Dec 16, 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
Luca Pani (Cagliari)
With some members of Youth for a United World, we have begun a special experience in the Buoncammino prison in Cagliari, Italy. We were offered the opportunity of presenting an hour of catechesis to the inmates at the jails. We divided up, some in the left wing, some in the women’s jail and some in the high security section. This was an opportunity for us to dedicate some time to these persons, “other Jesuses”, who never come your way because of their condition, and whom you never have an opportunity of ever meeting under normal circumstances.
Stepping into a jail is stepping into a society that is completely different from the one we live in, a small world in miniature, with its own rhythm, customs and problems. An inmate begins to lose contact with the outside world. Oftentimes relations with family and friends become clouded and some inmates sink into solitude and depression. But within this world you find yourself surrounded by people whose lives are connected . . . new friendships are formed, new relationships. And even though there is a long term sentence, they no longer find life outside but within the bars of the jail.
When you listen carefully to an inmate, stories, problems and lives are presented to you that are not like your own. And you begin to see how important freedom is and how difficult it is to really live it within this world.
Inside I found nice, normal, perhaps clever people . . . but thinking about it, you also find such people outside of jails. They ask you, “Why did you come into this jail? Who made you do it? Why aren’t you outside running around with your friends? You certainly have nicer things to do than this?” The answer was simple. I told them that if I were an inmate, I would like it if someone came to visit me just to break the monotony.
Then I discover that gratuitous love is not a given. On the contrary, it is practically inexistent for some of them. A gesture of courtesy or love should at least be followed with some respect if not gratitude.
When I returned from the Genfest that was held in Budapest, Hungary, I was carrying a thought in my mind, something I had heard during the fest: “If you don’t change your world, who will do it for you?” Finding myself among these inmates, after that extraordinary experience of universal brotherhood, I was a bit surprised. Everyone fell silent as my friends and I told the inmates about the various events: the bus ride, the food, the experiences. They listened and intervened with interest. We were so tempted by the desire to share with them the experience of the United World Project, and we asked them: “According to you is a united world where disinterested love reaches beyond cultures and religions, possible? Then a very lively debate was begun.
We don’t know what will come of this. We don’t know whether one of those young men among the inmates has decided to cooperate with justice after meeting us, or how it will turn out. This experience has borne some fruit in my own soul, and it has revived my convictions as a youth for a united world. This is one fragment of the united world that is becoming something real.
Dec 13, 2012 | Non categorizzato
‘On 7 December 1943 Chiara Lubich had no intention of starting a Movement. All she wished to do was “marry God” and she consecrated herself to him; he was everything for her. Only later on was this act seen as the symbolic beginning of the Focolare Movement. Nonetheless, as Chiara wrote at a later date, on that day her “inner joy was inexplicable, secret, but contagious.”’
In Brasilia 7 December 2012 the Federal Senate met in a plenary session for a solemn ceremony to commemorate the Movement’s beginning and its founder, Chiara Lubich. Important politicians from Brazil were present.
The event, held in the Senate Hall, was presided over by Senator Wellington Dias. Among those present were Luiza Erundina, a member of Congress, Senator Pedro Simon, Deputy for the State of Amazonas, José Ricardo Wendling, of the federal judiciary, Reinaldo Fonseca, and Nilson Mourao, the Secretary for Justice and Human Rights. Mgr Marcony, parish Priest of Brasilia Cathedral gave a greeting.
Deputy Luiza Erundina (Brazilian Socialist Party, Deputy for São Paulo)
Guliana Fonseca, on behalf of the Focolare Movement, read a message from the Movement’s President, Maria Voce, who thanked ‘those who have organized, supported and run the event.’ She mentioned, among the Movement’s various activities in Brazil, the three little towns and their witness to the spirituality of unity and, with special emphasis, the Economy of Communion project ‘which in 1991 began in the social context of Brazil and which is currently taking off in many other parts of the world.’
The message concludes by saying, ‘I take this opportunity to renew our commitment to work with many “men and women of good will” so that society may be guided by robust ethical principles, such as justice, equality, liberty, solidarity, the common good, peace.… For the construction of a civilization that seeks to bring humanity into one large family, with full respect for our diverse cultures and religious traditions.’
Among those who spoke were Sergio Previdi, President of the Brazilian Movement for Unity in Politics, and André Rodrigues Pereira who, on behalf of the Focolare’s young people, presented the United World Project launched at Genfest 2012.
Source/photo gallery: www.focolares.org.br
Dec 12, 2012 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
Willie, speaking to 12,000 young people at Genfest 2012 in Budapest, said: ‘Violence has taken hold of Mexico because of drug trafficking. Fear, hatred and lack of trust have spread over many of our cities. Families have been threatened and had to hide or flee to other cities. There is gang warfare among groups wanting to control areas of the city. Many innocent young people die in bars and clubs and in other public places. ‘One of the young people killed was my cousin Mauricio. He was on his way back from the opening of a new bar when he and other young people were killed by a group of “druggies” who shot into the crowd. ‘It was a terrible shock for me and I was dismayed and angry. Two days later, in a family reunion, a relative came in telling us he was pleased justice had been done. The bodies of 10 young people had been found – thought to be those guilty of the shootings. I felt even worse about this because, however bad the provocation had been, it was obvious that revenge and hatred could not put things right. ‘I could choose between starting to hate or breaking the cycle of violence by forgiving. I chose to forgive. Even though I would never see my cousin again, I could go on building relationships of fraternity with everyone around me. ‘I was part of a group of Youth for a United World, who supported me in this tough moment, and with even greater focus and commitment we carried on doing what we were doing to spread a culture of non-violence. We are sure that together we can stop the hatred and bring our country back to the atmosphere of peace, harmony and hospitality that has always been characteristic of the Mexican people. ‘Our first appointment was “the celebration of friendship”, a party aimed at kindling new and positive relationships. With the funds we raised, we helped a young guy who had been paralysed after an accident. Another thing we did was to go to the football stadium and distribute stickers and posters with the message: “Peace comes from Love.” ‘But apart from all these initiatives, we believe most of all that the little acts of peace in our daily life create, in silence, an atmosphere of fraternity even Torreón.’ Genfest 2012
Nov 17, 2012 | Non categorizzato
Is good news enough? This was the central theme of NetOne’s online meeting on Friday 9 November 2012. It linked via the internet 301 places in various nations, through the site www.net-one.org.
NetOne brings together the widest range of professionals across the media world: journalists, directors, students, lecturers, photographers, advertising consultants… Its international character and its approach to the issues and problems to do with the media, its practical emphasis, its members’ personal commitment alongside their ‘thinking’ and ‘speaking’, are the concrete expression of Chiara Lubich’s idea of universal brotherhood, the basis of NetOne’s mission: media for a united world.
The transmission was based on the challenge: ‘is good news enough’ to respond to society’s urgent questions? How can we understand or regain the notion of communicators’ work as service to others? Why does journalism (with journalists) not have a ‘purely commercial purpose’? These were the questions asked by Valter Hugo Muniz, a Brazilian journalist who highlighted how journalism ought to be aware that, before all else, the news should be at the service of human beings and of the human community.
Others also spoke during internet meeting: from Belgium there was Paolo Aversano, a researcher into Business Modelling and Smart Cities at the Free University of Brussels, and from Bari in Italy there were Emanuela Megli Armeni, a consultant in communication, and Domenica Calabrese, president of the local Igino Giordani Association. The topics dealt with included the various forms of knowledge, the new frontiers opened by the internet, the opportunities for mutual enrichment between cultures and dialogue.
Among the guests was José Andrés Sardina, a Spanish architect, who has lived and worked for several years in Cuba. He demonstrated the partial nature of what was said about the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and showed pictures of the disaster taken by the Red Cross in the City of Santiago de Cuba: 9 deaths, 5,000 houses destroyed, 27,000 homeless and more than 100,000 houses damaged, costing an estimated 88 million dollars.
This was followed by two accounts of Focolare events from eye-witness: Jessica Valle of the Social Communication Team at Genfest 2012 (a worldwide youth event in Budapest) and Michele Zanzucchi, editor-in-chief of Città Nuova, one of the organizers of LoppianoLab (at Loppiano, near Florence). This latter was a workshop looking at Italy and the challenges it faces, with a view to coming up with practical solutions.
Nedo Pozzi, Coordinator of the International Commission of NetOne, closed the online meeting by recalling what Chiara Lubich said at the United Nations (May 1997), when she underlined the importance of putting the Gospel into practice: ‘We must live! Not teaching, doing…. Let’s try to start loving, also here in the UN, one with another, one ambassador with another, one administrator with another. Let’s see what happens. It ought to bring about the presence of Christ in your midst. And what does this mean? Peace, guaranteed among you and among many others too.’ This is an invitation that, in substance, can certainly be of use to everyone involved with communication.
by Maria Rosa Logozzo
(Source: ZENIT.org, 14 November 2012)
Nov 4, 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
The Lebanese chief of police was killed and 40 houses in the Achrafieh neighbourhood destroyed in a terrorist outrage in Beirut on 19 October. Many people were left homeless and in need of aid. Jacques, a member of Youth for a United World (Y4UW) who had been at the Genfest in Budapest – an event called ‘Let’s bridge’ that brought more than 12,000 young people to the Hungarian capital – had the idea of holding a concert to raise funds for the homeless and give a message of peace.
It all began with a conversation on WhatsApp. Jacques is also president of a Music Club at his university. After chatting via WhatsApp with several members of Y4UW and other members of his Music Club the idea emerged to have a concert. In just a few days more than 2,500 young people confirmed via Facebook that they would be present. The word spread through TV and radio interviews and articles in newspapers.
On the eve of the concert, organized together with other Lebanese NGOs, the Y4UW in Lebanon wrote, ‘Something much bigger than us is happening, but we go ahead with God’s help. We feel that it is God who is working miracles, because at the moment there are too many political divisions in Lebanon, and they have been made worse by the bomb. Many young people are disgusted by what the politicians have been saying. This concert is like a light in the midst of deep darkness, a message of hope, of peace and unity among Lebanese people. With this concert we want to give witness to our ideal and to the unity of Lebanese young people.’
The colour code for the concert was white, a sign of peace. At the entrance white strips we handed out, just as they had been at the Genfest, as a sign of a commitment to build peace. ‘The concert left a trail of enthusiasm. We feel as if the Genfest has continued,’ Y4UW also wrote.
It was an important event, therefore, under the banner of the United World Project launched at Budapest (www.unitedworldproject.org). The project is being made effective by means of small or large fragments of fraternity, like this one in Lebanon, building up a more fraternal world even in the most sensitive and risky places.
