Whoever sets out on the journey towards universal fraternity, never turns back!  Andrea Cardinali shares a special milestone for him on that journey.  He was one of the presenters of “Let’s Bridge”, that historic Genfest 2012, in Budapest, the very first to be held outside Italy.

Let’s meet Andrea. He’s unstoppable! Now 36 and newly married to Veronica, he teaches religious studies or ‘the science of happiness’, as he and his pupils like to call it, when they get their grades at the end of the year. He also teaches Philosophy, plays football and is a writer.  He recalls Genfest 2012 vividly; it was the first to be held after Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, had died. It was a time of maturing and change for the Focolare, which promotes the worldwide Genfests, including the first time in 40 years that it was to be held outside Italy.  Andrea gave up his football training in order to fulfil his dream of Genfest in Budapest and became one of the main presenters.

Is it true, Andrea, that you gave up your training in order to prepare for Genfest in Budapest?

“In a way, yes.  My team knew that I had a commitment coming up at the beginning of September 2012, but to miss the first training sessions of the season was unheard of!   I tried my best to keep training when I got to Budapest, but I soon realised there just wasn’t time”.

How do you look back on Genfest 2012?

“It was one of the most important events of my life, because all the different threads came together: helping others, using my talents, my family history and the choices I continue to make today, if I think of where I am now. Being alongside other young people brought a lot of joy and strength and built friendships which still remain today”.

Tell us about the moment you were asked to be one of the presenters?

“I remember I was one of the ‘candidates’ because I had presented cultural events before, so my name was circulating!  Then I received a phone call telling me I had been chosen to be the presenter in Italian, with two others, one for English and one Hungarian.  At first, I was a bit shocked, but then I found the strength and enthusiasm, together with the others, to rise to the challenge of this new adventure of holding the first Genfest without Chiara, in a country which had never staged such big events before.  It was truly a historic moment”.

Can you give us an idea of a typical day in the organisation of this event?

“In the mornings we worked really hard with Tamara Pastorelli our script writer, who tirelessly encouraged us to make the script our own, to internalise it, not simply to read or recite it, but to believe in the words with all our being.  Then in the afternoons we worked on the stage production with Max Fenaroli and artistic director Mite Balduzzi.  All the different teams worked in synergy with one another.  We often came together in the evenings to relax, those of us who were staying in the ‘performers village’”.

What do you remember most about those days?

“I remember breaking down in tears one day, when we were rehearsing together with our producer, because it was my grandfather’s anniversary and when I had to tell my story, it brought back all my memories of him.  That was a turning point because it reminded me of my roots, which gave me new strength to live the coming days.  The others thought I might be too upset to continue but instead his memory really helped me, all the more because the theme of the Genfest was ‘Let’s Bridge’ and I realised I could be a bridge between generations, that of my parents and grandparents who had lived for a united world before me.  From that moment, the Genfest took on a whole new meaning”.

That Genfest marked the birth of the United World Project.  You yourself announced it…

“Yes, that moment signaled a change in my life and the life of many young people because it was the launchpad for so many projects all working for the same goal.  Coming home, we immediately told others about it, and tried to see what we could do in our area and how it could be ongoing.  Imagine, seven years afterwards, in 2019, I travelled to Palestine with the organisation DanceLab for Harmony between Peoples; we had some wonderful workshops with Palestinian children under the United World Project banner.  In the light of what these children and young people are going through now, caught up in the war, we cannot underestimate what this type of projects means for them and for us. I wish I could go back there! Experiences like these, which are bigger than yourself, stay with you for the rest of your life.  Budapest was the same”.

Do you believe UWP is still relevant today… is universal fraternity still relevant?  We hear it mentioned a lot… but what then?

Universal fraternity is more relevant than ever, but you have to understand how it works.  The proposal United World Project made 12 years ago, is one that is based upon the Words of the Gospel.  Whoever sets out to live it with words and actions knows that every day is a learning process.  I am fortunate enough to be a school teacher so I witness first hand that choosing fraternity demands a great deal of flexibility in order to understand each student in front of you and to love them in a unique way: ‘love’ is strong word, I know, but fraternity means to love with a measure that goes beyond ‘ordinary’ love, beyond what is expected.  Today children respond very powerfully to this.  I know when I need to love more by looking at my pupils. Love has its own way of ordering things!  the more a child feels understood by you, the teacher, the more you, the teacher, learn from them, as though you were the pupil! It’s wonderful.