The conference, entitled “One Human Family, L’unica famiglia umana,” is organized by the Focolare Movement and opens in the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo on 28th May. It will bring together around three hundred people of different faiths in three interconnected sessions. Participants include Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Baha’is from around the world. Representatives will attend from Japan to Thailand, India to Indonesia, Singapore to Jordan, Algeria to Cameroon, the USA to Argentina and many European countries. Attendees will be both young and old, predominantly laypeople, but rabbis, priests, imams, and Buddhist monks and nuns will also be present.
For the first time, there will also be representatives of traditional African religions. This diverse religious gathering aims to address global challenges that people of faith can no longer tackle alone within their own religious spheres and traditions. A global collective pact is necessary among those who believe differently to demonstrate that peace is possible and that challenges such as the deteriorating planet are of everyone’s concern.
The conference will address key themes from the perspective of the relationship between dialogue and fraternity: the awareness of being called to weave peace relations, the impact of artificial intelligence on interpersonal and interfaith relationships, and the commitment of people of faith to an economy of peace. Additionally, the issue of religions and peace with creation will be discussed.
For the final phase, the conference will move from Castel Gandolfo to Assisi. There, in collaboration with other organizations specifically engaged in this area, participants will delve into the issue, immersing themselves in the spiritual and environmental reality inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, which influenced the encyclical “Laudato Si’.” Experts from various cultures and religions will discuss these aspects with participants, followed by real-life experiences and “best practices” showcasing sustainable and imitable examples of operational fraternity in these areas.
The conference will be preceded by two days of reflection, strongly desired by a group of faithful from different religions who have been living the spirituality of the Focolare Movement while remaining faithful to their respective traditions. This process began in the final years of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, who never considered the charisma received from God as her own but shared it, inviting those who felt drawn to make it their own and live it according to their conscience and faith. Some of these individuals played a key role in designing the event program, which reflects the sensitivity of various religious traditions and encourages a multi-faceted view of the future.
There is a strong expectation and awareness of the complexity and challenges that the current moment poses for religions and people of faith. The day s of coexistence and sharing will thus be a challenging test for participants, aiming to show that fraternity and dialogue can lead to a coexistence beneficial for both humanity and creation.
