Atlas on universal fraternity

Hi to everyone!

To spread a culture of universal fraternity: this is the project we are working for the last two years - the United World Project. In every corner of the planet, every day, thousands of people are working to put fraternity at the center of their lives, but few speak about it. With our project, we want to show how universal brotherhood, without making noise, it is the motor of human history.

So far, we have reached about 80 thousand signatures of people who have chosen to commit themselves to building bridges with their actions, making humanity a real family. In brief: by living the Golden Rule. We are bringing out and sharing hundreds of news about fraternal activities (called Fragments of Fraternity). These “fragments” have been studied by our Permanent Observatory of Universal Fraternity. Today, we want to share the first fruit of this work: the publishing of the first “Atlas on universal fraternity”!

The Atlas traces the origins of the Project, explains the meaning of universal fraternity, states our goals and it offers us a journey through continents to find out how universal fraternity is lived from Melbourne to Rome; from Tokyo to Rio, from Nairobi to New York. We invite you to visit the official website www.unitedworldproject.org to know what's going on in all your countries!

The Atlas is already available in Italian on the website. In the next few weeks, the Atlas will be available in French, English and Spanish. We invite you to download it, read it, spread it as much as possible... let us know what you think about it by writing to info@unitedworldproject.org or visit the official page on facebook or twitter. In these last months, many experts, university professors and public personalities passionate about the Project have helped us to go ahead. To all of them, and the NGO New Humanity, the University Institute Sophia and Cittanuova, we give our sincere thanks.

A few days ago, we received a greeting from Maria Emmaus Voce, President of the Focolare Movement. Let’s read it together:

«Thank you, dear young people, of your commitment in pursuing the goal of the United World, immersed in the complex history of the contemporary world and many realities you live. Thanks for the stubborn courage with which you commit to it and which the launch of the “Atlas on universal fraternity” documents. Really, we have in front of us a huge construction site,  but it is the "dream of God", as Chiara Lubich liked to call it. And this is also a guarantee. Universal brotherhood is not a utopia, even if it requires the arduous journey of humanity it is also the unstoppable prospective. John Paul II, at Genfest ’90, stated forcefully to the Youth for a United World: "Only those who look to the future are the ones that build history". And we are building history, like yeast in the dough, here and now, thanks to the efforts of you young people who pursue, with determination and freedom, the United World Project in all corners of the world, alongside many other young people. We only need to continue with confidence. I am with all of you who recognize themselves in the ideals of the Focolare Movement in this adventure».

Thank you, Emmaus. Your words encourage us to become experts in universal fraternity.

And now, what are the next steps?

Of course, involving many in living the Golden Rule, bringing out all the “fragments of fraternity”  that are around us. We want to continue to collect and study these fragments with our Permanent Observatory of Universal Fraternity. Finally, we want to continue to work to obtain the recognition of the United World Week in international institutions. There are already many young people from various countries who went to the national commissions of UNESCO to present the project. Now, we can continue to cultivate these relationships also delivering a copy of the Atlas to raise awareness of our commitment and our activities.

In the next few months there will be more news. For example, the publication of a report focusing on this experience in Africa. In short, the ideas aren’t lacking. But we bring them forward with everyone’s help. So, come along and LET’S BRIDGE!

United World Project Commission