Throughout 2023 and 2024, Acciones de Familias Nuevas from Spain engaged educators, tutors, and young participants in transformative training sessions and virtual exchanges across continents. These initiatives emphasized the six interconnected dimensions of human development—physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and historical (family/environment)—while fostering intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. Here are the key milestones of this journey. 

Training the trainers 

A virtual exchange and training session for future tutor couples of the Up2Me program was held on June 24 and 25, 2023. The event gathered 64 participants, including European and African specialists, for an enriching weekend of learning and interaction. Conducted in French and Italian with simultaneous translation, the session aimed to prepare educators to deliver the Up2Me program to children and adolescents in diverse cultural contexts. 

The training emphasized the importance of intercultural exchange, with participants sharing insights from their respective regions. One participant remarked: “The content was rich and vital for our youth. The program equips us with practical tools for working with adolescents and inspires me to reach more children at all levels.” 

Connecting cultures for the first time 

Young participants from Europe and Africa met virtually for the first time on February 18, 2024. Over 40 young people and their tutors came together to share experiences and reflections. 

The discussions revealed the universal impact of the Up2Me program, transcending cultural and social differences. Despite the wide diversity in age, culture, and social background, the experience shared by participants highlighted many common points. One young participant reflected, “This experience helped me understand myself better and connect with others in a meaningful way.” 

Listening to the youth: strengthening relationships 

A second virtual exchange on October 19, 2024, allowed for deeper connections among participants. This meeting brought together 48 participants from partner countries and 11 guests from other African nations. The diverse group included children under 18, young adults, and their trainers, totaling 59 individuals. The event was conducted in five languages—English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian—to accommodate various linguistic backgrounds. 

Participants were encouraged to reflect on their experiences through guiding questions, such as identifying impactful songs or phrases from the Up2Me course and sharing how the program has influenced their lives. The insights gathered highlighted the program’s relevance and participants’ enthusiasm to recommend it to their peers. 

Our commitment to building bridges between Europe and Africa through education and dialogue continues—explore the milestones of the AFR.E.S.H. program here. 

L'articolo Up2Me expands formation across continents with AFR.E.S.H program proviene da New Humanity.

It contains the report by the President of the NGO and the financial report for the year 2019, followed by the list of New Humanity’s main activities carried out in 2019.

Download the 2019 Activities Report

L'articolo New Humanity 2019 Activities Report is Available proviene da New Humanity.

Seminar on “Pedagogy of Communion for an Identity-World”

Prof. Pierre Benoit, a New Humanity expert in the field of education, offered his remarks at the seminar “Pedagogy of Communion for an Identity-World. Paths of reality / utopia” which was co-organized by EdU NGO and other internationally recognized associations and institutions.

The event was an opportunity to present to education experts the activities that New Humanity carries out at an international level in the field of education, in order to study possible synergies and common initiatives between the New Humanity NGO and Education for Unity

Education for Unity, the main promoter of the conference, is the branch of New Humanity in the field of pedagogy and education.

Go to the conference website

L'articolo New Humanity and EdU (Education for Unity) network experts study possible synergies in the field of Pedagogy of Communion proviene da New Humanity.

New Humanity shared its vision on the topic of children’s rights in relations to the digital environment, in order to contribute to the General Comment that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is writing on this topic.

Shared Responsibility. As expressed by prof. Juan Garcia Gutierrez, a New Humanity expert in this area, the NGO of the Focolare Movement believes that the protection and promotion of children’s rights with respect to the digital space should be a shared responsibility among families, educators and public and legislative institutions, and it should follow a human right-based approach.

Priorities. Here are the top priority issues for New Humanity:

•    Considering the right of access to the Internet, including its neutrality, as a right of its own, is particularly valuable to guarantee other rights to children and young people, such as the right to education or freedom of expression;

•    Reflect on the scope of children’s right to play and to free time (as recognized by Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child), and its translation into the digital world;

•    Promote a permanent education in the technological field (digital or media literacy, literacy with respect to codes, etc.), as a digital competence that covers in a unified way the various levels of use and meaning.

Download the full text of the contribution offered by New Humanity (Spanish)

L'articolo New Humanity offers its vision on minors and cyber space at the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) proviene da New Humanity.

Family and Migration

Jorge M. Dias Ferreira, main representative of New Humanity in Geneva, moderated the seminar on “Family and Migration”, offered by various Catholic-inspired Organizations (CINGO) at the Palace of Nations.

Among the speakers: Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Office; Fr. Fabio Baggio, Under Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development at the Holy See; Msgr. Robert Vitillo, Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC); Dr. Maria Mercedes Rossi, ACG23 main representative in Geneva; Dr. Maria Lia Zervino, WUCWO’s Secretary General.

L'articolo New Humanity Moderates the Debate on Family and Migration proviene da New Humanity.

Jorge M Dias Ferreira, main Representative of New Humanity in Geneva, held a formative session dedicated to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to its main anthropological and pedagogical aspects. The presentation was part of the seminar on Human Rights, organized by the Henry Dunant University College (CUHD) in Geneva, for teachers in the Valle d’Aosta Region.

During his speech that was part of the morning program on November 23, Dr. Ferreira focused on the key points of the declaration, adding his personal experience as a trainer and expert on child psychology.

The other experts who intervened offered contributions that were complementary to the session held by Dr. Ferreira.

Prof. Michel Veuthey, President of the Henry Dunant University College in Geneva, outlined the history and evolution of human rights over the years, the values of the Chart of fundamental rights in the history of Europe, as well as some practical cases of Human Right issues.

Prof. Stefania Gandolfi, UNESCO chairholders on Human Rights and Ethics of international cooperation at the University of Bergamo, reflected on the systemic approach to human rights.

Lastly, Marcella Ferri, professor of International Human Rights Law at the University of Bergamo, presented the international system of human rights.

Workshops. The program included also practical workshops, focused on ways and tools useful for the teaching human rights

Special Invitation. Dr. Ferreira had been invited to the seminar by Alfred Fernandez, former president of the Henry Dunant University College, who passed away recently.

Contacts with regional representatives. The seminar also offered our representative in Geneva the opportunity to meet several representatives of Valle d’Aosta, Italy, region. Both the representatives from the region and the teachers who were present expressed their appreciation for the contribution offered by New Humanity. There was a common desire to continue the collaboration in the future, for the purpose of protection of Human Rights in their territory.

L'articolo New Humanity Offers a Contribution to the Formation of Teachers in Valle d’Aosta Region (Italy) on the Human Right Issue proviene da New Humanity.

“Right to Education and New Technologies: a Necessary Dialogue”

Prof. Juan Garcia Gutierrez of National University of Distance Education (UNED) offered his remarks on behalf of New Humanity at the panel discussion organized by OIDEL NGO and the Smart Internet Users project.

Download the Speech (Spanish)

“Where danger grows, safety also grows”. During his speech, prof. Garcia quoted the German poet Hörlderlin, to underline how it is possible to adopt an approach that applies the “spirit of fraternity” contained in the first article of the Universal Declaration. With such approach, a potential risk presented by the introduction of new technologies in the Education field can become a new opportunity to fully enjoy all human rights, including the right to education.

The twofold approach proposed by prof. Garcia foresees, on the one hand, the need to base scientific and technological development on human rights and, on the other, the need for technologies to be at the service of, and promote human values, the “spirit of fraternity” and human solidarity. Internet and digital technologies do not per se constitute a human right, but they are an indispensable means to fulfil other human rights, including the right to education.

A good practice presented in this regard concerns the “Spanish life” project, organized by UNED and the University of Porto-Novo in Benin. It is an innovative virtual learning tool, developed in an educational context at a distance (and therefore based on internet and digital technologies), oriented to the promotion of human values, such as the civic engagement of students, through intercultural dialogue and development of global citizenship.

Knowledge and control. “Mankind has started a new phase of its history – concluded Prof. Garcia – with a growing and rapid development of science and technology, which offer utopian and dystopian possibilities at the same time. In order to fully benefit from them, the essential purpose of education and learning in our century should focus on the knowledge and control of opportunities and risks.”

The event was moderated by dr. Pablo Nuño, First Secretary at Permanent Representation of Spain before the Office of UN in Geneva. Dr. Charo Sébada, Director of Communication for Smart Internet Users and Dr. Renato Opertti of the UNESCO International Education Office also intervened.

L'articolo New Humanity Proposes the “Fraternity Principle” as a Way for Dialogue Between Right to Education and New Technologies proviene da New Humanity.

“Priority to Education”

Last Thursday, October 11, about thirty NGOs among which New Humanity organized an event at UNESCO on the subject of education priority and how to reach the 4th of the 2030 Sustainable Development objectives, “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

Read the Manifest Presented on that occasion

Too many girls live in undignified situations: they suffer from lack of respect and their physical integrity is often violated.
Today more than 132 million girls do not have any access to school education.

To deal with this situation, the NGOs presented and promoted the Manifesto published above.

Mrs Chantal Grevin – main Representantive of New Humanity in Paris – offered her remarks at the conference.

L'articolo New Humanity Participation in the International Day of the Girl proviene da New Humanity.