{"id":3642,"date":"2019-11-26T10:57:11","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T09:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/?page_id=3642"},"modified":"2022-06-04T13:34:11","modified_gmt":"2022-06-04T11:34:11","slug":"who-we-are","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/who-we-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Who we are"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1559339898804{background-image: url(http:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/background_gen4_red.png?id=1747) !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1578764062945{background-color: #00983a !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Who we are<\/span><\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″ full_width=”” gap=”0″ full_height=”” columns_placement=”middle” equal_height=”” rtl_reverse=”” content_placement=”” disable_element=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1559332639878{padding-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]The\u00a0Gen 4 are children from 4 to 9 years of age<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0who are part of the Focolare Movement. They live the spirituality of unity with the other members of the Movement, trying to do whatever they can every day to create unity among the people around them. They consider this to be their contribution to promoting peace among all and working for a more united world. In fact, their goal is that the whole world might live together as one family.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cLet the little children come to me\u201d (Mt 19:14). <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This sentence of Jesus has always meant a lot to the members of the Focolare Movement. From its very beginning, children have always been part of the movement. Its founder, Chiara Lubich, was a primary school teacher, and always had a very direct relationship with children. She understood them and they understood her. She never made a distinction between adults and children in passing on the spirituality, which she gave in its entirety while respecting the needs of each age group. In 1966 she said: \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t look at them only as children, but rather see them as persons with a soul, and the soul is neither young nor old – it is always the soul.”<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>(C. Lubich, Loppiano, 19.8.1966, cf. AAVV, Love one another as I loved you<\/em>, CNx, Rome, p.4)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]Lubich understood that children are the ones who in the future will bring the mentality and lifestyle of the Gospel into every aspect of society.<\/p>\n

In 1988, comparing the Movement to a large tree full of flowers and fruits, she added: \u201cThe children are like the \u2018little buds\u2019 on this tree. Therefore, they are very precious because they are the guarantee of the tree\u2019s growth. They are \u2018buds\u2019 of hope for a better world<\/strong>.\u201d<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]

\"Albero
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OUR HISTORY<\/span><\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title=”1972 | The Gen4 come to life” style=”round” color=”juicy_pink” custom_font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23e94e1b” custom_use_theme_fonts=”yes” use_custom_heading=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1654338297520{margin-bottom: 10px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-left-color: #e94e1b !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e94e1b !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e94e1b !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e94e1b !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}”]Chiara Lubich gave the name \u201cGen 4\u201d to the younger children in the Focolare Movement \u2013 also known as the \u201cWork of Mary.\u201d There are the adults (Gen 1), the youth and young adults (Gen 2), the children and teens, aged 10 to17 (Gen 3) and the younger children, aged 4 to 9 (Gen 4). Chiara recounted: \u201cI realized that in the Work of Mary there was an immense gap! (\u2026) The first thing Mary did was to take care of Baby Jesus (\u2026) and so, if we do not bring to life a branch for the Gen 4, Mary will ask me the reason for such an enormous omission!\u201d (C. Lubich, Loppiano, 03\/23\/1972, \u201cLove one another as I have loved you\u201d, CN, Rome, p.20)[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”1988 | First International Congress” style=”round” color=”juicy_pink” custom_font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23e94e1b” custom_use_theme_fonts=”yes” use_custom_heading=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1654338276104{margin-bottom: 10px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-left-color: #e94e1b !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e94e1b !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e94e1b !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e94e1b !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}”]\u201cWhen will we have a Gen 4 Congress?\u201d This is what the children asked Chiara Lubich. So the first Gen 4 International Congress was held in Castel Gandolfo (Italy) in 1988. Eight hundred children arrived from all over Europe with some representatives from other continents, boys and girls from 4 to 9 years of age. \u201cIt was an extraordinary experience!\u201d Chiara commented, \u201cThey understand everything! (\u2026) They are so taken up by God that they forget everything else.\u201d (C.Lubich, Castelgandolfo, 27.1.1989)[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”1991 | Gen4 “cottage industries“” style=”round” color=”juicy_pink” custom_font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23e94e1b” custom_use_theme_fonts=”yes” use_custom_heading=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1654338432232{margin-bottom: 10px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-left-color: #e94e1b !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e94e1b !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e94e1b !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e94e1b !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}”]All over the world, the Gen 4 have started small \u201ccottage industries\u201d because they want to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. They make and sell necklaces, bracelets, greeting cards and candy or cookies. This is their way of living the culture of giving and sharing, which is the basis for the Economy of Communion project that involves businesses worldwide. This project began when \u200b\u200bChiara Lubich visited Brazil in 1991 and was saddened to see the immense inequality between people living in skyscrapers in Sao Paulo and those in the slums or favelas <\/em>surrounding the city like a \u201ccrown of thorns.\u201d (http: \/\/www.edc-online.org). She began the Economy of Communion whose goal is to use part of a company\u2019s profits to help raise the standard of living of those in need.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”1997 | \u201cThey have evicted Jesus\u201d” style=”round” color=”juicy_pink” custom_font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23e94e1b” custom_use_theme_fonts=”yes” use_custom_heading=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1654338499828{margin-bottom: 10px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-left-color: #e94e1b !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e94e1b !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e94e1b !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e94e1b !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

All around the world, thousands of girls and boys have responded to Chiara Lubich\u2019s invitation to bring Jesus back to the center of Christmas. Together with their parents, friends and the local communities of the Movement, they go out into the city squares, along busy streets, in front of local institutions, in schools or in market places and offer people small plaster statues of Baby Jesus, which they make themselves. The basket also includes a copy of the meditation of Chiara Lubich entitled, \u201cThey have evicted Jesus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”1998 | The Art of Loving and the Cube of Love” style=”round” color=”juicy_pink” custom_font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23e94e1b” custom_use_theme_fonts=”yes” use_custom_heading=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1654338599361{margin-bottom: 10px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-left-color: #e94e1b !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e94e1b !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e94e1b !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e94e1b !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}”]In their 1998 International Congress, Chiara Lubich explained the \u201cArt of Loving\u201d to the Gen 4. She summed up six aspects of loving taken from the Gospel and \u00a0which have been part of the Focolare life since its beginning. She gave them a small cube, or dice, with one phrase on each of the six sides. The children roll the dice in the morning and try to live whatever comes up and then share their experiences. This unique \u201cgame\u201d has spread all over the world and teaches thousands of children a simple way to live the Gospel at home, at school and with their friends.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”2004 | The culture of giving and sharing” style=”round” color=”juicy_pink” custom_font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23e94e1b” custom_use_theme_fonts=”yes” use_custom_heading=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1654338651870{margin-bottom: 10px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-left-color: #e94e1b !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e94e1b !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e94e1b !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e94e1b !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}”]In 2004, again during an International Congress, Lubich helps the gen4 to broaden the horizon of sharing. Giving is not just about material things (helping the most needy), but everything we have as talent, time, availability (giving help, a smile, listening …): it shall and can become a “lifestyle”, a new “culture of giving and sharing”.[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”and the story continues …” style=”round” color=”juicy_pink” custom_font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23e94e1b” custom_use_theme_fonts=”yes” use_custom_heading=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1654338707672{margin-bottom: 10px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-left-color: #e94e1b !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e94e1b !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e94e1b !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e94e1b !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}”]<\/p>\n