Partnership agreement signed between FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and New Humanity, the international NGO of the Focolare Movement. Objective: to continue to work together to defeat world hunger by 2030.

This agreement reinforces collaboration that has already begun: it is a document that confirms our common commitment to eradicate hunger and poverty from our planet. This is the meaning of the partnership agreement signed on December 19 in Rome between the FAO, the largest UN agency dealing with food and agriculture, and New Humanity, the international NGO of the Focolare Movement. The aim of the agreement is to promote, especially among younger generations, actions, activities and initiatives to implement the Zero Hunger project, according to the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development.

“Thank you for the work you have already done with us as New Humanity, for your collaboration in working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), for Zero Hunger and for the future of the planet and the world”. With these words Dr. Yasmina Bouziane, Director of FAO’s Office for Institutional Communication, welcomed Dr. Marco Desalvo, President of the New Humanity NGO, together with a small delegation of young people from the Focolare Movement, to the FAO headquarters in Rome. “We know we have only 10 more years to achieve these goals.  What you do with young people from all walks of life is extremely important because young people are innovators, they bring about change and they want facts.  Without facts – without information – we cannot achieve the concrete actions we want”. “What we are signing today”, he added, “is another recognition that it is only in partnership that we can move forward. We already greatly appreciate what the Focolare Movement and New Humanity have done through their own initiatives, so together, I think we can certainly go ahead and truly support the countries and the entire planet to achieve the Agenda 2030 Goals”.

“Thank you.  This means a lot to us too”, said Marco Desalvo talking about the agreement. “There are thousands of young people already working for the Zero Hunger project but this is also a new commitment for us. Yesterday I was reflecting on the fact that Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare Movement, started out by going to help the people who were hungry in Trent and thought that this was the way to solve the social problem of the city. Now we are spread all over the world and we want to continue and reach the goal”.

The collaboration between FAO and New Humanity started some time ago. In response to FAO’s invitation to young people to support and commit to Zero Hunger, many initiatives have begun. A group made up of young people from 11 countries has drawn up the Youth4Unity for Zero Hunger “Charter of Commitment”. Every year in May, the United World Week and the Run4Unity world relay race are also dedicated to raising awareness and taking action on the Zero Hunger front. The bimonthly magazine Teens has a column dedicated to these Zero Hunger issues.

In June 2018, 630 young girls (from 9 to 14 years old) of the Focolare Movement were welcomed in the FAO headquarters in Rome. As a result of their commitment to this Zero Hunger goal, each girl was given a passport and they became “the first Zero Hunger citizens”. Recently a book for young people aged 12 – 14 years has been produced thanks to the joint efforts of the FAO and New Humanity. It is entitled “Generation #ZeroHunger. Young people on the way to a world without hunger”. Using experiences and examples drawn from real life, the book proposes a new way of living that can contribute to a united world and, therefore, to overcoming hunger and poverty. A copy was given to Dr. Bouziane who said, “I will cherish this book, thank you!”

She went on to say that young people must evaluate together what are their priorities and to what will they show commitment. The young people present explained that these priorities will also be discussed at the next international formation meetings for the new generations in Trent at the beginning of 2020 and at the Youth4Unity workshops in Kenya and Ivory Coast.  “Our commitment”, -concluded Dr. Bouziane, “is to work with you on your priorities in order to reach Zero Hunger, because our priority is to reach Zero Hunger together with you”.

Source: focolare.org