Actions, initiatives, activities and world events to generate a network capable of living and testifying that universal brotherhood is really possible. This is the driving force behind United World Week (UWW). Supported by the United World Project together with the Focolare Movement and Youth for a United World (Y4UW), this global action takes place every year from 1st -7th May, crossing continents, oceans and becomes a concrete opportunity to transform values such as unity and peace into shared experiences.
People of different cultures, ages and backgrounds, each in their own city and community, embrace this invitation with the aim of creating authentic meeting spaces, networking energies, ideas and testimonies capable of generating real change.
This year’s edition proposes a strong and timely theme: #ChooseToDialogue. In a world marked by conflicts and growing divisions, it becomes even more urgent and meaningful to rediscover the value of encounter, listening and mutual understanding. Choosing “Dialogue” with courage today means opposing the logic of conflict and opening paths of peace; overcoming distances and transforming differences into opportunities for unity. The proposal for this UWW? A daily journey that invites you to experience this choice in various areas:
• May 1st – Interculturality & Dialogue
• May 2 – Art & Social Engagement
• 3 May – Health, Sport and Ecology
• May 4 – Economy and Work + Education and Research
• May 5 – Communication and Media
• May 6 – Active Citizenship and Politics
• May 7 – Peace & Human Rights
Various methods and proposals are available to make this happen, from the Time-out, an invitation to a shared moment of silence and prayer that unites everyone in asking for the gift of peace, to the Inspiration Box, a resource full of ideas and suggestions to be put into practice during the week.
Don’t miss:
Peace Got Talent – Living Peace, the broadcast of Living Peace International from 14:00 (GMT+1, Rome time) on Saturday, 2nd May on YouTube (@ unitedworldproject and @livingpeaceinternational), offering inspiration through the talents and messages of unity and peace shared by young people worldwide.
Run4Unity: the global relay for peace. At noon in each time zone, young people “pass the baton” to the next country, creating a worldwide wave of unity that circles the planet. Many countries are already organising their stages as part of this global race, such as Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay, Argentina, Uganda, Burundi, New Caledonia, Italy and Croatia, among others.
– May Day Loppiano (Italy). From 1st-3rd May, the Focolare international town near Florence will host the 1st May event in Loppiano, the Festival of Fraternity dedicated to young people. ROOTS, discovering what unites us, is the title of the event: three days of meetings, stories, reflections, workshops, exhibitions, educational and sports activities focussed on the theme of roots and cultural diversity. An invitation to go deep, to rediscover one’s cultural and spiritual origins as a starting point for encountering others.
– Also in Portugal, at the Focolare’s little town “Rainbow” in Abrigada (Alenquer), 1st May will be an occasion for celebration and commitment to building a better world. Promoted by Youth for a United World, the event, with moments of sharing and workshops, will bring together people from all over the country and guests from different continents who believe that brotherhood is not just a dream but a reality that is built day after day, with concrete gestures of solidarity, dialogue and hope. The title of the event: “Connect. Do you have the courage to build bridges?”
How to organize events, share stories and join United World Week 2026?
From 16 to 18 April 2026, the Steering Committee of the “Together for Europe” (TfE) met for its annual retreat, this time at the Schoenstatt Centre in Vienna, Austria, on the Kahlenberg. Twenty-six participants, representing eight of the Christian movements that make up the network, reviewed the past year and set out objectives for future projects.
A key aspect of this year’s meeting was the change in membership of the Steering Committee. This transition has been prepared over the last two years in an atmosphere of listening to the Spirit, with a view to ensuring both continuity and fresh impetus.
Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, expressed her heartfelt thanks in a letter to the outgoing members for their tremendous commitment over the past decades in shaping TfE. The following members bid farewell to the group: Gerhard Pross (YMCA Esslingen), co-founder of TfE and its long-standing moderator, together with Thomas Römer and Walter Kriechbaum (both from the YMCA Munich, who have been involved with TfE since its inception).
Diego Goller (IT) and Ilona Toth (HU), representatives of the President of the Focolare Movement on the Steering Committee, welcomed their successors: Liz Taite (GB), who has extensive experience in ecumenism, and Alberto Lo Presti (IT). The role of General Secretary will be taken on by Maria Wienken (DE), supported by Elisabeth Danner (A), both members of the Focolare Movement. The handover was solemnly celebrated during an evening prayer and sealed by the “Pact of Mutual Love”. Gerhard Pross highlighted the greatness of TfE’s mission and its rich fruits, which have marked important milestones in the history of the Church, as described in the book “Sternstunden der Einheit” (Highlights of Unity).
The role of TfE moderator will now be filled by a group comprising three members of the current Committee: Sister Nicole Grochowina (Christusbruderschaft Selbitz Community), Fr Raffael Rieger (Schönstatt Movement) and Matthias Bühlmann (Vineyard). “This change marks not only the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new phase of collaboration at European level,” commented one of the participants.
Another member added: ‘The days spent on the Kahlenberg have shown that our diversity is our strength. With this new team, we are sending a clear signal of continuity and new horizons.’ Another participant emphasised: ‘TfE is writing a story of hope in these seemingly hopeless times. That is why it is more important than ever to walk together today.’
Agenda and outlook
Another key focus of the discussions was the work of the National Committees, which are taking on an increasing responsibility for establishing TfE in their respective countries.
The following key upcoming events were also discussed:
9-13 May 2026: To mark Europe Day, 120 young Europeans will visit the European Parliament. Inspired by the Christian unity they have experienced at TfE, the young people have drawn up an “Intergenerational Pact” which they will present to MEPs.
29-31 October 2026: The next ‘Friends’ Gathering’ will take place at the Vineyard Centre in Würzburg, Germany.
4-6 May 2028 (date to be confirmed): Major event in Castel Gandolfo and Rome, Italy.
The 2026 meeting of the Steering Committee thus marked an important milestone for the future direction of the network, which remains committed to unity and fraternity across the continent.
The first Pontiff in modern history to have direct knowledge of Africa, Pope Leo XIV, since his time as head of the Augustinian Order, had personally visited all regions of the continent: central, southern, western and sub-Saharan Africa.
On board the papal flight from Rome to Algiers, Pope Leo told journalists: “As early as last May, I said that for my first trip I would like to visit Africa. Many immediately suggested Algeria to me because of Saint Augustine.”
Eleven days, eighteen flights, over 18,000 kilometres: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The journey included 25 speeches and homilies, eight public Masses, meetings with presidents, bishops and imams. In his interventions, the Pope highlighted the Church’s works of mercy through his encounters with prisoners, orphans and the elderly and by meeting hundreds of thousands of faithful. His remarkable gift for languages was evident: “he spoke to us in French, Portuguese, Spanish and English to establish personal contact with the different local populations.”
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
In an historic address to the authorities in Cameroon on 15th April, the day of his arrival, Pope Leo spoke directly about the humanitarian, political and social crisis that has afflicted the country for a decade. He described the human cost in stark terms: lives lost, families displaced, children deprived of education, and a generation of young people left without hope, while praising the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity as a “treasure” rather than a burden.
A key moment of the visit took place in Bamenda, at the heart of a region torn apart by separatist violence for ten years. The Pope presided over a meeting for peace at St Joseph’s Cathedral. Around the table sat a traditional leader, a Presbyterian Moderator, an Imam and a Catholic nun. “An evocative image that will nourish our imagination for a long time,” said Elisabeth, a resident of Bamenda: “a Pope surrounded by representatives of different faiths and communities in a city at the heart of an ongoing conflict, who calls for dialogue instead of violence, reconciliation instead of revenge.”
The Pope addressed the entire community, including people who had travelled many kilometres from the North-West and South-West regions, overcoming fear and obstacles to be present. He thanked all those who choose each day to build bridges and heal wounds. But he also issued a warning “to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain.” He denounced those, he said, “who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”
“Dear Young People, You Are the Beloved Children of the African Land!”
The Pope’s second day in Cameroon was entirely dedicated to young people. Leo XIV chose to directly address this vibrant and dynamic youth in his homily that, first before 120,000 faithful at the Japoma Stadium in Douala and then before students at the Catholic University of Central Africa. He repeatedly urged young people to resist the temptations of emigration, corruption and the illusions of the digital world. Underlying his message—repeated twice that day—was a clear conviction: the future of the continent will be built here, not elsewhere.
At the Japoma Stadium, the Pope did not shy away from the country’s reality, speaking openly about both material and spiritual poverty. He invited the young people “to make your noble spirit the prophetic voice of a new world,” drawing inspiration from the Acts of the Apostles: “the first Christians gave courageous witness to the Lord Jesus in the face of difficulties and threats”. Recalling their perseverance even amid suffering, he urged them to “Reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart.” He reminded them of their true wealth: “faith, family, hospitality and work.” To illustrate his message, Pope Leo XIV referred to Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, a Congolese martyr killed in 2007 for refusing, in his role as a customs officer, to allow a shipment of counterfeit medicines to pass through. He is presented as a model of resistance to corruption and an example for African youth. The Pope concluded with a powerful invitation: “Become Good News for your country.”
Form “Minds Capable of Discernment”
In the afternoon in Yaoundé, the Pope was welcomed at the Catholic University of Central Africa, a leading institution in the region that attracts over 5,000 students each year, particularly from Gabon, Chad and Equatorial Guinea. Around 8,000 people gathered to greet him with the enthusiasm typical of the academic world.
Addressing this audience of young Africans, Pope Leo XIV spoke about pressing and sensitive issues: corruption, artificial intelligence and its risks, migration and more.
He placed at the centre of his reflection the tension between the temptation to emigrate and responsibility towards one’s own country. “In the face of the understandable tendency to migrate, which may lead one to believe that elsewhere a better future may be more easily found, I invite you, first and foremost, to respond with an ardent desire to serve your country”, he told the students. He reminded them that the university was founded thirty-five years ago precisely to form “witnesses of wisdom and justice, of which the African continent needs.”
Speaking about artificial intelligence, the Pope warned with unusual gravity: “When simulation becomes the norm …. We thus come to live within bubbles, impermeable to one another. Feeling threatened by anyone who is different.” His conclusion was direct: “In this way, polarization, conflict, fear and violence spread. What is at stake is not merely the risk of error, but a transformation in our very relationship with truth”
The Pope also highlighted the environmental and human cost borne by Africa in the extraction of cobalt, an essential mineral for the batteries which power data centres and internet-connected devices. He spoke plainly: “the darker side of the environmental and social devastation caused by the relentless pursuit of raw materials and rare earths” must be denounced.
Liliane Mugombozi (Cameroon)
Photo: Courtesy of the Apostolic Nunciature in Cameroon
Algeria is the largest African country by land area, and of its 48 million inhabitants, Christians make up less than 1%. It is the country Pope Leo XIV chose as the first stop of his African journey, which will then take him to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. He arrived on April 13, 2026, and his initial meetings with the Algerian community highlighted the life and work of interreligious organizations and initiatives that have been active in the country for many years, often little known.
One of these is the Focolare Movement, a network dedicated to spiritual unity that arrived in predominantly Muslim Algeria in 1966. Its activities in the country are animated by Muslim members—mostly women—who take part by working in small groups throughout Algeria. They offer assistance in local centers for the elderly, provide tutoring for students, or study together with them.
The experience of a “true” faith—one that “does not isolate but opens, unites without confusing, draws close without imposing uniformity, and fosters genuine fraternity”—was shared in French by Monia Zergane, a Muslim woman whose life has become “a sign of hope for our world.” In the services of the Catholic Church in Algeria, Christians and Muslims work “side by side,” she explained, sharing the same concerns: “to welcome, serve, listen, care for the most vulnerable, organize, secure financial resources, and ensure that activity centers are safe places that uphold human dignity.” It is a service to the most “vulnerable”—women, children, the elderly, the sick—lived “together” and capable of creating a “real fraternity,” she said, grounded in the conviction that “to serve humanity is first and foremost to serve God.” This commitment, she emphasized, is nourished by all the “beautiful” qualities brought into play: skills, dedication, patience, forgiveness, compassion, and kindness.
She also spoke of brothers and sisters who were an “immense help and comfort” to her during illness, recalling with gratitude how she “could rely on their closeness, their unwavering solidarity, their gentleness, and their prayers.” In particular, the presence of a Focolare community and the daily effort to put love of neighbor into practice, she acknowledged, “often challenges me and helps me understand that life is not primarily made up of great, visible works, but of a communion lived day by day.” Aware that fraternity is also built through “simple gestures—a smile, a greeting that comes from the heart, a kind word, a service offered without expecting anything in return—and through the small things of everyday life: exchanging good wishes for a feast, sharing a meal after a time of fasting, listening to the spiritual meaning of a celebration.”
