Bianca Tombini, Piotr Kowalczuk
The meeting in Budapest is dedicated to the urgent need to restore peace and friendship worldwide. Massimiliano Signifredi, the organizer of the event, explains: “There are too many wars. We have become accustomed to the language of violence. We need meetings to build friendship and dialogue in order to show the power of peace in the hearts of young people.”
War enters our lives
Signifredi emphasizes that it is important to reach young people around the world, who are bombarded with news of endless wars, with the testimony of peace. “War is terrifying,” he says. “It has entered not only our language, but also our daily lives.” The presence of over 150 Ukrainians participating in the meeting is an example of resistance and the will to build peace for a different future.”
Young Ukrainians demonstrate the power of peace
He points out that the young arrivals from Ukraine are people whose lives were turned upside down by the war. Their dreams ended when it began. “But they have worked hard,” says Director Signifredi. “They support the Community’s humanitarian activities, deliver food to those most in need, visit the elderly, and offer educational activities for children and youth affected by the trauma of war.”
He emphasizes that young Ukrainians carry with them an extraordinary power of peace and solidarity, which can be promoted through initiatives such as the Youth for Peace meeting. “If, as Pope Francis said, the Third World War is being fought ‘piecemeal,’ then the Community of Sant’Egidio and Youth for Peace in Ukraine are building fragments of peace,” Signifredi concludes.
Highlights of the meeting
Young people from the Sant’Egidio Community will discuss several important issues of our time, such as migration, poverty, and climate change. The goal of the event is to spread a culture of peace based on solidarity and respect. A meeting with the President of the Sant’Egidio Community, Marco Impagliazzo, is also planned, and—as Signifredi explains—”the event will conclude with a particularly moving moment: a flash mob on Margaret Island, from which a message of peace will be sent to the whole world.”
“The world is burning. We must act”
Signifredi points out that although times are not easy, young people fully understand the importance of not forgetting the past, changing the present, and imagining a better future. “At a time when war has been rehabilitated as a tool for resolving international disputes,” Signifredi says, “the youth of the Sant’Egidio Community remain vigilant, ensuring that past wars are not forgotten, for there is a danger that further conflicts will erupt.” “It is important,” he continues, “to look at reality as it is. The world is burning; we must act to break this spiral of violence.” “Thanks to events such as Global Friendship,” Signifredi concludes, “young people feel valued. They know that their voices, finally heard, matter.”
