Following the profound experience shared with young people during the 2026 Hackathon, the second phase of the โOne Humanity, One Planet: Synodal Leadershipโ programme is now getting underway. It offers a six-month virtual training course that combines in-depth study and dialogue based on participantsโ diverse backgrounds, the exchange of projects and experiences, and the development of initiatives with local impact and global reach.
It is aimed at people aged between 18 and 40 who have experience in political representation, public administration, social movements, political parties and advocacy; who are committed to social and political transformation or interested in strengthening their capacity for dialogue, cooperation and collective action; and who are willing to contribute both practically and intellectually throughout the programme.
Lasting six months, delivered 100% online, completely free of charge with an estimated commitment of three hours per week, the programme aims to reach 500 young people this year.
โWe are living in a historical moment marked by deep geopolitical tensions, socio-environmental crises, increasing social fragmentation, and high levels of polarization,โ say the organisers in their introduction. โThese challenges call upon us: they reveal the limits of traditional governance models and the urgent need for new forms of leadership capable of generating dialogue and activating processes of collective action to promote peace and unity. In this context, we have chosen a synodal style of leadership: a leadership based on listening, participation, shared responsibility, and the construction of shared solutions. If you believe that politics can be a space to regenerate relationships, promote the common good, and care for humanity and the planet, this call is for you. We invite you to become part of an international space for training and cocreation of political initiatives together with other young leaders from different regions of the world, in order to rethink governance in the face of todayโs challengesโ.
The deadline for applications is Friday 19 June 2026.
Are we content to live in a world dominated by โthe law of the jungleโ where we must crush or overpower others in order to succeed? Are we happy living in a world where we view other people with suspicion and, for fear of losing what we have, erect physical or invisible barriers around us? Do we resign ourselves to letting the days pass by without hope and without finding meaning in what we experience? Furthermore, do we even ask ourselves if this is really living life to the full?
In a complex and uncertain world, we have the opportunity to be bearers of a new way of understanding life. But to do so, we must first experience it. How can we do this?
Through no choice of our own, we have been born with certain abilities or talents that have been freely given to us. Some people find it easy to communicate, others havean artistic and creative capacity and we all possess a certain intelligence. In addition, life may have given us unique opportunities to develop these talents. The question is what do we do with all this? We have two options: we can either use these abilities solely for our own personal benefit, enjoying what they offer us, or we can put them at the service of others and share them.
Perhaps the second option will not guarantee immediate financial gain โ which today seems to be the worldโs main driving force โ but it will undoubtedly allow us to help build a different way of life and contribute to creating a world in which competition is not an end in itself but a means to improve and grow together.
This will not be an external reality but a process that begins in our daily relationships and in the choices that determine our behaviour. People who live in this way demonstrate that change is possible. Wherever they are, they bring a new paradigm into view and show that this change is near.
Letโs act humbly and share who we are and what we have. We could accompany and offer affection to those who need warmth and closeness, thus alleviating their suffering. Letโs practise those values that can be a driving force for change and contribute to a society founded on justice, respect, peace and the dignity of all people; a society in which forgiveness and reconciliation are promoted and the good of all is sought.
We are stronger and more credible if we act together, especially if we remain steadfast in our choices. Let our actions not seek recognition, nor be based on calculation or self-interest. Transformation is slow, sometimes imperceptible, but if we persevere, change will come about, grow and take root. The future is beginning to take shape.
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movementโs โCentre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefsโ. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
In this chapter of Matthewโs Gospel, the apostles have just been chosen by Jesus. He has called them by name and given them special powers to cast out unclean spirits and the ability to heal every disease and infirmity. He then gives them instructions on where and how to carry out their first mission. In fact, the message they are to proclaim is clear: โThe kingdom of heaven is at hand.โ[1].
The stipulation to proclaim this message as they go emphasises two things. First and foremost, true disciples should proclaim the closeness of the Kingdom but it is also true that their relationship, as they journey forward together, should also witness to this message. In fact, in John’s Gospel, after giving the new commandment, Jesus says: โBy this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.โ[2].
As you go, proclaim this message: โThe kingdom of heaven has come near.โ [โฆ]
[โฆ] Freely you have received, freely give.
The โkingdom of heavenโ is at the heart of Jesus’ proclamation. The similar expression, โkingdom of Godโ, is used in the Old Testament to indicate God’s lordship, governance and saving action in human history. He is the ruler of the world and especially of the people of Israel, who were waiting for a descendant of King David to restore Israel’s role among the nations. In the New Testament, Jesus himself is presented as this descendant and therefore king. Unlike a temporal kingdom, the โkingdom of heavenโ is a reign of peace and justice where forgiveness and reconciliation and care for the needy prevail, bringing light and life to all nations. It is a kingdom that already exists in the world and in the human heart but will only reach fulfilment at the return of Jesus.
As you go, proclaim this message: โThe kingdom of heaven has come near.โ [โฆ]
[โฆ] Freely you have received, freely give.
Jesus announces that the kingdom is close in time. It is imminent. Parables such as that of the mustard seed or the leaven in the dough indicate that the kingdom grows humbly and mysteriously but with great tenacity. โNearโ also has a spatial meaning. When the disciples, who carry the presence of Jesus’ spirit, approach on foot, the kingdom of God approaches, and when, in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus says to the scribe:
โYou are not far from the kingdom of God,โ [3] he probably meant not only โyou have begun to understandโ but also โyou are not far from me.โ
As you go, proclaim this message: โThe kingdom of heaven has come near.โ [โฆ]
[โฆ] Freely you have received, freely give.
The word โfreelyโ translates a term that in the original Greek means โas a gift.โ This highlights that what the apostles received was not given to them because they deserved it. Instead, the source is God’s generosity and the fact that they were chosen for a special mission.
Chiara Lubich writes: “The kingdom of God must therefore be welcomed. It is a gift that God gives you. In fact, no human effort, no ascetic endeavour, no study or intellectual research can bring you into the kingdom of God. It is God himself who comes to meet you, who reveals himself with his light or touches you with his grace. there is no merit that you can boast of, or rely on, to be entitled to such a gift from God. The kingdom is offered to you freely โ [4]. Today, we too are called to welcome this gift. We are invited to continue the task that Jesus entrusted to the apostles, that is, to proclaim with words and deeds that the kingdom of God is near. Even in this troubled and uncertain world, we are called to announce a message of hope to everyone we meet. God loves the world and each one of us immensely.
Prepared by Augusto Parody Reyes & the Word of Life Team
Five hundred people from 43 countries, representing every continent, have gathered in different parts of Latin America, for this important event dedicated to the Economy of Communion, 35 years after its birth.This “path of regeneration”, as it has been defined, began on 25th May 2026 and is a kind of “journey” of the Economy of Communion through various regions that will end on 29th-30th May in Buenos Aires. The first stage involves participants immersing themselves in different social projects around the Southern Cone. The key word of this experience is “encounter”: encounter between different worlds, lives, situations and different forms of wealth. A “meeting again” that generates relationships and communities.
Isaรญas Hernando, from Spain, a member of the International Commission of the Economy of Communion explained, “The Economy of Communion is lived by bringing together people from different sectors, entrepreneurs and academics, those who live in situations of poverty or vulnerability and indigenous populations. In some way it aims to offer a preview of what a different economy can really be like. This is precisely the spirit of the first phase of the event: it is not just a matter of visiting symbolic places, but of entering into situations where this experience is already visible. Not simply showing it but engaging in dialogue and a deep encounter between people from different cultures and those who live in situations of fragility. It is an experience that highlights the vocation of the Economy of Communion – to build fraternal communities “.
Why do we talk about “regeneration”? Anouk Grevin, from France, Coordinator of the International Commission of the Economy of Communion told us: “The idea of regeneration comes from the desire to care for the wounds of the economy and of our earth. Wounds regenerate from within – the skin rebuilds itself around the wound. Of course, there can be help from the outside, but everything begins there. This is the meaning we wanted to express in thinking about the regeneration process.”
It is a project in which the protagonists are those who live in the very places where wounds exist, who dwell within serious wounds. Anouk added, “It is a journey in which all of us have recognized ourselves as part of this fraternal and global community. We do not bring answers, we do not bring resources, we bring an experience of communion that is intended in itself to be generative”.
A characteristic of the Economy of Communion is that it requires the involvement of all the actors together: entrepreneurs, scholars, ordinary citizens, employees, micro-entrepreneurs and people who live in difficult situations. Anouk further stated, “It is not just an entrepreneurial project or a business model, but a community of people building a new economy together, precisely in places that are often not associated with the dominant economy, and that are already generating something new”.
The work is ongoing. There has been a vast range of experiences since the birth of the Economy of Communion and it is hoped that the days in Buenos Aires will open up new perspectives, as Hernando desires: “I believe that the intuition that Chiara Lubich had in 1991, when she launched the Economy of Communion in Brazil, had a strong prophetic character, in the sense that living this experience and making it real, means in some way anticipating the future. In this sense, I think that at this moment of history, the Economy of Communion is called to highlight that prophecy, somehow making it real and incarnate albeit on a small scale”.
by Carlos Mana Photo: Courtesy of EdC
WORK ON VARIOUS SOCIAL PROJECTS
Sunrise, EcuadorVolcadero, Paranรก, Entre Rรญos (AR)Mariรกpolis Lรญa, O’Higgins (AR)Scuola Chiara Lubich, JCPaz (AR)Rete Piccoli produttori, Entre Rรญos (AR)Casita Estrella, Paranรก (AR)Fondazione Lucia, Tucumรกn (AR)Scuola Aurora, Catamarca (AR)Custodi della Casa Comune, La Plata (AR)Asunciรณn, Paraguay
There are places that do more than simply welcome people. They bring them into relationship with one another, generating authentic connections, trust and community. This is where the “social beauty” is born: from the quality of the encounters we are able to build. “Generating Social Beauty” was the title of the events marking the 40th anniversary of the Chiara Lubich Mariapolis Centre in Trent. It was not a traditional celebration, but a live, open and participatory workshop.
This vision took shape in 4 challenges, in four events open to the city and the region.
A two-day workshop with the Gen Verde Performing Arts Group, an artistic workshop with about thirty young people from 14 to 20 years old, a concrete experience of community expressed through music and performance. It was an engaging, lively and colourful event where young people were able to experience alongside the artists how the performing arts can become a space for learning teamwork, creativity and listening.
Pictured: Gen Verde; the conference organised by New Humanity as part of the Festival of the Economy (photo: ยฉ Paolo Crepaz)
A conference, promoted by New Humanity, NGO of Focolare, was included in the program of the โFestival of the Economyโ entitled “Denied realities: between news and opinion, towards disarmed and disarming languages”. Five experts in the world of communication engaged in dialogue on the most complex issues of our time and the way they are narrated (the event is available in Italian on the website www.festivaleconomia2026.it/)
An Open Day in which the Mariapolis Centre opened up to the city, not only as a physical place, but as an experience of encounter. It was a day of welcome and dialogue with the civil and religious realities of the area. Elena Granata, Professor of Urban Planning at the Politecnico di Milano and vice president of the School of Civil Economy, began with an insightful reading of the reality of our cities entitled “Generating Beauty for Everyone”.
This was followed by a round table featuring valuable and thought provoking contributions from various civil and ecclesial realities working to build a city and a community that is more united and enriched by diversity. Speakers included: Franco Ianeselli, Mayor of Trent, Annalisa Pasini, delegate of Witness and Social Commitment of the Diocese of Trent, Sara Alouani, journalist with Il T Quotidiano and Claudio Bassetti President of CNCA – National Coordination of Welcoming communities of Trentino – South Tyrol. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, who wanted to begin her new mandate in Trent, the city of Chiara Lubich, also offered her contribution. She said, “From here, let’s look to the future. Because of its position, history and sensitivity, Trent is called to dialogue, it cannot renounce this vocation. Trent can still speak to the world today by living a fraternity that becomes culture, style and practice”.
Photo: ยฉ Domenico Salmaso
Displays and experiences in various places in the Mariapolis Centre were the backdrop for the day. In the afternoon and evening the stage was taken over by the dynamic artistic energy of the Gen Verde Performing Group.
Over 1,000 people participated in the events of the 40th anniversary. For everyone, it was an opportunity to place the value of relationships, of “closeness” back at the centre, a dialogue not aimed at itself, as Margaret Karram pointed out, but “at building universal fraternity, not an optional extra but a necessity: it means participating in the life of others.”
![โAs you go, proclaim this message: โThe kingdom of heaven has come near.โ [โฆ] Freely you have received, freely give.โ (Mt 10:7-8)](https://www.focolare.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/birgit_lutzer-group-4708306_1920-1080x675.jpg)
