Youth in Europe – A Lost Generation?

Open Citizenship Vol. 5, Issue 2: 2014 

“The current level of unemployment of young people in Europe is simply unacceptable. In a number of European countries we are facing a true social emergency.”

(Statement by President Barroso following the Round table on Youth Employment in Europe, 2013)

Today, 24% of young Europeans are unemployed – a staggering 5.6 million 15 - to 24-year-olds. But the challenges young people face extend way beyond unemployment. With the burden of supporting an ageing population, the power shift from government- to market-led policymaking, the exclusion of millions of young people not holding EU citizenship, overcoming severe financial crises at national and global levels, escalating competition from BRIC and MENA countries and climate change, there seems to be no end to the challenges young people in Europe face.

The next issue of Open Citizenship looks at the challenges facing youth in Europe, and seeks to link these debates with citizenship. We examine whether young Europeans are being given the chance to address the issues they face in their own way, and whether this need is being recognised by the EU. By considering the concerns, needs and actions of young people, we hope not only to describe the current state of European citizenship, but also to build a picture of its potential future.

Chiara: una bella ragazza innamorata di Dio

Oggi è il 6° anniversario dalla morte di Chiara Lubich. In tante città del mondo ricordiamo il grande dono che è stata per l'umanità intera

Il 7 dicembre 1943 Chiara Lubich aveva solo i sentimenti di una bella ragazza innamorata di Dio, cui diceva il suo SI’ per sempre. Ciò le bastava.

Quanto avrebbe visto e vissuto negli 88 anni della sua vita non poteva immaginarlo: che milioni di persone l’avrebbero seguita, chiamandola semplicemente “Chiara”…

Di certo non pensava che con i suoi amici sarebbe arrivata in 182 nazioni, che avrebbe fondato un Movimento, aprendo canali di dialogo ecumenico, con le grandi religioni e con persone di convinzioni non religiose.

Nel 1977 lei stessa affermava: “La penna non sa quello che dovrà scrivere. Il pennello non sa quello che dovrà dipingere. Lo scalpello non sa ciò che dovrà scolpire. Così, quando Dio prende in mano una sua creatura (…) la persona non sa quello che dovrà fare. È uno strumento”.

Fraternity with those who are sad and lonely

Let’s face it: we’re surrounded by sad and lonely people. You just have to look on the bus stop, in the market place, at university... As Youth for a United World, we want to dedicate the month of March to draw close to those who are unemployed, alone, depressed... giving them all the love in our hearts.

By Mother Teresa of Calcutta

“Solitude is the worst kind of misery.

The poor people we gather up every day are those whom society rejects. We try to give back to these people human dignity. As children of God they are entitled to it.

We met with people whom we knew only through their address. However, do we really realize that these people truly exist? Who knows, maybe it’s someone who is very close to us, or perhaps walking on the other side of the road. It may be a blind man who would appreciate our reading him the newspaper. It may also be a person rich in money, but who has no one to visit him. The rich person often has lots of goods, but these very goods isolate him. He has no contact with other people, which is what he really needs in order to be a human being.

Dalla Grande Guerra alla Grande Pace

1914-2014 dallo ius ad bellum allo ius ad pacem - Cento anni di guerre bastano! Abbiamo diritto di vivere in pace! Aderisci all’appello per il riconoscimento del diritto umano alla pace!

Cento anni fa scoppiava la prima guerra mondiale, lasciando sul campo più di 10 milioni di morti e 20 milioni di feriti, mutilati, invalidi. Le centinaia di guerre che sono venute dopo hanno causato più di duecento milioni di morti, senza contare i cosiddetti “danni collaterali” (milioni e milioni di donne, uomini e bambini uccisi o dilaniati dalla fame e dalle malattie conseguenza delle stesse guerre) e l’immensa quantità di beni e risorse che sono stati distrutti e sottratti allo sviluppo dell’intera umanità.

Inutile strage, avventura senza ritorno, la guerra è un mostro che continua a uccidere tante persone in tutto il mondo e minaccia di diffondersi ulteriormente. Armi micidiali continuano ad essere costruite e accumulate e insieme alla loro proliferazione incontrollata cresce anche la propensione ad usarle. Contro questo scenario angosciante abbiamo il dovere di insorgere!

WELCOME TO: SHARING WITH AFRICA

Warm greetings from all of us "Youth for a United World in Kenya"! We look forward to welcoming each one of you for: "SHARING WITH AFRICA".  It is about UBUNTU – "I am because we are"

It will be from 25^th April to 5^th May 2014 we will be having the worksite on reciprocity “Sharing with Africa”, an integral part of the United World Project (UWP) – a global project that aims at highlighting and spreading a culture of brotherhood among all.

UWP was first launched during the Genfest (Budapest, 1^st September 2012) along with the slogan “Let’s Bridge”. From there we moved to the Middle East for the second important step entitled “Be the Bridge”. This event was held last May in the Holy Land, coinciding with 2013 United World Week reaching its climax during a worldwide link-up from Jerusalem. In this city which is so particularly significant in the dialogue between the great monotheistic religions, we left a visible sign marking the great experience lived with young people from different parts of the planet, by planting an olive tree as a symbol of peace.

The next step is the reciprocity worksite “Sharing with Africa”. This event will be launched from Nairobi during 2014 United World Week worldwide link-up. We are all looking forward to this moment with great enthusiasm. One hundred young people are expected to participate: 50 from the African Continent and 50 from various parts of the world.

Would you like to join us??? 

Please contact us on: sgmu@focolare.org o 0039 06 94798217

TORONTO: A chaotic commute

By Sharon D’Souza

Source: www.livingcitymagazine.com

Last winter Toronto was struck by a severe snowstorm. Many were encouraged to stay home because of the freezing temperatures, high volume of snow and icy roads, but I decided to go to work. My commute to work was fine; however, my commute home was a very different story.

My typical 40-minute commute became a 4-hour journey. Our public transit system wasn’t equipped to handle such terrible winter conditions. Buses were delayed and stuck behind snow banks; trains were experiencing constant blackouts. It was quite chaotic.

People were stranded with no way to get home. Hundreds were grouped into subway stations and bus shelters across the city, waiting for the weather to improve and transit to get better. I was stuck in a train without electricity, in a tunnel, for over an hour.

I realized I had to forget about myself and my worries, and take the initiative in loving, starting with those around me. I reached out to someone with a few words or encouraged another to
talk. Little by little the atmosphere around me changed, and fear subsided.

I realized that what could have been a very stressful situation for most became, surprisingly enough, a positive experience. Strangers started singing, talking to each other, offering up their seats and playing games. In the midst of the chaos and confusion, people began to care for and talk to each other as in a family.

Fraternità con chi è triste

Diciamo la verità: siamo circondati da persone tristi. Basta uscire un attimo sulla strada, andare al mercato, salire sul pullman... Come Giovani per un Mondo Unito, vogliamo dedicare il mese di marzo ad accostarci a quelli che sono disoccupati, soli, dipressi...dandoli tutto l’amore che abbiamo in cuore.

Di Madre Teresa di Calcutta

 “La solitudine è il peggior tipo di miseria.

I poveri che raccogliamo ogni giorno sono coloro che la società rifiuta. Noi cerchiamo di restituire a queste persone la dignità umana. Come figli di Dio hanno diritto ad essa.

Abbiamo incontrato persone che conosciamo solo tramite l’indirizzo. Davvero ci rendiamo conto che esistono queste persone? Forse è uno molto vicino a noi, forse nel marciapiede opposto. Può essere un cieco che sarebbe felice se noi leggessimo il giornale per lui. Potrebbe anche essere una persona ricca di denaro, ma che non ha nessuno da visitare. Il ricco spesso ha molti beni, ma questi stessi beni lo isolano. Manca il contatto con altre persone, che è quello di cui ha realmente bisogno un essere umano.

Non accontentarti di dare i soldi. Il denaro non è sufficiente, ed è più facile da trovare rispetto a una mano che aiuti o a un cuore che ami.

Philippines: Start Again Project

By Kat Bulan

What seemed to be an impossible task, this past month has been full of blessings, providence, and miracles.

This aim of Start Again Project is to help the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan to start again with their lives. Currently, we Filipino Youth for a United World (Y4UW) are doing several projects for Palo, Leyte, one of the towns that was severely affected by the typhoon.

1. School supplies: We gave school supplies to around 2,000 students attending several public grade school and high schools. We also carried out several children animation programme in order to help them forget the tragedy they experienced. We are still gathering funds for supplies kits for around 500 students.
2. Feeding Programme: A week-long feeding programme is being conducted in several schools. We realized that the students go to school without any lunch packs. It is difficult for them to concentrate on their studies having an empty stomach.
3. Classrooms: We are also rebuilding classrooms because most of the roofs were damaged during the typhoon. While the reconstruction is going on, we set up temporary new classrooms.
4. Whole school libraries have been destroyed and hence we are gathering books in order to reorganize these libraries.
5. Cemetery: In one community, a mass grave was made for all those who perished in that area. We are helping them build a memorial for the families of these victims, so that they can get over their loss, and start again with their lives.
6. Water Supply: We also helping set-up a water system in one community as up to now, the still do not have a working water system as this was hit by the typhoon.

During our last trip, we were around nine Youth for a United World and spent our weekend there. It was a great experience to be able to spend time with the children, listen to their experiences and help them deal with their sufferings. Many of them said that they were happy that we personally went to them, not just to give material goods but to actually listen and even for a little while, they forgot their suffering.

We also had a chance to meet with the bishop and he gave us his blessing and encouraged us to keep doing what we are doing. He reminded us to do all of this out of love.

#SPIAZZACI - 41° Primo Maggio di Loppiano

È iniziato il conto alla rovescia verso #SPIAZZACI, l’edizione n. 41 del Meeting dei giovani che si terrà il 1° maggio 2014 a Loppiano (FI). Quest’anno il “set” dell’evento sarà una grande piazza che allestiremo per raccontare un’Italia diversa, fatta dalle azioni di tanti, in particolare giovani, che stanno già lavorando alla costruzione di luoghi e rapporti nuovi.

Come?

Percorrendo tre strade:

Legalità, Dialogo Interreligioso e Immigrazione.

Condivideremo testimonianze, progetti, idee e parteciperemo a tre grandi Expo sui temi sopramenzionati in cui verranno illustrati in maniera espositiva e partecipativa le iniziative concrete che i Giovani per un Mondo Unito italiani portano avanti su tutto il territorio nazionale. Sono tre strade che in molti percorriamo quotidianamente, facendo scelte a volte scomode, impegnandoci a lavorare per la fraternità. Passo dopo passo.

#SPIAZZACI è anche una festa: non mancheranno musica, coreografie, momenti artistici… oltre ai vostri contributi!. Per questo se avete delle idee, delle proposte o volete condividere azioni che avete fatto o state facendo sul vostro territorio, mandateci una mail a info@primomaggioloppiano.it.

Sappiamo anche che saremo molti a partecipare alla canonizzazione di Giovanni XIII e Giovanni Paolo II il 27 aprile prossimo e magari sulla strada del ritorno si può fare tappa a Loppiano. Vi aspettiamo numerosi!

Con un team di Giovani per un Mondo Unito di diverse città d’Italia stiamo preparando il programma della giornata; trovate foto, aggiornamenti e informazioni su come partecipare e prenotarvi sul sito del 1° maggio a questo indirizzo:

www.primomaggioloppiano.it

Bujumbura: Mutual love overcomes hardships

SHARING WITH AFRICA: for us to share and build strong relationships, we need to get to know one another.

A message from Bujumbura, Burundi:

“We are thankful for your love and prayers!

The northern districts of our capital Bujumbura (Burundi) has been hit by very strong torrential rain on Sunday night (9^th February) to Monday morning (10^th February) causing the destruction of 4.000 houses and many people lost their life in this tragedy.

Among the survivors calamity, there are young people like us who bear the same ideals of a united world. At first, we were overwhelmed by this sorrow however little by little we realized that this was a chance to help all those people undergoing great hardships and despair.

We started collecting goods (clothes, money,...) and all the Focolare Community in Bujumbura took part in this communion of goods.

Last Saturday, we visited some homes which were still standing after the floods in order to unclog rain water drains and remove the mud from the households. It was wonderful to work together and spend all our energy in an atmosphere of mutual love. The people were very thankful for our coming to their rescue.

Where possible, temporary reconstruction of some homes is underway and in the meantime, these families have taken shelter in Fr. Thibaut’s Parish.

We will update you further after our next visit.

Telesphore and Capitoline”

SENTINELLE DELLA FRATERNITA’

Un gruppo di persone ispirati dalla fraternità universale e in modo particolare la Regola d’oro (“Tutto quanto volete che gli uomini facciano a voi, anche voi fatelo a loro) va e distribuisce cibo, medicine e vestiti a chi non ha nulla...

Ecco quanto scrive Luigi Buttori:

“Nei campi profughi al confine tra Myanmar e Thailandia ho visto tanti occhi dei bimbi scampati a situazioni pericolose: spesso scampati alla morte. Mi hanno sempre impressionato, perché oltre alla paura vi ho letto la speranza e tanta voglia di vivere: in mezzo a tante difficoltà ed incertezze, la gioia di essere ancora vivi e di poter continuare ad esserlo è più grande di ogni esperienza negativa passata. Vorrei dedicare queste foto e questi occhi a tutti coloro che in Occidente stanno per perdere o hanno perso la voglia di vivere. Vorrei che questi volti (che sembrano ai nostri occhi inbrattatati di crema naturale chiamata thanakha), e questi occhi neri, potessero ridonare la voglia di vivere al di là di ogni difficoltà: come l’hanno dato a me. Ed anche la certezza che nell’amore che c’è dentro ogni uomo c’è' la speranza di un futuro migliore.”

UNITED WORLD PROJECT

The “United World Project” is a way of drawing people’s attention to humanity’s journey towards fraternity. Its purpose is to increase and spread the culture of fraternity, not only among the members of the Focolare Movement, but also in civil society and international institutions.

It aims at establishing an international and permanent Observatory on universal fraternity.

In striving for this ambitious goal, we felt the need to create a vast network of persons, belonging to all ages and different latitudes that have chosen universal fraternity as their way of life. Therefore, we have launched a worldwide campaign to collect signatures (we reached 80,000 signatures by March 2014). By signing we commit ourselves:

• to live the “Golden Rule” common to the great Religions: “Do to others what you would like them to do to you; do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you”;
• to support the future establishment of a “Permanent and International Observatory on fraternity” in order to spread and promote initiatives for fraternity experienced by individuals, groups and institutions.
• to request the recognition at an institutional and international level of another activity, now in its 17th year: the Y4UW “United World Week”, marked by fraternal initiatives aimed at influencing public opinion.

South Africa: breaking down barriers

Sharing with Africa brings to South Africa. Here is a  message we received from Imma e Marcellin:

“Many warm greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa!

Last Sunday (09/02/2014) we had our “Youth for a United World” meeting. We had started preparing for it for quite some time and we were all worked enthusiastically for it!

You cannot imagine our joy after seeing that this meeting turned out to be a big success! We were 105 young people from 18 to 30 years of age.

Since our country is so marked by many ethnic divisions, we focused our attention on a question: “Is a United World only a dream? Which are the challenges that today’s young people have to face?”

A brief introduction on our Movement and the Genfest video “Let’s Bridge” triggered it all up.

Here’s an extract of what we shared:

“Being with you today has been an amazing experience. I have learnt a lot and it has made me realize how important unity is and how it affects our everyday lives when it comes to racial segregation and division among people. It has taught me that unity always goes with love and love is what unites us in diversity. I also understood the fact that a United World is not a dream but a reality. It is something that affects us every day and people has to realize what it means to be united. Thanks”

“I had great time today and I hope to come again soon. I have gained a lot and have learnt more about love in God’s eyes. I hope I get invited to this meeting again and become full time member. Thank you for making me feel welcomed”.

SHARING WITH AFRICA: CONOSCERE PER CONDIVIDERE - 1

Nigeria: una goccia di fraternità - Il racconto dal vivo di alcuni membri dei Focolari. Il loro impegno, insieme a tanti musulmani e cristiani di buona volontà, a costruire nel quotidiano una mentalità di pace.

Mentre la crisi in Ucraina, arrivata al collasso, tiene il mondo col fiato sospeso; e i riflettori dei media puntano su tanti altri punti del pianeta come la Siria o il Venezuela, abbiamo la possibilità di dialogare con alcuni amici dei Focolari che si trovano immersi nelle tensioni che vive la Nigeria, il paese più popolato dell’Africa con più di 160 milioni di abitanti.

La Nigeria è la convivenza islamo-cristiana più numerica del mondo, secondo voi è questa la causa dei gravi atti di violenza che avvengono nel Paese?

«Purtroppo negli ultimi anni, la Nigeria è venuta alla ribalta specie per i frequenti attentati terroristici ai danni, sia dei musulmani che dei cristiani; come lo dimostrano le dolorose vicende delle ultime settimane avvenute negli stati di Borno e di Adamawa, al nordest del Paese. Visto dal di fuori, può sembrare che quanto stia accadendo sia espressione di un conflitto di religione, ma chi è nel Paese può testimoniare che non è questa tutta la verità. Fatto sta che in una grande parte della Nigeria la convivenza è pacifica e rispettosa».

FONTEM: “A ONCE IN A LIFETIME TRIP”

“A heart that melts” Foundation together with Unicoop, Florence worked on a project with two Italian high schools. The positive impact of their encounter with their African peers.

Twelve students (representatives of two Italian high schools) left for Africa accompanied by 3 teachers, 2 animators, two Unicoop shareholders, a representative of the Focolare Movement and a cameraman.

Their goal: to spend a week of sharing with the African youth of their age-group, from 16^th to 24^th January.

The venue chosen: Fontem, in the Northwest, English-speaking Cameroun. Today, Fontem has a population of 40 thousand inhabitants. The Focolare Movement is present since the 1960s. But let us interview Stefano, one of the youth, to share his experience which was published in their school bulletin:

“…It was a trip to discover a different reality, at times difficult to digest, because of the poverty that we encountered, but it was a school of life, for all the things that we were able to learn… We discovered a different culture that thinks differently… We started off with the idea of going there to give medicines, pens, papers, notebooks, to share about ourselves, about Europe, only to discover instead that … there are still people who would sell even what little they had just to make you feel at home;  people who have never seen you and yet welcome you like kings; they are not racists as many of us are; that in a few days they have grown fond of you in a way that you would never know how to repeat with with someone else.

ECOONE 2014

La natura si dispiega davanti ai nostri occhi come una rete di relazioni. Dalle interazioni fondamentali tra particelle elementari alle collisioni galattiche, dagli organismi viventi agli ecosistemi. La persona vive in relazione con gli altri elementi naturali, fisici, chimici e biologici. Alcuni sostengono che il rapporto persona-natura ha cessato di essere collaborativo ed è divenuto conflittuale: la persona usa scienza e tecnologia per trasformare la natura fino a esaurirne le risorse e a romperne gli equilibri. Questo fenomeno è stato chiamato “crisi ecologica” e pone con sempre maggiore urgenza la domanda: come rispettare la natura e, allo stesso tempo, valorizzare la creatività umana? Il CONVEGNO avviare un dialogo aperto e transdisciplinare su questo problema.

Nature unrolls before our eyes as a network of relations. From fundamental interactions among elementary particles to galactic collisions, from living organisms to ecosystems.

The person lives in relationship with the other natural, physical, chemical and biological elements. Some argue that the person-nature relationship has ceased to be collaborative and has become conflictual: the person uses science and technology to transform nature until its resources are exhausted and its balances are broken.

This phenomenon has been called "ecological crisis" and with increasing urgency raises the question: how should we respect nature and, at the same time, value human creativity?

The MEETING would like to start an open and trans-disciplinary dialogue on this issue.

Zurigo: Volleyday per il Cairo

Nel terzo anno della primavera araba in Egitto, i giovani di Zurigo organizzano un VolleyDay per raccogliere fondi dagli sponsor che andranno a sostenere dei microprogetti di giovani del Cairo.

Il 25 gennaio 2014 ha avuto luogo la 14° edizione dell’annuale giornata di pallavolo sponsorizzata, organizzata da «Youth4unity», giovani del Movimento dei Focolari, della Svizzera. 160 sportivi pieni di entusiasmo si sono dati appuntamento in sei palestre  della scuola cantonale a Zurigo Oerlikon, non solo per fare dello sport. Infatti, con quanto riescono a raccogliere dagli sponsor sostengono, già per la terza volta, la fondazione Koz Kazeh (Arcobaleno) del Cairo.

Si tratta di giovani e ragazzi egiziani che devono lavorare per sostenere le loro famiglie e che riescono a studiare solo nei giorni liberi. Di recente  possono beneficiare di  corsi d’orientamento professionale e programmi speciali di sostegno alle ragazze. Oltre all’impegno sociale, divertimento e gioco hanno scandito il VolleyDay svoltosi a Zurigo. Il motto “Take care – Rispetta il vicino, ognuno è importante”, ha fatto da filo conduttore al torneo,  rendendolo un’amichevole Fair Play.

Refugee emergency and the challenge of integration

The uninterrupted inflow of migrants arriving at the southern Italian and Maltese coastlines touches the conscience of the Focolare local communities

“They land on the Italian shores in search of peace, a future, a life that is worth living. During these past months, these migrants are mostly war victims from Syria. Marigen shares how she and her companions from Catania (Sicily-Italy) asked themselves: “What can we do about it?”

Valeria, a Youth for a United World also from Catania, shared how the local train station is crowded by Syrian refugees starting their journey to the Northern European countries: “They need everything: clothes, shoes, bags, food, medicines”.

“We opened our wardrobes and we took out all those things that we’ve accumulated over the years – Paola added – Some of us started fixing missing buttons, iron shirts, others prepared bags of clothes sorted according to type.”

The next day, they went to the train station and handed all to a Moroccan girl who was coordinating the distribution. A place was needed to store all the donations received and on that very same evening a family offered their garage for this purpose.

They also got the opportunity to help and to get to know the migrants who were staying in the mosque, which had been transformed into a dormitory for the Muslim and Christian refugees.

L’amore suscita amore

“Due o tre settimane fa ho letto s www.y4uw.org (il blog dei Giovani per un Mondo Unito – GMU) e ho letto l’esperienza dei GMU nelle Filippine che hanno iniziato lo “START AGAIN PROJECT” -  sul foto ho visto una GMU che conosco... e subito sentivo il desiderio di scriverla come posso aiutare...

Lei mi ha spiegato un po’ cosa stanno facendo, e poi ho deciso di chiedere gli alri giovani del Movimento, se vogliono mettersi in gioco per questo progetto... mi ricordavo alla situazione in Austria 2 anni fa - prima del Genfest - abbiamo (i GMU insieme a tutto la comunità del Movimento) deciso di fare azioni per raccogliere soldi per rendere possibile la partecipazione al Genfest ai giovani dell’Indonesia... quanti azioni belli sono usciti fuori, abbiamo raccolto più soldi che avremmo mai immaginato prima, ed è stata una bella occassione per incontrarsi, vivere la regola d’oro e andare un passo verso altri.

Perù: a school in the Andes

Source: AMU News n. 4/2013

Info: www.amu-it.eu

On the Mountain Range of the Andes to Bolivar (3,200 meters), a school for children and teens is born, from the initiative of the parish priest and the local community of the Focolari, in cooperation with the AMU.

“Upon my departure from Lima, I had in hand only a piece of paper where a friend had written down the principal stages of the journey: Trujillo, Cajamarca, Celendin and finally Bolívar. A total of 31 hours of travel, the last 12 along an excavated road. The bus, filled with people crowded together amidst sacks of rice and other things, reached its destination at 10:30 in the evening. While we disembarked, a group of people started to sing; it seemed like a welcoming committee and with great surprise I realized that it was for me! The final hours of the trip was made in total darkness, I couldn’t make out where I was. The next day, when I woke up, I found myself in front of a marvellous panorama. I told myself: I am in Paradise!”

It is Walter Cerchiaro, an Italian, who has been in Perù for 6 years who related this. After this first trip, he went to Bolivar several times to meet the community of the Focolare Movement. Now that some of the roads have been fixed the trip only takes 25 hours!