Global Friendship 2019

The real good news for Europe and beyond? It’s called "Global Friendship".

The gathering of 1,000 Youth for Peace European youngsters in Poland, which took place in Poland from 19th to 21st July 2019. Not just a festive gathering of youngsters, neither the explosion of youthful enthusiasm (which nevertheless took place), but above all the proof of a new generation of young people growing up at the school of Christian Humanism, which does not take off its eyes history, rather feels committed to build a world without racism and violence.

During the three days of the "Global Friendship", youngsters enjoyed all the beauty of coming together, sharing moving songs and inspiring words, but not only. As pilgrims to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, by listening carefully to Lidia Maksymowicz, a woman who survived the concentration camp, they showed the strength and driving force -representing for the entire European continent - of a generation too often underestimates.

"Facing Auschwitz we cannot remain the same. We need to understand, we need to react. Stand up! React, that is, become great inside you. To react means to talk, to enter into dialogue". With this words Marco Impagliazzo, President of Sant'Egidio, ended the three days, inviting all to "have a thinking heart, which means changing the world with words; resisting the culture of enemy; cultivating dialogue because peace dies when the dialogue stops".

This is the plan for the future ahead, until meeting again next year in Amsterdam.

Find out more about this year meeting:
 
Interview Marco Impagliazzo
Fotogallery
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Appeal
Instagram @sant.egidio