"Adopt a tree"

As a follow-up to the Genfest 2012 in Budapest, the Youth for a United World in Albania launch the United World Project with a concrete proposal to revive their forests destroyed by fires.

Many hectares of forest were devoured by fires in different countries during the European summer last year as was the case in Albania. The Youth for a United World of this country decided to launch to their peers the idea of purchasing trees that they wanted to plant together in the burned areas. Hence the project name: “Adopt a tree”.

They wrote from Albania saying: “Feverish preparations were being made for this meeting since many weeks with many unexpected occurrences, such as the concurrence with the national holiday of the 100^th anniversary of the country’s Independence. Many universities were closed for a few days and therefore many young people had returned to their home towns”.

Notwithstanding this situation, the 80-seat hall was packed with 140 young people who arrived in Tirana on the 28^th and 29^th November to spend two days as a follow-up to the experience lived at the Genfest in Budapest.

They shared: “The strongest and most beautiful experience we made was during the preparation of this meeting along together with a group of young people who had participated with us at the Genfest. They were at the forefront. Some took care of the meals, others the choreography, singing, testimonies, translation and dubbing of videos, presentations, etc…

“We felt very united among us. It gave us the strength to invite our friends by helping them find ways to remain in the city, even if some of the boarding schools were closed”.

The meeting was entitled “Do unto others as you want others to do unto you”, the golden rule present in almost all religions. During the two-day program, besides listening to the main themes of the Genfest, the United World Project was explained. It is an initiative pursued by the Youth for a United World throughout the world.

They concluded saying: “The young people who took part in this meeting were happy with this experience of unity and reciprocal love. Many thanked us because they have seen that a more united world can be achieved. It is possible to change the world around us by changing ourselves in the first place and that we are not alone in doing so.”

The Youth for a United World in Albania