After Budapest, Jerusalem, Nairobi and Mumbai, this year it was the turn of Quito (Ecuador), the host country of the International event with the title “LINK CULTURES – Un Camino para la Paz “, and because of the terrible earthquake that happened there, the focus of United World Week this year has been very Special: an opportunity to “shout with more power for peace and unity for our peoples.

In the program of United World Week, founded by the youth of the Focolare Movement after the Genfest 1995 and which involves the whole Movement, the 2016 edition had been prepared with an eye focused on Ecuador and interculturalism, inherent in the Andean countries. The aim: to give voice to the culture of fraternity present in the world, capable of activating the best in each one of us.

The Festival for Peace and Solidarity, that was in 7th of May to conclude the United World Week, in Quito, makes part of the various activities that started on the 1st of May and were held around the world for the UNITED WORLD WEEK.

At the hands of the youth in many parts of the world, another action for the United World Week is the Run4unity: at every latitude, from 11:00 to 24:00, it is a path running on foot, bikes, rollerblading, boating. As a conclusion the time-out, a moment of silence or prayer for peace. Some of the landmarks: Mexicali, Mexico, the border towns with the United States; in Bari, Italy, was held in the Istituto Penale Minorile Fornelli; to Sopron, Hungary, a city on the border with Austria, Run4unity has been added to an official race that crosses the border and in which youth refugees in the refugees camps in Australia can participate.

The day of 1º Maggio sees traditional appointments for the youth in Loppiano, Italy, and Abrigada, Portugal. “Many people on one planet, we are brothers. We Live and work so this fraternity can be translated in the policy, economy, social and culture. “Per arrivare ad un mondo migliore in cui siamo famiglia perché siamo esseri umani” is the idea that has animated the preparation of the program in Loppiano. In Abrigada the day was focused on the idea of peace as a focal point, which allows us to see the reality in “high definition”. The commitment to live for peace in those days was very strong.

In Lebanon, the Youth for a United World along with some scouts, during a day, they went to clean the beach and collect the rubbish thrown there. They took advantage of this moment to share the experiences and eat together.

In Chile, the Youth for a United World, in combination with the local community, have gathered for a family day and then they prepared a typical food and took it to the homeless people as an activity of the United World Week!

In France, they did a sports tournament in the heart of Paris, in which, about 40 youth gathered for the 5th edition of Run4Unity, to live together moments of fraternity, to discover each other through sport. It was very important and significant the participation of many youth from Afghanistan.

In Argentina, came the idea of doing an “artistic Varieté”, because they found out that the way to pass what they live to their friends is through art and the fact of being together . they took advantage to collect food to donate to the poor and they have collected money to send to Ecuador!

The United World Week was realized in the whole world and the local initiatives have been experienced with this global horizon. From the concert for peace in Medan, Indonesia, to the visits to the elderly people in New Zealand in living the debate on the legalization of euthanasia. From Amani Festival in Goma, in the Democratic Rep. of Congo, to the ecumenical workshop wanted by the youth and priests of the Catholic churches, the Russian Orthodox, Armenian, Lutheran and evangelical “to go beyond the prejudices.”

The United World Week is a week to help create peaceful relationships between peoples and cultures, while respecting the identity of each communities and people. A proposal to national and international institutions, public and private, to highlight and enhance the initiatives that promote unity at every level.

Many initiatives for the youth, teenagers and adults, in these editions of United World Week that have been seen got more space in the public opinion , in the media, among the institutions. On every point on the planet, making fascinating strong ideals: to convince the world that it is “time to fraternity”.
You can follow many of the various initiatives through the addresses:
https://www.unitedworldproject.org/it/, http://www.y4uw.org/it/ and fb.com/uwpofficial.