A United Middle East For A United World - Part 2

The second day of the Youth for a United World (Y4UW) Animators' school is almost over and while waiting for this evening's  feast, we are here writing a short update on today's programme. We started off this morning with the history of the Y4UW which takes us back to the very beginning of the Focolare movement that was initiated by a group of young people led by Chiara Lubich who was 23 years old.

Later, many of us shared on how they reached here after going through so many difficulties:  for example, it was a miracle how 2 Iraqis succeeded to pass the Iraq/Jordan frontier after 2 hours of waiting in the airport; others had difficulty to get permission from their parents.  God's intervention in these circumstances was really evident.

In the afternoon, we all appreciated very much the presentation of the Y4UW from Egypt. They gave us an idea of their situation and how they try to build a united world in Cairo, Sohag and nearby towns. They also shared the challenges they face in building unity among youth of different Christian Churches and Religions, aside from the apprehension for the future of the country.

Y4UW from Holy Land were next to present. After a slide show on the 3 monotheistic Religions, they gave us an overview of the Y4UW activities. The thing that struck us most was the fundraising activity where they themselves manufactured table mats made of local ceramics with a beautiful wooden frame.