The Seed Funding Program (SFP) seeks to support and encourage meaningful and promising initiatives in different parts of the world for the establishment of local and/or national ecological plans within Focolare communities. Its aim is to transform personal and community lifestyles so as to foster sustainable relationships between people and the planet through ecological and sustainable projects.
With its first launch in 2021–2022, the programme has already funded 15 projects in countries in four continents. Hundreds of young people submitted proposals for the 2025–2026 round. Of these, ten projects were selected: five will be developed in Africa, three in South America, one in the Middle East and one in Asia. For more information on the projects click here.
The Focolare and the environment
Inspired by the example of Pope Francis and encouraged to continue by Pope Leo and other religious leaders for the protection of our common home, the Focolare Movement has also decided, through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, to develop its own EcoPlan with the goal of amplifying, connecting and expanding environmental work within the Movement. In this context, and with the sponsorship of FaithInvest and Mundell & Associates, the micro-financing initiative of the Seed Funding Program was created, promoted by the New Humanity NGO and carried out in collaboration with United World Community and EcoOne, two networks linked to the Focolare, which are committed to promoting environmental awareness and action through dialogue, education, and personal engagement.
The founder of the Focolare Movement, Chiara Lubich, believed that by addressing local challenges we cultivate the moral responsibility to face global ones. In 1990, in a letter to Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, President of Rissho Kosei-kai (Tokyo), she wrote: “By now, it has been demonstrated by many serious scientific studies that there is no shortage of technical or economic resources to improve the environment. What is missing is that additional measure of soul, that new love for humanity, which makes us all feel responsible for one another in the common effort to manage the earth’s resources intelligently, justly and with moderation. Let us not forget that God the Creator entrusted the earth to all human beings—not to one nation alone, nor to one group of people.”
In October 2024, the Together WE connect project began in Bethlehem. It is a training initiative of the Focolare Movement for young people and teenagers with the aim of building a better future by strengthening a wounded social fabric. The three-year programme began with five schools in the Bethlehem and East Jerusalem district, reaching about 300 students aged 13-15 years old.
The programme included training sessions and activities using interactive methods designed to engage and stimulate young people in ways that speak to them, such as theatre, music, photography and sports workshops. In the first year, the programme focused on three themes: self-awareness, self-esteem and personal development. Then it tackled conflict management and openness to others through group work. The final theme was intergenerational dialogue. Each topic was linked to an action of the “Dice of Peace” so that each topic addressed led to concrete practice by creating new relationships.
The international music groups, Gen Rosso and Gen Verde made an important contribution through art, music, dance and theatre.
During the first week of May 2025, an event was held to celebrate these months of work. Before this event, Gen Verde and Gen Rosso held three days of workshops with a hundred of these young people. The participants commented afterwards, “It was an extraordinary experience and we are grateful to God, and to all those who have collaborated, for its fruits”.
How did the project begin?
From the Holy Land they told us: “For some time, we wanted to give our contribution in a way that would truly impact society, by promoting activities which had continuity. Some time ago the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, had said: “we must really work so that in schools, in institutions, in the media and in places of worship the name of God, of brother and companion of life resonate”. This encouraged us to focus on schools, on young people. We are all aware of the situation in which we find ourselves, in which humanity finds itself today. How many difficulties, how much suffering: we wanted to offer our contribution so that young people can have a different perspective from the one they see every day”.
This is how the Together WE connect project was born. Its goal is to awaken hope, nourish faith and promote a spirituality rooted in the Gospel among the younger generations and to form the women and men of the future, who can be promoters of reconciliation and dialogue, young leaders of a new culture of cooperation, fraternity, sharing and active citizenship – a culture of care and encounter.
Here are some impressions from the students: “I thank you with all my heart because what we did makes us feel important, and that our existence and our opinions matter”. “The first thing we learned were values: love, humility, forgiveness and helping each other. In class we felt like one family, we understood each other better and helped each other more. I also realized how I can be a light for others and I understood that “Focolare” is not just a word but a way of life”. “I really liked the “Together We connect” activity, there were new people, it was nice and I grew stronger in myself”. “I got to know myself and others better through this project.” “I learned methods for resolving conflict, listening and dialogue”. “I am personally very sensitive, and this project made me love life more”. “It was a useful and fun project, for example the dialogue between the generations, when I did it with my grandmother I learned things I didn’t know before”.
