May 1st kicked off the year
of Genfest! It was celebrated in Loppiano (a small town of the
Focolare in Italy). There were skits, music, dances, witness talks and
workshops. The theme was that of Genfest 2012 which we are all headed to: Let's
bridge.
Workshop on brotherhood and
politics
Can brotherhood be achieved
through politics? Can a greater sense of public participation be an answer?
This is the question to
which more than 600 young people (and beyond!) have tried to respond in an
afternoon of dialogue and discussion in the workshop “Politics and brotherhood:
crazy stuff?”
There were many topics
discussed on stage: the constant search for common good in the reality of the
local government; overcoming the barriers of hatred and indifference; the
discovery of the value of hope, the identifying sign of our time; and the
personal commitment to do one’s own part... The workshop culminated with a
simulation that has involved us in immigration issues, the analysis of
opportunities offered by immigration and the common search for a solution to
existing limitations in resolving the said issues.
Workshop on choices
If we have only one choice,
we are in trouble… if we have two choices, we would have a dilemma… if we have
three or more, we have the flexibility, but it would be more difficult to
choose. What is better, then: to have lots of choices or to have a few? This is
how Pasquale Ionata opened the forum “A step here or there, a life full of
choices”, opening the eyes of the participants on the paradox of choice.
There were more than 300
participants. After the key question, there was an exercise to see who were
maximizers and satisfiers. It was also discussed how choices are a form of
power; at the same time, choices could confuse us, make us lose time and remain
eternally searching for something better. Another topic was the happiness that
the satisfiers have because they are content with what they have and what they
are; tending to compare downwards, satisfiers increase their esteem and
decrease their anxiety. Another highlight: seeing flowers and not the weeds,
that is, being positive, helps in being content and happy.
Pasquale Ionata concluded
saying that there are always many choices: to do or not to do, to be or not to
be. But with serenity and non-pessimism, we can find the right choice.
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