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John Paul II Foundation / News (Page 4)

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Magazine, News
April 11, 2024

The Mediterranean Youth Council will inaugurate its official headquarters at the Bishop's Seminary in Fiesole on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 4 p.m. H.E. Msgr. Giuseppe Baturi, secretary of the Italian Bishops' Conference, and Ambassador Pasquale Ferrara, Director General for Political Affairs and Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, will speak at the inauguration. In addition, five young people will be present to represent the delegates. The office will serve as the official headquarters for the meetings of the "Mare Nostrum" network, composed of the four entities involved in the project: the Giovanni Paolo II Foundation, the Giorgio La Pira Foundation, the "Giorgio La Pira" International Center and the "Giorgio La Pira" Youth Work. The venue will be the place where the 40 delegates from more than 18 countries will meet once a year to discuss issues such as peace, interreligious dialogue and the role of youth in the political, economic and social reality of the Mediterranean. You can...

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Magazine, News
April 8, 2024

On April 4, the Mediterranean Youth Council, which came into being as a result of the 2022 Mediterranean Bishops' meetings in Florence, met in Brussels with European institutions to discuss issues concerning the future of youth, peace among peoples and interreligious dialogue. The meeting was attended by Dr. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Msgr. Mariano Crociata, President of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, MEP Beatrice Covassi, Patrizia Giunti, President of the La Pira Foundation, 4 Youth of the Board, and Tina Hamalaya, operational secretary of the John Paul II Foundation's Mediterranean Youth Council. ...

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Magazine, News
March 28, 2024

Dear Friends of the Foundation, These days we write on our social media, on our webpage, "a safe place" for the children of Bethlehem. A few words are enough to unite us in a dilated embrace to reach out to that land and place the origin and inspiration of the Founders of the Foundation. "Place-Safe Place-Children-Bethlehem" are the cardinal points that reconfigure the space where it is still possible to experience hope mortally wounded by the terrible consequences of violence, savagery, absence of humanity in men that no century has limited (the Israel-Hamas war). The place: our Bethlehem location. A large garden area in the immediate vicinity of the historic center where the architecture of buildings bordering on beauty in form and color impose themselves and already host -for extracurricular activities- the children of Bethlehemite families. Safe: because it ensures. It has a protective function whereby one feels safe and regains a sense of tranquility, helps to leave behind the...

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Magazine, News, Uncategorized
March 21, 2024

Rome, March 18-20, 2024 ITALIAN EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE National Office for Social Communications Permanent Council Final Communiqué- excerpt Mediterranean Youth Council. An update was presented about the activities of the Mediterranean Youth Council, a sign-work born following the Meeting of Mediterranean Bishops and Mayors (Florence, Feb. 23-27, 2022). Strongly desired and supported by the CEI, the project aims to care for the spiritual dimension, strengthen pastoral action in the face of today's challenges and build fraternal relationships. As part of the Council's work, a meeting of the Executive, accompanied by Msgr. Baturi, with Msgr. Mariano Crociata, President of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, and with Dr. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is scheduled for April 3 and 4 in Brussels. Then, on April 16, the Council's headquarters will be inaugurated in Fiesole. Also under construction is the web portal of the Mediterranean Youth Council, where they will be...

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March 19, 2024

We have to say God bless Don Giovanni Sassolini, one of the inspirers and founders of our Foundation. As we extend our embrace to the family members, we extend a grateful and thankful thought to Don Giovanni for his service and for the good he wished the Holy Land and the John Paul II Foundation....

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February 23, 2024

"The human capacity to carve out a niche for oneself, to secrete a shell, to erect around oneself a tenuous barrier of defense even in seemingly desperate circumstances is astounding and deserves a more in-depth study" (P. Levi, "If This is a Man. The Truce," 1958). The amazement at how human beings manage, in spite of everything, to survive in extreme contexts such as those of a war and somehow even "accept" its dramatic consequences becomes even greater when the object of our reflection is children. We wonder where they derive the strength to go through such an experience without permanently collapsing; yet, except in limited cases, children who have gone through the atrocities of war do not go "out of their minds." Most of the time, these children even seem to us better, more helpful, more mature than they are in "normal" situations. This incredible ability to adapt can lead us adults to underestimate the...

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Magazine, News
February 23, 2024

Daydreaming is the faculty of the mind that spontaneously recreates experiences and experiences, immersing itself in another reality. Children possess a vivid imagination; they invent characters and stories by experiencing them as if they were real. As they grow up they understand the difference between reality and the imaginary-a friendly world, a free, open land, harmony with nature. Sometimes reality seems threatening, intrusive, difficult to understand and deal with. But when reality does NOT seem but IS, what tools come to the rescue of the imagination, the dream? Where to wander with the mind, retreat to an imaginary world and find refuge from the fears, loneliness, dangers that are about to extinguish any relationship with what was familiar to us until yesterday? This brief reflection accompanied us on the difficult, uncertain, challenging path of helping the children of Bethlehem today in danger and tomorrow likely victims of the reality that is erasing all imaginary fantasy and smiles or made orphans by violence...

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Magazine, News
February 1, 2024

Hi, I'm Mara, a Universal Civil Service volunteer with the John Paul II Foundation in Lebanon. Of all the places in the world, I chose Lebanon. Because Lebanon is inspiring and puts before you constant surprises. It is a country full of contrasts, luxurious buildings next to dilapidated houses, festive nights in Beirut and teeming alleys in the traditional souks of Saida and Tripoli, snow-capped mountains looking out to the shimmering sea. A place where nothing works properly but everything goes on nonetheless. Lebanon is where, thanks to the myriad challenges and daily inconveniences (from tremendously slow connectivity, to lack of electricity or running water, from unpredictable geopolitical situations to constant uncertainties, just to name a few), I learn to adapt to the most changing circumstances. It is where I find new resources in myself as I continue to explore the country and immerse myself in its culture, traditions and infinite identities. The Service...

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January 17, 2024

"The situation in Israel and Palestine is very complex, difficult, getting worse with each passing day. The war is spreading to the whole Middle East. We must strongly call for peace, for an immediate cease-fire," these were the first words of Father Ibrahim Faltas, vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, speaking in Florence at an evening of reflection on the situation in the Middle East. The meeting sponsored by Alessandro Tonelli, president of the Rotary Club of Fiesole and Andrea Bottinelli, president of the John Paul II Foundation was attended by many Rotary Clubs in the Florence area. More than 200 people crowded the auditorium of the Innovation Center, built on the Florentine lungarni, recovering the ancient Granaio dell'Abbondanza, built in 1695 for Grand Duke Cosimo III dei Medici. Participants in the evening included the secretary general of the Chamber of Commerce, Giuseppe Salvini, entrepreneur Giammarco Piacenti, the president of the Order of Journalists of Tuscany, Giampaolo Marchini, the director of the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation,...

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January 8, 2024

Civil Service is an opportunity for training, personal growth and education in active citizenship that contributes to the social, economic, environmental and cultural development of the countries where it takes place. We invite you to carefully read the full text of the Call for Proposals at the following link to discover all the benefits and opportunities https://www.scelgoilserviziocivile.gov.it/leggi-il-bando/il-testo/ The John Paul II Foundation is offering 4 young people between the ages of 18 and 28 the chance to have a meaningful experience as volunteer workers in Lebanon and Jordan. In Jordan, the project focuses on supporting services for hearing-impaired children in the areas of inclusive education and health. While in Lebanon, the goal of the project is to contribute to the improvement of socio-economic and environmental conditions in rural communities by enhancing natural resources through sustainable consumption and development models. The commitment required will be 12 months, with an average of 25 hours of service per week. Interested young people can send their applications to...

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