope’s packed schedule, in the first stop in Ecuador (http://papafranciscoenecuador.com/) There are the two mid-ocean masses in Guayaquil and Quito, a meeting with the world of education, with representatives of civil society, a visit to the Sisters of Mother Teresa nursing home, a meeting with priests, religious brothers and sisters, seminarians, and the Bishops of the nation. In addition to the greeting for President Correa and the visit to the Cathedral of Quito and the Church of the Company. In Bolivia (http://www.franciscoenbolivia.org/) with the motto, “Renewal and Reconciliation,” awaits –among other appointments–the 2nd World Meeting of Popular Movements and a visit to the imprisoned in the Center of Reeducation in Palmasola. In Paraguay (https://franciscoenparaguay.org/) the visit to a pediatric hospital and the inhabitants of a barrio (neighborhood) in the capital city, Asunción. The voyage concludes with a meeting with young people on the riverfront, Costanera: “messenger of joy and peace,” or as they say in guarani, the official language of Paraguay along with Spanish, to highlight the cultural variety and preciousness : Oguerúva vy’a ha py’aguapy.