| Rome(Fides Service) - Toronto, Tokyo, Teheran, Jerusalem, Krasnojarsk (Siberia), Johannesburg, Melbourne, Algiers, Nairobi, Zagreb are among the 120 cities which will be involved in the next "Family-Fest", on 16 April for which they will be connected via live television links for 24 hours. The slogan of this 3rd Fest is "Just Family: Love builds Peace". The initiative is organised by a group called New Families, started in 1967 by members of the Focolari Church Movement founded by Chiara Lubich. The initiative is sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family, the European Commission and the President of Italy. The first Family Fest, held on 3 May 1981, brought together about 20.000 participants and Pope John Paul II also took part. The 2nd FamilyFest was held in 1993.
"FamilyFest" is an international series of congresses for families of all races, cultures and religions, with interactive connection with all continents. Each of the congresses, about 100, will follow a programme suited to local needs and situations.
In view of the challenges facing families in the present day, FamilyFest highlights the positive value of the family because, as the organisers say, solutions to problems can be found only in a spirit of dialogue. It will also be an opportunity to give visibility to the family striving to life the Gospel to remind the world that the family makes an important contribution to the development of humanity. Activities will include artistic moments, testimony, debates, dialogue, works of solidarity. Speakers will include representatives of politics, culture, support, entertainment as well as people of other religious convictions. At 3pm (Italian time) on April 16 FamilyFests will be in live link with the FamilyFest Rome, from Piazza del Campidoglio, where Chiara Lubich will present her intervention on the family. Family Fest 2005 in Manila will launch a project One family one house (Hounsing) which aims to build a village for 120 people of poor in poor districts of Cebù (Philippines) and Bolivia. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 17/3/2005; righe 27; parole 356)
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