Jan 4, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
There is a festive atmosphere in Reșița, Romania, a Municipality located on the border with Serbia, population around 90,000. The first young people began to arrive yesterday evening from Italy, Catholic youth who were welcomed at an official ceremony in the most ancient Orthodox church in the city, and they were offered hospitality in the homes of their Romanian peers. Today the Orthodox youth arrive: some by bus, some by car and some on foot. The Municipal Administration held a moment of greeting before the party moved on to Băile Herculane, a tourist town in the southwest of the country where an ecumenical camp will be held. The vice-mayor was pleased and expressed congratulations for the experience of twinning between the Romanian Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Roman Catholic parish of Santa Maria de Borgo in Pesaro, Italy, which has been established for eight years. This was followed by presentations with Italian and Romanian young people. The dominant feeling was certainly the joy of discovering one another as brothers and sisters united in the same Christian faith. This common bond was even more invigorated by their shared goal of building a more united world, and of deepening their own unity through a genuine and sincere exchange during their days at the camp. They are not only Catholics. Gabor, for example, is a Calvinist and others are Evangelicals. But here there are only Christians, accompanied by the wise and caring guides from their parishes. The choice of Resita was not a random one. It is located in the region of Banat that has had a decades-long calling to tolerance and openness. Eighteen different ethnicities live there and belong to several different Christian Churches. Anna attended becuase she believes in the unity amongst Christians and wants to make her own contribution so that it happens as soon as possible. Joseph studies medicine, but at the end of Medical school he wants to pursue the priesthood. Emil wants to be a film director. Matteo does not know what he will study or do in life. He only knows that he wants to be part of this project of building unity at every level. They do not know what the future will be, but they believe in their common ideal. Days of sharing and deep friendship await them based on the same love that each of them has for Jesus and for “his dream” that all be one. In China the project is focused on peace and fraternity. There, the trailblazers are also young people, but they intend to involve people of all ages. Their proposal: Give up a meal, a snack or something else on the 11th day of each month from November until April. Give the money that was saved to the poor. The money can be sent via “red pocket” on the social network. To help remember they have supplied bus identity cards with card-holders stamped with the Youth for a United World logo and six thumbs-up to be coloured every time you participate in the the project. To their great surprise, a large number of “red pockets” arrived in just a few short hours accompanied by messages of gratitude and encouragement. It was like a grapevine that spread peace, generosity and commitment. Up until now 844 euros have been collected, a small amount, but rich in meaning with the messages that accompanied the donations. In China, Novemeber 11th was a day dedicated to the unmarried and to shopping. Some gave up a snack, others a more substantial meal. One girl wrote: “I didn’t find anything to buy, because everything was very expensive. Then, I was glad to hear about your project and I’m pleased to offer this small contribution for someone in need.” Gustavo Clariá
Dec 16, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
Education is one of the most important challenges the Nigerian schooling system has to face, and where at times Nigerian society has to deal with aggressive behavior and religious traditions that imbue fear and a sense of helplessness in the face of evil. “One day,” Christiane recounts, ” a mother stopped bringing her daughter to school because we had asked the parents to cut the hair of the children who were about to start the first year of nursery school. She said that someone who was believed to be in contact with spirits had told her that her daughter would die if she cut her hair. And this explained why the child no longer went to school.” Christiane who is of German origin, had worked for many years in the youth section of the Focolare. Through support from a distance project of the New Families association, today she still works with children in Igbariam, a village 40 km away from Onithsa city, south-east of Nigeria, and where the “Fraternity School” is established. The project started in 1995 as a result of the efforts of a group of the Focolare, which started in the 1980s a human promotion process to offer concrete development opportunities through deep relationships with the local people and respect for local traditions. “Through concrete acts of love for some children, an after-school club was formed, which later, slowly turned into a nursery and then an elementary school. Starting from the nursery school, the endeavour is to give the children a global education, preparing them to face the many challenges of this great nation.” Instituted in 2006, today the school counts 223 students, with 75 in the nursery and 148 in the primary school. With time, also the parents became involved in an educational and social project which avails of an educational method based on human values, a teaching style that believes in and respects the dignity of the child as a person. Attention is paid particularly to the smaller ones, just as the Gospel says, offering new tools for global human growth. For example, the “dice of love” is used, with which students and teachers live their daily commitment to peace and solidarity. It is also a novelty since in many Nigerian schools, physical punishment is considered a necessary practice in the educational process. The idea in force is “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” and it is not easy to change this mentality. However, in an interview with the newly instituted “New City Nigeria,” Mrs. Akwobi of the Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe, affirmed that “current psychological studies have demonstrated that the negative effects of these corrective measures surpass the positive ones and that the children often become tense and aggressive with physical punishments. They are unable to empathise with the teachers and transfer this rejection to the subjects they teach.” Mrs Akwobi went on to say: “Instead, it is important that they are able to develop awareness in choosing the good and not only to avoid punishment. The teacher should behave as one who always has something to learn, because teaching is a two-way process. Listening to others, patience, and comprehension have a positive effect on the children and their learning abilities. Furthermore, adopting nonviolent measures in school relationships helps to also reduce the rate of violence in society. These educational principles are being implemented in the Fraternity School in Nigeria.” Christiane concluded by saying: “Here, many people leave to look for a better life in Europe. Our job aims at helping people to build a liveable experience in their own countries. Thank you for whatever help you can give! You cannot imagine how much it is helping us to proceed with social works, spread a new culture, and contribute to the development of this country based on Christian love.” Solidarity at a distance: http://www.afnonlus.org/
Dec 14, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
It is impressive to discover that not only is there no exploitation and unfair competition, but also no play on interest rates. These entrepreneurs, like those who have signed up for an Economy of Communion (EoC) – about a thousand throughout the world – pursue the objective of profits that ensure vitality and continuity to their businesses, and wish to live the ”culture of giving” according to the finalities of the project itself: to help the formation and education of the young generations towards this new mentality. Thus they freely and concretely place a part of their turnover at the service of the project. Socoro and Gomes, Brazilians live in Taguantinga City, in the Federal District. They already had six children when he lost his job because he was an alcoholic. To maintain the family, she worked as a household helper, but earned very little. Left by themselves, the children became so disoriented to the point that the eldest, an adolescent, got involved in drugs. The Focolare came to their aid and offered the boy a job in the Fazenda da Esperança, a rehab community inspired by the spirituality of the Focolare. The family also had to shoulder serious housing problems, since their house was not only a makeshift one but also too small for such a big family. They also risked losing the house since they had stopped paying the person who had given them a loan. They presented this problem to the EoC Commission of their region. After a careful analysis, they were offered a loan to cover the late payments, to be paid back according to their capacity to do so. Meanwhile, Gomes started a small business with gas bottles, but because of his alcoholism was unable to keep up with it. Those were really difficult times for them. In addition to their serious economic difficulties, there were squabbles and lack of dialogue. Amid all this, Gomes suffered a heart attack. Unexpectedly, Socoro was offered a permanent job, as a household helper to a Cardinal, who employed her with a regular contract and a just salary. One day when he went to visit the family, he had an important chat with Gomes, who decided to give up his addiction and change his lifestyle. Later on the EoC Commission also visited them to verify their housing situation, and on that occasion offered to insert them in the Habitaçao project within the EoC framework, which provides for the restructuring or renovation of houses for extremely poor families. «When I was told about this– confided Socoro – I was really moved. I had the sensation that God himself was giving us this possibility.» The renovation work was mostly done by members of the Focolare community, some of them worked from 5.30 am to 7 pm. Now the house has a living room, bathroom, master’s bedroom and one for the boys and another for the girls. Living in a house with these requisites helps its inhabitants to regain their personal dignity. Gomes is completely rehabilitated, and has become another person altogether. The couple’s older daughters are now in university, thanks to a scholarship. «Seeing our daughters so committed to their studies– says Gomes – made me also feel the urge to enroll in a course for adults to obtain a diploma.» Even though he had not studied for 38 years, it was a challenge he wanted to meet. In the class, he learned to overcome his shame for being the oldest among the students. His kindness helped him to achieve his goal. When the results of the exams for the Bank of Brasilia and the Ministry of Tourism were given, he managed to classify among the top 200 and was employed in the bank as a clerk.
Dec 2, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
(C) CSC Audiovisivi
Nov 21, 2015 | Senza categoria
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies.’ “But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:43-48). This precept contains an untiring pardon that continually restores the circle of life that flows between two points: God, Me, Brother. It brings a work of peace with a view to unity wherever it has been interrupted. Peace is made with enemies, not friends. This would appear obvious, but usually it is misunderstood in a fear that makes you fear war and fear peace. While love unites, fear heaps together. One is centrifugal and generates the community by removing the roadblocks and limits; the other is centripetal and predetermines the occlusion of the communicating vessels. One illumines, the other darkens. One is a regime of freedom, the other a terrifying tyranny. Where there is love you deal in reason; where there is fear you do not understand reasons, you act instinctively: see ghosts and shoot. Social organisations that prescind the law of charity no longer see brothers and sisters, but mammals to be exploited and killed, even worse than some ancient societies were towards slaves. Where charity is lacking, people must be held by the police and enclosed in concentration camps. . . Jesus comes to put man on his feet, in freedom; and his followers should continue to apply the strength of his ideas, continually finding solutions for man in God. If not existence will unfold as a deadly search through a strenuous construction of hateful motives: a progressive hypothermia that gives the illusion of a vital process. Love drives out fear. Those who love are unafraid: their Self – the possible subject of fear – no longer exists. The Other exists, the Other with whom our Self has identified The Other dressed as a brother, is Jesus. In this way, especially now, the greatest barrier of all is removed: fear. Under the influence of fear the Self fears that it is alone: alone in the darkness, boxed in, in a box that soon resembles the walls of a tomb. If you step out of that solitude, you are free. You encounter the brother and with him place yourself in God. (Igino Giordani, Il fratello, (Rome: Città Nuova, 2011 [1954]), p. 85 – 87.
Nov 19, 2015 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
“The tragic news of the horrendous terrorist attacks in the French capital has filled us with profound sorrow. Our thoughts, solidarity and prayers go to the victims, the wounded and their families, to their loved ones and to the French people.” With these words of condolence, Mustafa Cenap Aydin, director of the Tevere Centre for Dialogue in Rome expressed his dismay over recent terrorist attacks in France. He went on: “I unite myself to the message of the learned Muslim scholar, writer and educational activist M. Fethullah Gülen: ‘Every terrorist act from whomever it comes, is a heavy blow to the peace and tranquility of all humanity. These vile acts of terrorism are attacks not only against the French people, but also against the universal values of human brotherhood’.” “We will never grow tired of condemning all those who feed violence, hatred and fear by reproachfully abusing a religion, an ideology, for cruel and inhuman goals.” Gülen, who inspires millions with his message of love and compassion, invites everyone to join him in prayer that God would lead “all of humanity to a world of peace and tranquility” and “to act in solidarity against every form of terrorism; to become involved in the realisation of universal peace”. “We shall respond to these ‘inhuman‘ acts,” Mustafa Cenap Aydin concluded, “by reinforcing even more the spirit of unity and brotherhood. These attacks cannot but convince us even more of the importance of dialogue, conciliation and brotherhood; and to increase our commitment to spreading it. We are obviously convinced that peace will prevail. Let us call upon and appeal to one and all, to unite with us in this effort.” Source: Città Nuova in Italian
There is a festive atmosphere in Reșița, Romania, a Municipality located on the border with Serbia, population around 90,000. The first young people began to arrive yesterday evening from Italy, Catholic youth who were welcomed at an official ceremony in the most ancient Orthodox church in the city, and they were offered hospitality in the homes of their Romanian peers. Today the Orthodox youth arrive: some by bus, some by car and some on foot. The Municipal Administration held a moment of greeting before the party moved on to Băile Herculane, a tourist town in the southwest of the country where an ecumenical camp will be held. The vice-mayor was pleased and expressed congratulations for the experience of twinning between the Romanian Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Roman Catholic parish of Santa Maria de Borgo in Pesaro, Italy, which has been established for eight years. This was followed by presentations with Italian and Romanian young people. The dominant feeling was certainly the joy of discovering one another as brothers and sisters united in the same Christian faith. This common bond was even more invigorated by their shared goal of building a more united world, and of deepening their own unity through a genuine and sincere exchange during their days at the camp. They are not only Catholics. Gabor, for example, is a Calvinist and others are Evangelicals. But here there are only Christians, accompanied by the wise and caring guides from their parishes. The choice of Resita was not a random one. It is located in the region of Banat that has had a decades-long calling to tolerance and openness. Eighteen different ethnicities live there and belong to several different Christian Churches. Anna attended becuase she believes in the unity amongst Christians and wants to make her own contribution so that it happens as soon as possible. Joseph studies medicine, but at the end of Medical school he wants to pursue the priesthood. Emil wants to be a film director. Matteo does not know what he will study or do in life. He only knows that he wants to be part of this project of building unity at every level. They do not know what the future will be, but they believe in their common ideal. Days of sharing and deep friendship await them based on the same love that each of them has for Jesus and for “his dream” that all be one. 