Answering cross-continental challenges and aiming to prepare for this potent collaboration, AFR.E.S.H project offers training designed to provide practical, hands-on experience. Through international online exchanges, participants can share best practices, gain intercultural perspectives, and consider local implications of global challenges. The courses are flexible and accessible online, allowing you to learn at your own pace and convenience. 

Training Programs Offered by AFR.E.S.H 

 Media Literacy Training for Youth Workers 

Are you a youth worker looking to facilitate more engaging and interactive online meetings and workshops? This training program equips you with the tools and best practices to make digital spaces more dynamic and participatory. Under the guidance of facilitator Rainer Gude, you’ll have the chance to practice new tools and techniques in a supportive environment. 

 Social Impact Evaluation Workshop 

If you’re part of an NGO or association looking to enhance your program evaluation skills, this workshop is for you. Facilitated by Giuseppe Pellegrini, this interactive course teaches you how to develop effective evaluation strategies for your programs. You’ll learn to design and implement monitoring systems and analyze results to improve your organization’s impact. 

The AFR.E.S.H project is more than just a series of training programs; it’s a movement to empower young leaders and foster transnational cooperation. By participating in these programs, you can gain the skills needed to navigate and address the complex challenges facing our world. Join us in redefining the horizon between Africa and Europe—together, we can build a better future. 

L'articolo Building Skills for a Better Future: access AFR.E.S.H training materials proviene da New Humanity.

“Embracing Hope.” With this wish, about 200 people from the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and all over Europe met at the Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo (Rome) from May 16 to 19.

They are the contact persons of the New Humanity movement,  the social expression of the Focolare Movement, New Humanity the NGO with consultative status in the United Nations, along with representatives of disciplines that dialogue with contemporary culture, the contact persons of Teens4Unity and of AMU (Action for a United World), the NGO that deals with special projects and development.

Also in attendance was a delegation of very young high school students who are part of Living Peace International, along with young ambassadors for peace, such as Joseph, from Sierra Leone, who narrated how at the age of six he was recruited as a child soldier and has now become a young peace leader.

For some time now, these various social expressions -each with its own characteristics and goals- have been working together to help provide concrete responses to the burning issues and expectations of the contemporary world: “Together for Humanity” is their new name. Taking up the Pope’s invitation to the Focolare Movement during a private audience on Dec. 7, 2023, which was to “be artisans of peace in a world torn apart by conflict,” they wanted to dedicate the meeting precisely to peace.

An experience of listening, communal reflection and concrete planning, carried out in the eight communities distinguished by areas and passions. A journey that will continue with the Genfest in Brazil next July, intertwine with the United Nations Summit for Future in September 2024, and with the event in Nairobi with the youth and cities of the world, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. During the meeting, those present, with the help of experts and testimonies, professors, diplomats, social and cultural actors, and organized citizens, reflected on the issue of what is peace, if it is indeed possible to achieve it and by what means.

So many touching experiences from countries in conflict. From Syria, they recounted the brutality of the war they have been experiencing since 2011, aggravated by the embargo affecting an exhausted population. AMU projects such as RESTART, which supports micro businesses with loans and personalized mentoring, have helped slow constant migration processes. Christiane, from Lebanon, despite the situation in her country, characterized by very high inflation and high emigration rates aggravated by the impacts of the war in the Middle East, did not give up: she set up with her husband a productive enterprise for family support and to also help other artisans and rural producers sell their products. The productive initiative also extended to Egypt. From Congo, the fruits of the school for training leaders for peace were presented. A graduate of this school, Joëlle, a journalist and a presidential candidate of the Republic of Congo, launched her presidential platform with the values of peace and social justice. Youths from Ukraine greeted those present with a video, and so did some youths from Bethlehem, Pakistan, Cuba, and the Philippines. The “Together for a New Africa” (T4NA) project for African youth interested in changing the continent was presented: trained hundreds of youth and involved another 9,000 youth in an experience that reached 14 African nations.  The same is being done in Mexico with the National Agenda for Peace, in the United States with courageous conversations against racism.

There is a need for true peace and human rights education as well as the need to name conflicts, exploring their reasons, trying to resolve them with a community strategy that listens to diverse and plural positions which precedes and accompanies every negotiation. It has been said that peace is not only the absence of war. Not everything that is called order is peace. It is not ideological: it is not pacifism. It is the condition in which each person can think and realize his own future. But we need to learn dialogue as a methodology, with which to be willing to lose something for the greater good. This is basically the reason for which perhaps negotiations are not progressive and even international organizations do not seem to be able to handle the crisis. Dialogue, trust, local and global networks, inter-generation, community. We start from here, from these key words, encouraged also by Margaret Karram and Jesús Morán , President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, who were present on the final day. This is the road to peace, to which we want to contribute concretely, and together.

Mario Bruno
Photo © Matías Blanco

First published in focolare.org. 

L'articolo ‘Together for Humanity’: Peace and Dialogue as a Methodology proviene da New Humanity.

The “Mediterranean” is currently a priority theme within the framework of the European Union, as a way to encourage, especially among the younger generations, an exchange that promotes inclusion and dialogue. In this context the Erasmus+ project, co-financed by the European Union, was born with the title: “M.E.D.I.T.erraNEW: Mediation, Emotions, Dialogue, Interculturality, Talents to foster youth social inclusion in the Mare Nostrum”, in which New Humanity NGO acts as a partner entity together with 8 others from 5 countries (Italy, Spain, Croatia, France, Lebanon and Egypt) of the Mediterranean basin.

The genesis of the project is linked to previous significant experiences of the partners to promote initiatives of exchange, education, international volunteering, social inclusion of young people coming from familiar contexts of migration. Moreover, recent international conferences, such as those held in 2022 in Florence and in 2023 in Marseille, support the objectives of “MediterraNEW” to underline the educational and peace commitment of all participating entities.

The project is aimed at educators and trainers in the broadest sense of the word and will allow the sharing of good practices in different fields, will value the different experiences and will highlight the complementarities of interventions in the fields of well-being/affection and intercultural and interreligious dialogue, art, conflict mediation and reconciliation to promote integral and inclusive education. It is articulated in different phases where face-to-face and online training meetings are scheduled, as well as the elaboration of a multimedia pedagogical kit that each entity will have to adapt to the situation of its own country and to the social reality where it develops its activity.

In mid-February, a meeting of the project managers of the various entities was held in Florence, the city that hosts the headquarters of the “Centro Internacional La Pira”, the general coordinator of the project. It was a meeting to plan the various stages of the project and to get to know each other. The first two face-to-face training meetings will be held between April and May (Loppiano/Florence and Rome); the third will not take place until September and will be held in Beirut.

Access the project’s webpage to know more.

First published by Fundación Igino Giordani.

L'articolo Get to know the project that will train 180 project managers working with youth in the Mediterranean area proviene da New Humanity.

« The approach is that of “not of bread alone”. – Explains Valerio Gentile, part of the international band, Gen Rosso. – The goal of this project is that of valuing talents, promoting wellbeing and social inclusion of these people defined as “people on the move” ».

The project to which Valerio refers to is called “HeARTmony”, a word composed of heart, art and harmony. Which then – thinking about it – are also the main ingredients of the project! Financed by the European Commission through the ban “Capacity building in the field of youth”, it is born to strengthen the intercultural skills of the young participants, to help them develop social inclusion methodologies for the migrants and refugees of all ages through art and explore the causes and effects of the migrations in the Mediterranean basin.

The main partner of the project, apart from the international band Gen Rosso, are the international association New Humanity and the cultural association, Dancelab Armonia. And then, other five European realities and of the Middle East: The Fundación Igino Giordani (Spain), Humanité Nouvelle (Lebanon), Caritas Lebanon (Lebanon), Caritas Egypt (Egypt), Caritas Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in collaboration with the J.R.S of Bihać.

Thanks to this project, held from the 25^th of July to the 1^st of August, fourteen young interns, coming from Spain, Egypt, Syria, Bosnia and Italy, were able to leave for the first formation scheduled in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Criteria to access: past experience in the field of performing arts.

The first destination was the Youth Centre Giovanni Paolo II of Sarajevo. Here, a team of the Gen Rosso worked in collaboration with the “Social Corner” an initiative desired by Pope Francis, wherein local volunteers animate the days of the guests in the various refugee’s camps. «We held the first part of the course with some theory, – narrated Gentile – exploring especially the relational aspect: how we relate, how do we create a work group, how to strengthen the self – esteem of the migrants, how we bring out their talents, how we can help them become passive spectators to protagonist actors». The second part of the course, more practical, was held in the Ušivak camp on the outskirts of Sarajevo, that accommodates families, unaccompanied minors and youth, coming from Algeria, Afghanistan, Iran, Burundi, as well as Cuba. «Just like this. Because – Valerio clarifies – the migration route for Cubans is: Havana-Moscow, Moscow-Belgrade. To then reach Sarajevo by foot and from there continue to Bihać, where they try to cross the border to Europe».

With them, the Gen Rosso has conducted some dance, choral singing, percussion and communication workshops. Experience that culminated in the performances on the third day. The first at the camp, where some migrants were able to perform in front of their neighbours, taking turns on stage with Gen Rosso. The second, in the gym of the Youth Centre Giovanni Paolo II of Sarajevo, with the inclusion, during the concert, of 24 refugees of the dance, singing and percussion workshops. «In the end, one of them told us: “You’ll have given me the hope go ahead in my journey!” » Valerio remembers with some emotion.

Then, the Gen Rosso and the interns moved to Bihać, on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. «In collaboration with the Jesuit Refugee Service we worked in preparation for the show held on Sunday, with some of the refugees of the informal camps… bivouacs, abandoned houses. They were a few of them, to be honest, because of the pleasant days most of them would try to cross the mountain and the border – explains Valerio – and also from, this we learn a lot».

In the end, on Sunday, 31^st of July, the Gen Rosso and refugees performed in the concert “Una”, organized in collaboration with the municipality of Bihać, and born from the will to sustain and encourage the city and local population that continues to persevere in the welcoming of refugees. “Una” like the river that flows, alongside the border between Croatia and Bosnia, and symbolically unites both the countries.

Tamara Pastorelli

For further details and other updates: https://www.new-humanity.org/en/project/heartmony/ 

First published at United World Project

L'articolo Art creates a common ground for migrants and refugees in Bosnia – HeARTmony Project proviene da New Humanity.

Titled “Connecting with Others,” the workshop garnered 365 registrations from 21 European and 31 non-European countries, offering language options in English, Italian, German, and French.

The workshop content featured three main speakers, experts in the discussed themes, followed by six individuals who shared their Christian-Muslim interfaith experiences.

Luciano di Mele, an Italian communication scholar, was the first speaker, highlighting the manipulation of communication through disinformation and fake news. He emphasized the role of media education in countering misinformation.

Ramazan Özgü, a Swiss Muslim professor, stressed the importance of involving minority voices in major discussions, emphasizing dialogue as a platform for public discourse. Structural barriers hindering Muslim participation were addressed.

The significance of interreligious dialogue between Catholics and Muslims in breaking stereotypes and fostering inclusivity and strong democracy was underscored. The Focolare Movement’s dialogical approach was praised for improving relations and integrating Muslim refugees in Europe.

Ramazan supported the Swiss initiative “We Are Also Here,” empowering Muslim youth in media engagement and political involvement. The value of alliances between minority groups was emphasized, along with initiatives against online hate.

The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) was lauded as a step towards a fairer digital landscape, promoting transparency and countering hate speech. The importance of regulating digital platforms to ensure equitable representation and combat misinformation was highlighted.

The essence of democratic societies lies in dialogue, transcending boundaries and understanding diverse perspectives. Interfaith dialogue was hailed as a valuable platform for sharing ideas, fostering mutual understanding, and cooperation among religious groups.

The third speaker, Michele Zanzucchi, addressed Islamophobia in Europe, highlighting the complex relationship between Europe and the Islamic world. He suggested mutual understanding and using religion to resolve conflicts as antidotes.

Various speakers shared initiatives promoting interfaith understanding, such as breakfast gatherings and cultural events. They stressed education, mutual respect, and acknowledging shared values to promote unity.

Participants identified two principles: reciprocity and dialogue, and fraternity. They proposed actions like fostering interaction, educating youth about human rights and dialogue, promoting good practices, and disseminating government initiatives supporting minorities.

Click HERE for a full description of the workshop

L'articolo Connecting with Others – Practising the Art of Dialogue proviene da New Humanity.

L'articolo United World Project: a dream of fraternity is born proviene da New Humanity.

On the 5th  February 2022 a special event for Living Peace will take place: the date will mark its 10th anniversary. This is a project addressed in particular to the world of school and youth groups, and born with the aim of developing, in the different learning and living environments, the commitment to live peace and for peace through a path of active citizenship. (to find out more: http://livingpeaceinternational.org/en/the-project.html )

 In these 10 years, the project has also found application in other expressions of society (parishes, artistic groups, associations, etc.) of the five continents belonging to different cultures and religions, and thanks to this it has contributed to the creation of a culture of peace that starts from personal life and extends to concrete actions in various fields: cultural, sporting, artistic, social, ecological, etc… 

During the webinar we want to go through the significant stages of the project through the stories of the protagonists of the first hour and of the promoters of the culture of peace in the different continents, interspersed with some artistic contributions of the young people and partners of Living Peace.

The event will be broadcasted live on 5th February on Living Peace YouTube channel, from 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm. It will be possible to select your language (Italian, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish).

 Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjchKxtbrnQ 

Video promo of the event: https://youtu.be/mQ5YT1o9Y_k

L'articolo 10 years for peace. Tenth anniversary of the Living Peace International project proviene da New Humanity.

Do you want to contribute to a united world, representing the United World Project and New Humanity NGO in your country and working with national and international institutions such as UNESCO and the United Nations? You are invited to join us!

Who are we ?

The United World Ambassadors program is promoted by New Humanity International NGO, a Non-governmental organization of the Focolare Movement. The mission of the NGO is to be the expression of the values, ideas and good practices that are born from the life of the Focolare Movement in every sphere of society, the idea of a united world, promoting the spirit of universal fraternity at all levels, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1987 it obtained Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Social and Economic Council (ECOSOC), and has held General Consultative Status since 2005. In 2008 it was recognized as an NGO partner of UNESCO. New Humanity NGO is one of the main promoters of the United World Project.

The ‘United World Ambassadors’ program aims at creating a worldwide network of youth who become spokesperson of New Humanity NGO at national and international level, being the bridge between local and global efforts for a united world. Specifically, the ‘United World Ambassadors’ will be in charge of establishing a collaborative relationship with national Institutions (such as the UNESCO National Commissions,) Governments, and Civil and Religious Organizations. Their task is to identify, collect and present the best practices promoted over the years in their respective countries, with the final aim of obtaining the recognition of the United World Week at the United Nations.

Who are we looking for ?

Young people between 18 and 30 years old who share a passion for universal fraternity and a united world, who are enthusiastic to learn more about international and intercultural relations and ways to have an impact by being global citizens, and by working together with others from all over the world.

Our activities and expectations: The ambassadors’ role

• Engage in an online formation program to be prepared to interact with international and other institutions.
• Collect good practices on concrete ways in which people are living for universal fraternity in our cities, countries or regions to show how a united world is possible.
• To be the spokesperson for New Humanity NGO and the United World project both locally and with the international institutions.
•  Active participation in the United World Ambassador Network, working with professionals from the New Humanity Offices all around the world and partner associations. Concretely as ambassadors we commit ourselves to learn, to share and to act for a united world. We commit ourselves to do this for at least two years to ensure the continuity of the program. In this way we make steps to realize change in our communities and in the international institutions and we have a chance to live valuable life and professional experiences together.

On Tuesday May 4th 2021, 20h-21h (Rome time) during the United World Week, we will hold a webinar on this call for those who are interested.

How to apply ?

Please fill out the application form (click here).

The application process will close on Friday June 4th 2021.

Do you have any questions ?

Contact us at: uwa@new-humanity.org

L'articolo Call for ‘United World Ambassadors’ proviene da New Humanity.

16 young people from 4 continents attended the first school of formation for ambassadors for united world promoted by New Humanity.

School of formation and hands-on workshop. The 16 young people who qualified for the school came from Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, Philippines, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain and the United States. Due to their interest in the themes and principles of New Humanity, they were selected to be part of the “United World Ambassadors” program promoted by the same NGO. The school of formation focused on the role of international institutions and NGOs and the values of peace and universal fraternity that inspire New Humanity’s international action. The school offered the attendees plenty of opportunities to put into practice at UNESCO what they learned.

UNESCO Delegations. On September 5th, during the visit to UNESCO, the young people had the opportunity to meet with the representatives of the UNESCO delegations from their respective countries and to offer their vision, with respect to the current critical challenges of peace, ecology and fraternity.

Holy See and NGO-UNESCO Committee. The young people also met with Mons. Follo, Permanent Observer of the Holy See (read more) and with Marie Claude Machon, Philippe Beaussant and Patrick Gallaud, respectively President, Vice-President and former President of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee.

New Humanity and the NGOs. The week included also a series of lectures, sharing of experiences and debates on topics facilitated by various representatives of New Humanity (including the main representatives of the NGO in Paris and Geneva) and other NGOs, such as MIEC, AISA and IDC.

Marco Desalvo, President of New Humanity, summed up the week as follows: “We talked about what we mean by ‘united world’, what peace and human rights are and, as a consequence, what we mean by ‘person’ … then together we worked on translating all the good practices that our young people promote daily in the world into a language that can inspire international institutions and promote, in all spheres of society and at every level, the spirit of universal brotherhood proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

Work plan for the future. At the end of the week, the young people worked on defining an action plan for the New Humanity “United World Ambassadors” program that will see them as protagonists in continuing to promote their shared ideal of universal fraternity both at an international level and in their respective countries.

Transformed and prepared. “We realized we lived a deeply transformational experience” — the young people wrote at the end of the week. “We leave from here full of hope and more prepared to face the challenges of today’s world”.

Photo Gallery:

{gallery}UNITED WORLD AMBASSADORS TRAINING SCHOOL – Paris – 2-7 September 2019{/gallery}

L'articolo The New Humanity’s young ambassadors of a United World are protagonists at UNESCO proviene da New Humanity.

This summer, the Focolare Movement and New Humanity are connecting people, cultures and stories of the great European family

70 years after the first Mariapolis in the Italian Dolomites, the event is returning to its place of origin for a special 2019 edition…

Event website

The Mariapolis, or “city of Mary”, is a laboratory of life that the Focolare Movement organizes every year in many places around the world, where people of all ages, cultures, religious beliefs and social backgrounds gather for a few days of leisure, spirituality and reflection. The Mariapolises offer an opportunity to rejuvenate the spirit by refocusing on what’s essential, through experiences of dialogue and mutual love.

The first Mariapolis took place in 1949, following an intuition of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement. This 4-week European edition of the Mariapolis will offer the chance to about 600 people per week, from about 50 countries, to live an experience of fraternity and rediscover the beauty of Europe in its diversity.

Title of this edition: “Aim high”

New Humanity sponsors the event, together with the City and Community of Primiero.

L'articolo European Mariapolis 2019 proviene da New Humanity.