By Matter India Reporter

Mumbai: The Indian youth groups of Focolare Movement have pledged to do their best to reduce hunger in the country and elsewhere.

Focolare Movement is a worldwide group, founded in Italy in 1943 by the charismatic lay Catholic woman, Chiara Lubich. The Focolare Movement aims at promoting the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood among all people and religions. Today, the movement is active in 194 countries including India. One of its priorities is to work with the youth of various religions, cultures, and societies.

The Focolare Movement of Mumbai has taken up the “ZeroHunger” challenge with great enthusiasm and commitment. After studying the matter during a camp held in Khandala, near Mumbai, in April, they presented the project at the Mariapolis 2018 (annual festival of Mary organized by Focolare Movement) in Pune (Maharashtra state) to create as much awareness as possible about it, Valentino Agri of Focolare Movement told Matters India.

“They [Indian youth groups of Focolare Movement] created their own piggy banks to contribute with their own savings, and some prepared a bundle of belongings which they put in common to help poor children. Others participated in sponsored runs, newspaper drives in their housing society and other group activities to raise funds in order to help and personally encounter poor people around them,” Agri said.

Adolescents and youth of today can become the first generation to succeed in uprooting hunger in the world. This is stated in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals approved on 25 September 2015 by the 193 Member States of the United Nations Organisation, with the commitment to achieve them in 15 years (2015-2030). The second objective, “Zero Hunger,” is the core of this programme.

The new generations of the Focolare Movement all over the world are on the frontline with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in this project of creating worldwide awareness and gathering adhesion towards reaching this goal. The commitment to eliminate hunger and poverty has always been closely linked to the vocation of the youth of the Focolare Movement in building a united world.

India’s rank is 31.4 according to 2017 Global Hunger Index.