On Thursday, October 24, about 300 people gathered at the Terra Santa College in Bethlehem for the official opening of “TogetherWEconnect,” a project aimed at forming young leaders in schools located in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and in the surrounding areas. The goal is to promote active citizenship and a culture of caring, inclusiveness, sharing and cooperation. The audience included more than 150 students, who are the key players in this project. Also in attendance was the mayor of Bethlehem, Mr. Anton Salman, principals from all the schools involved, and many others who support the project
It was a joyful hour of meeting together, almost an oasis within the context of the tension and conflicts experienced here every day. The program featured a presentation by the Focolare Movement, the main promoter of the project, and included a message from the current Focolare president, Margaret Karram, who encouraged each one present “to be a person who builds bridges, opens new paths, removes walls and opens people up to hope!” [Here is the full message]
The project was then presented by students from the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades (the first year will start with 7th grade students). The program offers a pathway that develops gradually over three school years to ensure that each student will achieve a deep understanding of the concepts presented and internalize the content. Three themes will be addressed over the course of the year.
Each theme will be accompanied by “actions” featured on the “Cube of Peace”, a cube that features phrases on each side which suggest ways to build peaceful relationships. Here are the themes for this first year, 2024-2025 (and the associated Cube of Peace actions):
- Understanding oneself, self-esteem and personal development (“Treat others as you would like to be treated)
- Training in conflict management; working as a team (“Forgive those who hurt you”)
- Intergenerational and peer dialogue (“Discover the good in others”)
Gen Rosso and Gen Verde musical bands, which were prevented from being present due to the current situation, sent a video greeting, encouraging everyone to become leaders in promoting hope and fraternity. [Here is the video of their greeting].
The event was a real celebration thanks to each school’s artistic contributions, including presentations by a student band, a choir and a cultural dance. It was a mosaic of colors and sounds that made everyone experience a seed of a “united world,” a world of brotherhood and peace.
