{"id":307022,"date":"2019-08-04T20:04:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-04T18:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/a-mariapolis-for-europe-4-the-fraternity-factor-in-politics\/"},"modified":"2024-05-15T20:40:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T18:40:01","slug":"a-mariapolis-for-europe-4-the-fraternity-factor-in-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.focolare.org\/en\/a-mariapolis-for-europe-4-the-fraternity-factor-in-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"A Mariapolis for europe\/4 \u2013 The \u2018fraternity\u2019 factor in politics"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ongoing Mariapolis for Europe is encouraging sparks of the idea of universal fraternity \u2013 even in politics!<\/em> \u201cLove the other country as your own\u201d. This is the challenging invitation launched during the Mariapolis for Europe currently underway in the Dolomites, by members of the Movement of Politics and Policy for Unity (MPPU), founded by Chiara Lubich. A radical proposal to allow the \u2018Fraternity Factor\u2019 into international relations between states and peoples. We discuss this idea with the Italian parliamentarian, the Honourable Letizia De Torre<\/strong>, who is the current president of the MPPU\u2019s international centre. The MPPU as a school of thought aims to promote a \u201cculture of fraternity\u201d in the political field. What implications could this bring to relations between states, international institutions, political parties and even individual representatives?<\/strong> This question implies a serious appeal for a complete 360 degree change in politics! Actually, we can see that citizens everywhere are disillusioned and angry. They\u2019re indignant. They feel betrayed. And they\u2019re right! Politics, apart from a few rare exceptions, has been too slow to recognize the epoch-making changes taking place in the world. This has led to a profound crisis in international relations and organizations, in our political parties and democratic systems. Citizen movements are rising up everywhere, but who can they talk to? Who can answer their appeals? Protest alone cannot bring about change. To begin to grasp the impact the ideal of unity could have on international relations, let\u2019s just imagine what would happen if states (beginning with the major geo-political powers) would act towards the other states \u201cas they would like other states to treat them\u201d! Apply this to any of the current areas of crisis. Then, just immagine if this attitude, applied to political behaviour, was reciprocated between states! And I don\u2019t think this is such a utopia at all. It could actually be a pragmatic and advantageous approach. In the field of scientific research, including space exploration, enormous progress has been made to everyone\u2019s benefit since governments decided to work together rather than in competition. So if our states could discover the value of cooperation, if our peoples could discover the possibility of loving one another, what amazing outcomes of peace, distribution of goods and know-how could emerge, what benefits for our shared home the earth! I do think that the world is moving in this direction \u2013 albeit very slowly. And the idea of unity could really be a potent accelerator. In the 1950s countries in Europe began to form common institutions: in 1951 the European Coal and Steel Community, in 1957 the European Economic Community. This impulse seems to have gone into reverse. Can it be revived?<\/strong> I don\u2019t believe that the concept of unity in Europe has been lost. What I do think is that the European Union, like the rest of the world, has been shocked by the great transformations of this century. And because of the cultural crisis in the West, it has failed to summon up the energy required to generate a new political vision, a new understanding of its role on the international stage. The motto of the EU is \u201cunity and diversity\u201d and yet it has not been able to recognize within this the secret for facing the huge complexities of today\u2019s world. However, we need to keep in mind that the European Union is not constituted of institutions in Brussels, but rather by its citizens, which means, us. So the steps ahead to take in the future depend to a large extent, on all of us. Internationally, alongside situations of tension, there are also examples of collaboration and reconciliation within and among countries. We see examples of this in Africa, in US-North Korea relations, as well as inside the \u2018Old Continent\u2019 of Europe. What do you make of this period of history we are in?<\/strong> The world has no choice but to hope for peace, concord and collaboration. Progress will always be slow, with many contradictions and reversals along the way, and with many weights dragging on our feet, starting with corruption. But it\u2019s the direction we want to encourage with the paradigm we mentioned before: \u201cTreat other peoples as you would like them to treat you!\u201d For this to happen, it\u2019s not enough to elect leaders who are willing and able to dedicate themselves to the good of their people and to establishing good relationships of unity among peoples. This would already be really great! But we also need the citizens to agree to it. Citizens must create the pressure towards global fraternity, they \u2013 we \u2013 must be able to see beyond a limited viewpiont towards the common good of the whole world. <\/p>\n

Claudia Di Lorenzi<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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