India: 3000 young people gather for peace and dialogue

Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs from all over the world will gather in Coimbatore for “Supercongress 2009”. The event is organised by Teens for Unity and the young Hindus of the Shanti Ashram.

The young people will show a face of India that is far from religious sectarianism and violence.

They will witness that by living the Golden Rule “Do to others what you would have them do to you”, all the walls between different cultures and faiths can be broken down, and universal fraternity can be achieved.

This is the objective of the Supercongres 2009 organised by Focolare’s Teens for Unity and Hindu young people from the Gandhian institution Shanti Ashram. It will take place in Coimbatore (in Tamil Nadu in southern India), from 8 to 12 of August.

Besides the Hindus and Christians of India, who planned the event, and a large multinational group of Christian Teens for Unity, there will be Christians and Muslims from Jerusalem, Christians and Sikhs from Ireland, and Muslims and Christians from the Philippines and Holland.  
 

There will be a very full programme of events: Saturday 8 August - Kumaraguru College of Technology in Coimbatore. 
Through testimonies, and artistic and cultural contributions they explained, to 3000 of their peers, what has been achieved over recent years by living the Golden Rule: in projects aiming to resolve problems of marginalisation and poverty; by promoting peace and solidarity at all levels, and taking practical steps on the journey of interreligious dialogue.   
 
Sunday 9 August – “Peace Festival” with an open invitation to local people, at the Avinashi Hall. Civil dignitaries and religious leaders, both local and national will attend. In a symbolic gesture, the youngest participants of the main religions will demonstrate their commitment to “take the first step” for peace and unity so as to be visible witnesses of a united world. 
 
10-12 August – in the villages of Tamil Nadu and the schools of Coimbatore  - 700 representatives from various countries will enter into the life of the villages and schools of Coimbatore. Through workshops of solidarity and animation of activities with local children, and thanks to the hospitality of hundreds of families, the young people will come into contact with the local culture, and discover the traditions of rural India, in an enriching cultural exchange. Finally they will make proposals and lay plans for the future in the presence of Abdul Kalam, former president of India.

 
Supercongress 2009 is the fifth international gathering of Teens for Unity, and for the first time it is taking place outside Rome, and promoted and organised in collaboration with another organisation, the Gandhian Hindu movement Shanti Ashram, giving the event a clear interreligious and intercultural orientation.  
 
There is already a blog available for sharing messages and photos from all over the world during the preparations and during the event itself (http://supercongres2009.blogspot.com/)

How collaboration between Focolare and Shanti Ashram happened – It came about through the meeting between Doctor M. Aram, lifetime senator and one of the presidents of the World Conference on Religions for Peace (WCRP), and Chiara Lubich during the inaugural session of the VI th World Assembly in the Synod Hall of the Vatican in 1994.

On that occasion Chiara was invited to visit India, a visit that happened some years later in 2001, when Shanti Ashram and the Sarvodaya Movement awarded Chiara the “Gandhi award – Defender of Peace.” This event marked in important stage in dialogue between Christians and Hindus and led to a continuing series of meetings and symposia as well as the planning of common projects for the fulfilment of universal fraternity.

From 1994 the New Families Movement, another part of Focolare became involved, with its adoptions at a distance project. Supercongress 2009 aims to be a witness of this common journey and to project it into the future through the younger generations who aim to take up and develop this precious legacy.   

Learn Tamil in 10 minutes

Teens for Unity, in dialogue with peers in India, to discover the culture of the subcontinent. Flash from the travel diary  

Three thousand young people from different faiths and cultures meet in India for the Supercongress 2009. Underlying theme of the event is the "golden rule": do to others what you would want done to yourself. An international team has preceded them on the spot for the final preparations. 
 
On the Supercongress website you can find an ingenious approach to the culture: Learn Tamil in 10 minutes. Thirty words or expressions basis, with a sound, to be able to understand the Indian friends. That is what we read on their blog http://supercongres2009.blogspot.com/

«The Teens for Unity of Mumbai helped us to penetrate and understand their culture even further, our first stop was the vast laundry of Mumbai (where over 5000 employees handwash clothes in separate open sinks.) This demonstrated the effort and commitment of a people driven organisation. As opposed to using computers or technologies, their system is based on numbers assigned to families; laundry is successfully collected and delivered around the city areas without any mistakes».

«We are now writing to you from Coimbatore, where we have all arrived on Tuesday 4th August. At the airport we received a traditional Hindu welcome from some Hindu youth – they put ‘thilagam’ (the red dot) on each of our foreheads. With them we arrived at Kumaraguru College of Technology, a bustling campus built in the traditional Indian style in 1984 by Doctor Mahalingam, (the college is atteneded by students of all religions.) The hospitality was second none, everything including the smallest details were thought of: this is the expression of the Indian creed that the guest is sacred. That is what was written on the gift we received upon arrival at the airport: “ In the true Indian spirit we consider you our guest an expression of the Divine. Athiti devo bhava!” We too are preparing a warm welcome for all the youth who will be arriving over the next few days».

Elena, from Italy, writes: «I was lucky enough to be involved in the early preparations for this Supercongress already in Rome. We worked on the General programme and I felt a real responsibility towards the Supercongress in Rome. Therefore, I understood it was important to do my best in each moment. My expectations of the Supercongress are that it will be a unique moment in my life, to see so many different cultures united under one ideal – the Golden Rule».

And in the other Countries? From Great Britain they came in 9. Stuart, one of them, tells us: «Many of us had to fundraise to be able to come to India. However, we knew that it would be worth the effort and therefore got straight to work. Some of our financial efforts included cooking and selling an Indian meal to the public, organising a sponsored bike ride, and finally numerous bag packs. Also, a women from Cafod came and gave us a useful talk on what to expect like the slums, poverty and the overwhelming hospitality we would receive».

In Los Angeles, USA, the two delegates of the Teens for Unity, had prepared for coming to India together with their friends, who helped them to raise the founds: a sale of snacks, a lottery.

There are 15 Teens for Unity from Austria: they arrived with a route that involved many friends. In May, a tournament of football and volleyball in Vienna with 250 boys and July, a benefit concert.

Donatien arrived from France some days ago to help in the preparations: «I wanted to come to the Supercongress, not only because I had never been to one before, but because I felt it would be a good way to see and live a different way of life whilst improving my English. To participate in a Supercongress is a smashing experience. At home in France, we made a short dvd about our activities with the teens for unity over the last two years. I brought it with me to share it as a gift for an exchange of experiences. I have noticed that the Indian teens are very friendly. They have been so open from the start, teaching us about cricket which is huge there, and they took us shopping in Mumbai». 
 

18 Christians Arrested In Maharashtra

VASAI, Maharashtra, Aug. 13, 2009, 15.10 Hrs (SAR News):

A Cross on the residential building of the Don Bosco Fathers at Vasai was damaged by miscreants, August 10 evening. Fourteen shops owned by Christians in Virar and Nallasopra were also ransacked and one shop was burnt down by antisocial elements.

The next day Christians were disallowed from parking their two-wheelers at the parking lot near Platform No. 1 of Virar railway station.

Police arrested 18 Christians August 11 around noon for agitating the previous night over an attack on men and women carried out by the goons of a local builder.

Some 53 villages in Thane district are protesting their absorption into the newly formed Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation, alleging that this would lead to unregulated growth with builders gobbling up village land.

According to Manvel Tuscano, who has lodged an FIR at Nalasopara police station, MLA Thakur, MP Baliram Jadhav, and party members Aju Patil, Umesh Naik and police escorts arrived at Wagholi Naka and engaged in verbal duel with the villagers.

He said he arrived at the spot after he was informed that the MLA and his men were causing trouble at Wagholi. “When I tried to reason with the policemen, someone hit me on the back of my head. That was when the situation got out of control,” said Tuscano.

MLA Thakur had allegedly assaulted one villager Vincent Pereira. In the melee that ensued, Thakur had to abandon his police escort and fleet of vehicles and run to the next village Nale from he was rescued by the police. The police rescued Jadhav from Wagholi.

On August 11 morning, Tuscano lodged an FIR at the Nallasopara police station against Thakur and his men for violation of law and order.

Thakur, the strongman of Virar, controls much of the development in the area and had helped Jadhav win the Palghar Lok Sabha seat in the last election.

The attack led to a shutdown in the twin suburbs of Vasai and Virar and three State Reserve Police platoons were deployed in the area.

A fishing and farming zone, the Vasai-Virar region in Thane has seen a construction boom over the past two decades with Mumbaikars eyeing cheaper housing. Much of the construction is illegal, the villagers say.

The 53 villages formed a Gaon Bachao Sangharsha Samiti, led by the Shiv Sena’s Vivek Pandit, after the new corporation was formed July 3 through a government notification.  
 
 

Youth for Peace 
Over 340 youth representatives from parishes all over Mumbai converged at the Holy Name School Hall, Fort for the much-anticipated Diocesan Youth Day on July 19, 2009. The fabulous weather at Colaba complemented the exuberant mood of the youth who had gathered to interact with His Eminence, Oswald Cardinal Gracias. Being highly impressed with his experience at the diocesan-level gathering last year (which was held to coincide with the WYD celebrations at Sydney), he had expressed a keen desire to meet and interact with the youth of the diocese on a regular basis. 
The theme of the gathering being ‘Peace and Harmony’, it took no time for the young hearts to immerse themselves into this very relevant subject, as was evident by the peace messages that they scribbled on the ‘Peace and Harmony’ message board, at the entrance to the venue. 
The event kicked off with some very prayerful and lively Gospel Music by ‘Youth United for Christ’. After a welcome address by the DYC president, icebreakers were conducted that helped us mingle with others present at the venue. Youth belonging to the Focolare Movement enthralled us with a wonderful action song, that got us grooving as one family. This preceded a captivating session by Fr Brian sdb, who with the help of clippings from the movie ‘Munnabhai’ emphasised the need for honesty and forgiveness to establish peace and harmony. 
Finally arrived the moment that we had all been waiting for, when Cardinal Oswald Gracias took the stage, to a long and thunderous applause by those present. After being felicitated and presented with a painting done by one of the youth, he released a T-shirt designed by the DYC especially for the occasion. In his address, he explained the reasons behind dedicating this year to ‘Peace and Harmony’ in the archdiocese, and the pressing need to liberate our society from the evils of terrorism and communal disharmony. Then came the much awaited ‘Question and Answer’ session. Responding to thoughtful and important queries raised by the youth on such contemporary issues as Abortion, Euthanasia, Homosexuality, Contraception and Corruption, His Eminence masterfully and eloquently put forward the position of the Church on these topics. His explanations brought peace to many unsettling questions in the minds of youth. The event concluded with a short prayer service in the magnificent Holy Name Cathedral. The event was made possible through the efforts of the Archdiocesan Youth Commission, together with the DYC-LOC team, led by the Diocesan Youth Director, Fr Anthony Fernandes and his Assistant, Fr Walter D’Souza. Looking forward to seeing you all next year! 
Navin Noronha & Zimmel Alphonso 

Vocation 
The word ‘vocation’ originates from the Latin ‘vocare’ which means ‘to call’. I have quite often wondered what the fundamental virtue of ‘a call’ could be. A call to what? The word ‘vocation’ has today attained wider connotations, freeing itself from its sole reference to priestly or religious life. It is a call to live a Christian life, a call to strive for the perfection that Christ desired of us in the image of his Heavenly Father. And the underlying framework of living this life is a call to live in humility. Now, humility is a strange thing. For the minute you think you’ve got it, you’ve lost it. In the Gospels, the Roman Centurion whose servant is ill and close to death is aware of the power that he commands. “And I say to one ‘Go’, and he goes, and to another, ‘Come’, and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this’ and he does it.” (Lk 7:8) However, he is humble enough to acknowledge that this authority has been given to him from above, that this power does not originate from him, but is exercised through him. Humility is therefore not denying the power and talents that you have. It is realising that your greatness is not in you, but through you; that you could not be or do anything else, than what God made you. This is then the essence of a true vocation. As we celebrate the feast of St Jean Marie Vianney, the patron saint of all priests, let us pray that we too may steadfastly embrace this noble virtue in all that we do, in the manner in which St Jean Marie Vianney brought to his priestly vocation. 
Br Joshan  
 
 
BINDING THE ROOTS 
The youth movement of Our Lady of Health Church, Cavel recently organised a special event for all the elderly (above 50 years of age) of our parish. The seniors are “the roots” of our parish, and we thought that it was important to make them feel included, and at the same time, youthful. It was a fun-filled evening, packed with loads of activities, which both the youth and the elderly enjoyed whole-heartedly. We began with a classic march, where the youth paired up with seniors, followed by some dancing. The youth also performed a special traditional dance. Simultaneously, some delicious home-made croquets and sandwiches were served. Next, we had a hat game which was identical to the famous “Passing the Parcel” and we had funny forfeits like doing the catwalk, saying the 10 commandments, dancing the Macarena or singing a hymn. Then we played musical chairs. This was followed by a short jam session, after which the best dancer was awarded. We also had spot prizes – looking out for people with the most ear-piercings, smallest waist, most teeth fillings, salt-peppered hair, and the person who could do the most number of skips. This was a first-of-its-kind occasion organised in our small parish, and it was truly enjoyed by both the seniors and youth alike. 
Chantal Desouza 
Our Lady of Health, Cavel 
 
RENAISSANCE 
‘Renaissance’ means a new beginning. And that is exactly how, we the youth of St Blaise began our year, with a new hope, a fresh mind and a greater vision, carrying on the good memories and the experiences from the past, and looking forward to have a great year ahead. Renaissance began with a mass especially for youth. At this mass, the PYAT and PYC members renewed their commitment as youth leaders and representatives of all the communities in our parish. Renaissance always follows a theme, and the theme this year was our very own city, Mumbai. During the mass, we prayed for all our leaders, all the youth in Mumbai, and we also prayed for peace and harmony in our city. After mass, we had a fun-filled evening. There were amazing and exciting games based on the theme, and a rocking dance session to end with. 
Ashita D’Almeida (PR) 
St Blaise, Amboli 

Seminar on Addiction Management 
The Catholic Medical Guild of St Luke and the Kripa Foundation invite one and all to “Challenges and Approaches to Addiction Management: An Education Seminar” on Saturday, September 5, 2009, from 9.15 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. at the R D Choksi Auditorium, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel. The programme is for priests, religious men and women, principals of schools and colleges, school teachers, college professors, parents, social workers, students of the bio-ethics course and lay persons.  
There are no registration and seminar fees, but those interested must register their names with Mr Oswald Vaz on Tel: 2640 5411, 2643 3027 or Cell: 98923 21436 by August 31, 2009. Lunch and tea will be served to all the registered delegates.