We are the “Youth for a United World (Y4UW) Movement” founded by Chiara Lubich
in 1985. It is part of the wide ranging Focolare Movement. Our ages vary from 17 to 30 and we come
from different walks of life. In fact, our main characteristic is universality.
We are youth from all over the world and we belong to different ethnic groups,
nationalities and cultures. Many of us profess different creeds, whilst some of
us do not have a religious belief; however we are all passionate protagonists
striving for universal brotherhood.
This trend is slowly penetrating the youth milieu, which is called to
face the numerous challenges brought about by a culture that exalts provisional
values, relativism and individualism, especially in the West.
It is a void in the hearts of many young people that longs for fullness,
prompts the search; in order to seek an ideal in life which is worth living
for: to contribute towards building a united world.
It is exactly in this daily challenge that young Christians have the
opportunity to consolidate the choice of Jesus as a model and the Gospel as a
code of life.
In accepting the united world project, young people belonging to
different religions are continuously prompted to faithfully measure up to the doctrines
of their Religion, like for example in living by the Golden Rule: “do to others as you would have them do to
you.” (Mt. 7:12)
Young people of other convictions share with enthusiasm every concrete
initiative in favour of the neighbour, thus expressing the highest human
values.
The strong spirit that animates the Y4UW brings about numerous actions both
on the local level as well the international level. Very briefly, these actions
consist of:
Quick interventions in order to assist victims of earthquakes,
floods, famines, wars... In recent months,
for example, we are committed to helping malnourished children in Ivory Coast
and Uganda, flood victims in Nigeria, Thailand, the Philippines, Italy,
and assisting families in Syria.
On the local level, the Y4UW carry out all kinds of
micro-projects, all aimed at building fraternity in their city, neighbourhood,
school, university... There is a growing enthusiasm in fulfilling actions of
fraternity in all the five continents: works in favour of street children,
homeless, abandoned elderly people, handicapped persons, prisoners,
immigrants... in each place of course, according to the most urgent needs of
the area.
Since 1996, the Y4UW celebrate
the “United World Week – UWW”
on annual basis. The UWW is the Y4UW proposal to cities, to institutions, to all
in order to promote unity and peace at every level. Many activities are
concentrated during these UWW days in order to influence the public opinion and
witness together that building a united world is possible. An internet link-up
provides for simultaneous connection of around 4.000 points on the globe.
Genfest 2012: Last September, about 12,000 young people
from 104 countries gathered in Budapest, Hungary to celebrate the 10th
Genfest in history. Through the social networks, we were linked-up to around half
a million people. The title of the event: “Let’s Bridge”, that is, let’s build
bridges with all and the result was clear: we all left Budapest with steadfast
conviction that a united world is possible!
Fully aware it is not possible to build a united world on their own, the
Y4UW work together with all men and women of good will, collaborating with all
those committed for the same goal.
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