Simon the Shark
Simon Barlaam
The roads to a united world
The unity of the world. My dear young people, is our attention so distracted by the events we are immersed in day after day, that we do not see how our age is characterized by tension, by wars, by guerrilla warfare, even by the threat of nuclear destruction, by disunity of all kinds, by acts of terrorism, kidnappings, by all kinds of evil, all generated by the lack of love and mutual understanding among people? Do we not see that to speak of unity today is almost like speaking of a utopia? … But, thank God, these are not the only characteristics of our times. There is something more we have to consider. […] The world is undoubtedly moving towards unity. Unity is its destiny or, better still, it is God’s plan for the world. […] We will answer your questions not only with words but, after this Genfest, with life. We will walk with determination along the various roads that offer solutions to the divided world by uniting it. The various roads, to give a few examples, are the roads to unity among generations, among ethnic groups and nations, between east and west, between north and south; the road to unity among Christians of various denominations, among the faithful of different religions; the road to unity between rich and poor through a communion of goods; between nations at war in order to reach peace; the road to unity also between humankind and nature; the road to unity with those who are indifferent, with the lonely, with those who suffer in any way at all; the road to development, to progress; the road to unity among various spiritual movements, among lay associations; among persons of different ideologies and cultures and so on. As you can see, some of these are roads that young people have already taken because they feel naturally inclined to do so. They want to walk along these various ways, by first situating themselves squarely in the Way par excellence. […] the way that is Christ. He said of himself, “I am the Way”.[1] What must we do to be grafted onto this Way which will enable us to bear fruit as we go along the other ways? We must be Jesus, another Jesus. […] By living the word, all the Christian life sowed in us at baptism will fully blossom. Young people of all Churches and Christian communities will be able to join us in living this word. The word in many of its expressions (this has been our experience) is accepted also by young people of other religions and by those in good faith who consider themselves atheists. The word will shape all of you into one block, making you strong and unbreakable. […] If you are faithful, if you spread throughout the world as many other Jesus, so to say, then the program, “That all may be one”, will not be a dream; it will be a reality. And your contribution will bring us closer and closer to this reality. A springtime will blossom in the world. We will see miracles. Christ’s words will be fulfilled in you, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I do and greater works than these”.[2] Extracts from Chiara Lubich’s talk at the Genfest in Rome 30th March 1985 [1]. John 14:6. [2]. John 14:12.
Beyond One’s Limits
“My family is Christian and refuses to kill or carry weapons,” says George, a young Syrian from Homs. We’re in Loppiano, the Focolare international town near Florence, Italy where hundreds of young people from all over country have gathered for a meeting that include testimonies, sharing and much festivity. This year the event was held in anticipation of the much larger international Genfest, which will be heldnext month in Manila, Philippines (http://y4uw.org/it/events/genfest-2018/). The May 1st gathering was the Italian edition where 3700 young people took part in a one-day celebration of fraternity with reporting on projects, social action, personal experiences in which people came face to face with the personal dramas and pain of humanity. As in the case of George and Michael who left everyone breathless with their description of what they have been experiencing for years years in Syria. “We’ve seen many people die,” says George. “For a period of time I even had to carry a knife to protect myself, to defend myself in case of danger. Years of hatred, death and loss of dignity had emptied my heart and I began to think that love didn’t exist. Only the Mariapolis was able to remove this thought from my mind (several days spent living in the light of the Gospel, an annual gathering of the Focolare). After that Mariapolis I never carried a knife again and decided to start responding to hatred with love.” The final appeal to the young people was strongly embraced: “Don’t complain about your life. It’s beautiful, you just don’t realize it.” 
The conducting thread of the event, which was entitled “Beyond Me”, was the desire to go beyond one’s limits and boundaries in order to bring about a personal and, especially, a social change. Roberto Spuri and Elena Sofia Ferri bore witness to this as they told about the experience of the earthquake in Central Italy; Alessio Lanaloni and Maria Chiara Cefaloni, with their efforts for a disarmed economy; Alessandra Leanza, with the experience of volunteering with Rom children in Sardinia. And Marco Voleri, the internationally renowned tenor and founder of “Sintomi di Felicita” which promotes public awareness of multiple sclerosis; Simone Barlaam, para-olympic swimming champion at the Mexican world games. Michele Tranzuilli, author of the book Una buona idea and promoter of the bridge with Africa YouAid; Sara Fabris, painter. 
Projects. All the stories that were told at Genfest-Italy were connected to concrete experiences: an association, a social project, which anyone could “adopt” in the coming year. This was the call to action that was launched at the end of the event with an invitation to each young person to choose a project and replicate it everywhere else. To facilitate their work, the associations that are actively engaged in the cities of Italy posted links on the United world project website, according to region. Genfest Italy concluded with a city that “flying” city, a city that was depicted in the final choreography that was based on a meditation by Chiara Lubich: “One City Is Not Enough:” “For God, one city is too little. He made the stars, guided the destiny of Time. With God you can see farther, to everyone’s country, to the whole globe. At the end of life let us not have to regret that we loved too little.” Loppiano is getting ready to welcome Pope Francis on May 10th, and it wasn’t by chance that a group of young people from Nomadelfia was at Genfest Italy bringing the greetings of their community, which will also be visited by Pope Francis on the same day. As we prepare to welcome him our friendship is growing and intensifying. Source: www.cittanuova.it Flickr photo gallery
May 1st: Festival in Loppiano
Umberto Giannettoni
The first youth festival in Loppiano was on 1 May 1971. “After a meeting with the Prior of Taizé in Rocca di Papa (Rome), Chiara Lubich had described the town as a “town of the youth.” On a stopover in Loppiano on his way to Padua, Giorgio Marchetti, a close collaborator of Chiara, recounted what Chiara had said. This news for Umberto was like a flash of light in his soul, and he felt he had to answer Chiara immediately. During the weekend he organised an outing with the heads of the school of the focolare, to the Muraglione Pass in the Apennines. In a bar at the Pass he reflected on the possibility of holding a big meeting of young people in Loppiano, on the first of May […]. The young people of various zones and countries would be invited to participate with an artistic piece. When they left the bar, they were surprised by a particular scenery. The road was a sheet of ice. The rain had caused it after the lowering of the temperature. The vans couldn’t hold the road, and they had the impression that someone wanted to stop them from developing the decision made […].” “There was a very talented group of young people in Loppiano. Among them was Heleno Oliveira, a young Brazilian singer-songwriter, who would have been a big help for the artistic part. Everyone worked hard. On 1 May 1971 in the natural amphitheatre in Campo Giallo, we saw the arrival of thousands and thousands of young people under a splendid sun. The event, to which many in Italy and Europe had contributed, resulted to be very effective for the youth who left in the evening, happy and filled with the divine they had experienced. From Trent came Paolo Bampi, a boy affected by leukaemia, who sang a captivating song: “…but what are you seeking, what do you want…” Then came Gen Rosso with the song, “God who is Love.” Then theatre pieces and dances followed. Each single number was given a “first prize,” which the jury awarded according to various reasons: beauty, unity, content, and commitment. It was a crescendo of sincere and explosive joy which contaminated everyone. As evening came, under the rays of a sun which turned everything gold and in a solemn calm after the intense day […] we strongly felt the presence of Mary.” After a second festive meeting of the youth in 1972 with an even greater attendance, “Chiara Lubich understood that it would be an important tool for the whole youth movement. She decided to involve the World Gen Centres which would participate in the organisation of the “Genfest” of 1973, still in Loppiano. In that year, Fr. Pasquale Foresi (cofounder of the Focolare Movement) was present and gave an important speech on the call to follow Jesus. In the open-air amphitheater, there were almost 10,000 young people. That was the birth of the Genfest! Source: www.loppiano.it Live streaming: https://www.primomaggioloppiano.it/live/
Month of May focuses on youth
Zooming in on the young. Once again this year United World Week will be launched from the Focolare’s little town of Loppiano, Italy. Events will include a global network of projects marked by the spirit of brotherhood among peoples from a variety of cultures. This event has been held for over twenty years by the young members of the Focolare Movement who wish to bear witness not only to their peers, but also to public institutions that the dream of a united world has not been crushed by war or underneath the weight of social injustice – especially if the new generations who have been formed in a culture of peace are the ones taking the reins of society in their own hands. On May 1st, the Italian Focolare town will host one of the many “national” events in advance of the Genfest that will be held this year in Manila, Philippines (“Beyond all Borders, July 2018), and assemble 3 thousand young people from all over the world. It will be a festival to talk about the most difficult border to overcome when reaching out to others: oneself. “Beyond Me” will tell the stories of people who have wanted to bring about a change, beginning with themselves, stepping out of their comfort zones, to open themselves to such values as solidarity and to the needs of the people around them. For many of the young people, this experience of openness deepens its roots into a personal encounter with God, which has transformed their lives and allowed them to overcome their fears. For others, it has been overcoming an illness or disability or taking notice of someone else’s need. In name of a great friendship with the community of Nomadelfia and in view of the Pope’s visit to the two towns on May 10th, there will also be a large group of young people from Nomadelfia. United World Week, which will begin right after, will be a single event located in different places around the world. It is an international expo that is an integral part of the United World Project, which for more than twenty years – the first edition in 1995 – returns every year at this time to promote peaceful relations and exchange among peoples and cultures, especially among the poor, marginalized and lonely, but not with out the help of famous people from the worlds of culture, sport, civil society and religion. Over time, United World Week gained ground on the local, national and supranational levels of public opinion through the social and mass media, and its projects in favor of brotherhood. The 2018 edition will focus on the topic “Generation Zero Hunger” one of 17 sustainable development objectives contained in the Agenda approved by the member States of the United Nations, to be reached by 2030. The teenagers and young people of the Focolare Movement have long been engaged in offering an important contribution to the project being brought forward by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with regard to things such as malnutrition, wasting food, respect for Nature and personal and collective projects geared towards the responsible use of the earth and its resources. Hence, the Week will be an opportunity to show the results of this collaboration and to engage other teenagers, citizens and institutions in reaching the goal. At the conclusion, on May 6th, the Run for Unity relay race will be held with hundred and thousands of teenagers of all nationalities, religions, cultures and ethnic groups. It will cover the earth, offering a testimony of “fraternity” from East to West. At every stop along the run – on foot or on bike – the most counter-current relay that exists will be enriched with sporting events, games, acts of solidarity and whatever else can help to bear witness that the dream of a united world lives on, in spite of the tensions or signs to the contrary. Perhaps these kids will be among the main actors. Chiara Favotti