Skates, skateboards, and bicycles – the Teens for Unity (T4U) use them to launch on stage the Supercongress 2002. Displays of sports, games, and break dance – a burst of energy that overwhelms and involves the 10 thousand teenagers coming from all continents for their five-yearly world meeting. The ice skating rink of Marino in Rome finds it difficult to contain them … by way of numbers and enthusiasm.

They come from 92 countries that are well-known or not, such as Réunion, a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean south east of Madagascar, from where there were 4 teenagers. T4U from Latvia came for the first time. There’s also Elisa, Aqqalu, Anike, Mikkel and Paaenannguaq from Greenland. They came from countries at war or threatened by serious civil disorders, from Pakistan and India, Argentina and the Middle East.
Neither economic nor bureaucratic or political difficulties could stop them. They did all they could to come in 400 from Brazil. In Africa they carried stones heavier than them to earn some money for the trip… To sum it up, the 25 and 26 May were long-awaited dates. It was a dream come true for many to be inside that ice skating rink, thanks also to that network of concrete love each one gave everything to bring about a communion of goods that enabled them to pay their trips.
Being certain of their inability to do everything on their own, the teenagers had involved adults and institutions, finding themselves fully supported by many. The Commune of Rome and the Lazio Region in Italy gave their support, appreciating the contents and aims.
What about the programme? It was minutely prepared by the teenagers themselves, taking cue from a survey conducted two years before that gathered together needs, requests, questions, ideas, and proposals.
“We want to affront the theme of suffering, death and loneliness.



Even on the wall doubts begin to fade. This way of life that calls one to love in every moment, is the only way to be always happy.
Federico from Sicily, Paola from Florence, and some T4U from Colombia highlight how this ideal of unity, which from Trent spread out to the whole world, illuminates various areas of human endeavour and is capable of giving rise to a new approach to politics, art and mass media even among teenagers.
And then we have the “chat” with Chiara Lubich.
There are 10 questions ranging from how we could tell everyone that God is love in the face of wars, terrorism and natural disasters, to how to behave with friends who do not share the same ideal; from how to face suffering and death to the existence of heaven; from dreams for the future to one’s vocation and the secret to participate in building universal brotherliness.
And finally a query: how can teenagers contribute to fulfil God’s plan for humanity?
Chiara does not refrain from using strong words, and making totalitarian invitations and bold proposals.
She knows these teenagers and trusts them. She has always considered their generation as one of saints and thus she doesn’t except anything less from them.
Regarding fashion? Look up to the Gospel.
Speaking with teenagers?
“One surely can’t escape from it. Look at all the wonderful teenagers out here.”
Regarding computers? Use them for the good.
It’s like saying that Jesus’ life provides an answer to everything, and one who loves really has the wisdom to avoid all evil.
Future dreams? “Its better to let Someone else dream. He’s the one who knows you, who has created you, who knows your intelligence and talents. He is God.”
Cast away all fear. When faced with suffering think about Jesus who took on all suffering.
And when someone dies say, “See you! Because it’s true.” And then regarding heaven, “I believe in it. But how can we get there? Love, love, love without limits. Do you know what hell is? It’s the regret of no longer being able to love.”
And the task: “Win over teenagers.”
In the meanwhile the “Schoolmates” international project is launched. It asks a monthly contribution of 1 euro to become “bench mates” across the globe. It’s what happened to Pamela from the Philippines who became a “class mate” of students of a school in the Castelli Romani area of Rome who supported his studies. Classes of students who desire to participate in this project can send their email address through a website and be brought into with other classes.



In no way was the ice rink programme a closed-door one.
The boundaries of the Marino arena were extended to cover the whole world through satellites, internet and TV. Maybe organising a public event in a big city or a symbolic place would certainly have completed the meet.

Thus the idea for all of us to go to the Coliseum in Rome on Sunday morning was born.
And civil and religious dignitaries awaited them. There was Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome, who gave a welcome speech, and cardinal Arinze who read the pope’s message to the participants.
There were also many adults and teenagers representatives of various associations and movements such as Lisa Palmieri, a Jew and vice-president of the WCRP’s (World Conference of Religions for Peace) European wing; Rev. Keishi Myamoto of the Myochicai Buddhist movement with some teenagers; Vinu Aram, who is a WCRP president, with Hindu teenagers of the Shanti Ashram Gandhian movement; a delegation of Buddhist teenagers of the Rissho Kosei kai accompanied by Mr. Hoshina; Sheikh Palazzi, president of the Italian Young Muslims Association; Mr. Balbir Singh-Lall, spiritual guide of the Sikh community in Rome, with 5 teenagers; Mons. Mauro Parmeggiani, delegate of cardinal Ruini.
And then there were teenagers of the Jewish community of Rome, Buenos Aires, and San Paolo (Brazil), and Muslims from 15 countries; teenagers of the Prateep Foundation in Thailand; a group from Chernobyl in Ukraine; 2 representatives of the Dogo-dogo Centre in Tanzania who look after street children; teenagers of the Catholic Action organisation and the Sant’Egidio community.
In the face of the 9/11 attacks, Chiara Lubich proposes 2 solutions: prayer and love as forces capable of renewing the world.

And then there are the teenagers, the protagonists of this meet. Through testimonies and choreographies they show the seriousness with which they already try to practise the Golden Rule. And as they say through a song, this “opens the doors of the whole world towards unity”, and leads to “discover each of your treasures and to do to you what I’d do for myself”.
Sveta from Chernobyl considers this Rule as the key to avoid disasters similar to the one that befell her city, the consequences of which she too bears.
It’s a Rule that had helped teenagers in the US in not giving in to discrimination towards people from the Middle East not even after 9/11, and it strengthened the commitment of Christian and Muslim teenagers to universal brotherhood in the US as well as in the Middle East and Pakistan.
It’s a Rule that spurred Samuel to risk his life to save some Muslims whom the Christians wanted to kill in the ethnic conflicts in Nigeria.
It also helped George, a Tanzanian street child, to begin a new life and to become a lawyer to defend the rights of all children.
The hand impressions symbolically affixed onto a big panel by some teenage representatives of the various religions present, sealed everyone’s commitment and led off the march to St. Peter’s square colouring the streets of Rome. Out there the 2002 edition of the Supercongress concluded.
In those days not far from the capital, the end of the Cold War was being ratified with Russia’s entry into NATO. Certainly the proximity in time was coincidental, but might it not be that if Nigeria is Samuel’s country and the US that of Joyce, Hind lives in the Holy Land; if the Muslims are like Dalel, the Orthodox Christians like Sveta, the Anglicans like Miles, the Jews like Salvina, the Zoroastrians like Neville, the Buddhists like Issara, the Hindus like Wajiha; if no country is anonymous and no religions unknown, that pact of mutual love stipulated by these teenagers is tantamount to laying down the basis for true peace. Well then perhaps a new superpower has come into being.
We will speak again about it.

Here’s what some of the dignitaries who were impressed with these teenagers had to say:
“We have seen persons who stay together, reason together, and want to live together. A better world is possible.” Cardinal Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
“These young people’s enthusiasm is overwhelming. They show that one needs to act to achieve peace.” Lisa Palmieri, Vice President of the WCRP’s European wing.
“Thanks for your presence that gives witness to a way against the trend. Let’s hope that this path of solidarity towards all spreads all the more.” Francesco Storace, President of the Lazio region.
“Chiara calls for that which these teenagers already have at heart.” Walter Veltroni, mayor of Rome.
“It’s certainly a provocation of the adult world. Teenagers are the first to adhere when one speaks to them of great ideals to live for.” Olimpia Tarzia, Councillor for Family Policies in the Lazio region.
“At times I think that television depicts teenagers in a present without ideals. Instead out here one can see and understand that a present, and thus also a future, with ideals is possible.” Paolo Ruffini, director of Raitre.