Youth from Arigatou International’s global community participated in the 11th Edition of the GenFest, held in Manila, Philippines, 6th – 8th July 2018. Led by Mr. Vijayaragavan Gopal from Shanti Ashram, India, the team used this opportunity to present the unique ‘India Poverty Solutions’ initiative, as a youth-led innovation towards ending child poverty.

India Poverty Solutions, a programme established by Shanti Ashram and Arigatou International’s End Child Poverty initiative, has benefited thousands of children across various states in India, by way of providing education scholarships, healthcare and other such services, to young persons affected by poverty.

In addition, youth representatives from the Myochikai Foundation, Japan, participated in this historic event. They shared their experiences and ideas at a personal, cultural, religious and political level with the team from India and the rest of the participants during various sessions.

The GenFest is an international youth festival of the worldwide Focolare Movement. It is a meeting of youth who want to show the world that universal fraternity, a united world, is an ideal worth living for. Over the years, the GenFest has become a great festival of ideas, thoughts and actions that inspire thousands of youth to change their life, their future and, finally, the world. This is seen as an invitation to set the youths in motion with the certainty that each person is a protagonist of their own history and of History itself. Thus having a great influence on the great afflictions of the world, contributing to the breakdown of barriers, indifference, prejudices and egoism. The GenFest is an opportunity to build bridges of fraternity and contribute to breaking barriers of indifference, prejudice, egoism.

Under the theme: Beyond borders, this 11th Edition of the GenFest gathered nearly 6,000 youth from around the world, with the main aim of allowing young people to experience crossing cultures and traditions, find best practices, tools, and projects that would help them achieve sustainable change and realize that everyone is a member of one human family. The meeting had about 110 simultaneous forums and workshops, addressing a wide variety of key topics including, politics, culture, religion (interreligious dialogue).

End Child Poverty appreciates the youth from Shanti Ashram and The Myochikai Foundation for their contribution to the 2018 GenFest.

You too can be part of the Arigatou International community, by joining our Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC). Find out more.