Around 6.000 young people from all over the world are arriving to Manila, while thousands more are expected to participate in 23 local Genfest editions. The waiting is almost over and the global gathering is about to begin. What should you expect from this experience?Defense at the borders, forced migrations, States’ alliances to protect national identities and economies, human quotas for the control of migration flows: what’s behind all these keywords we’ve been hearing lately? In this Genfest we expect to go through and beyond all of these questions, in order to give answers and tools to overcome the barriers and create positive change in our daily life, knowing that it is the big start that can create positive change in the world.

The program: sharing and working

This Genfest will have a lot of sharing, discussing and working moments. There will also be a chance to put ourselves in action and, as always, there will be plenty space for testimonies: the joint commitment of young Americans and Mexicans on the borders of their countries; aid and reconciliation actions in conflict situations in Africa and the Middle East, activities to support the population in refugee camps and reception in the cities, commitment to a new way of doing politics, dialogue between different religions, and so on.

Friday | July 6, 2018: Who we are

On the first day, we will explore our motto: #beyondallborders. What are our personal and social borders?

– From 8 to 10 AM: Explo*. A 20-minute interactive exploration of the person through the lens of universal brotherhood.
– 4:00pm: Opening Program. Get ready to see the world united and to know who we are. (Available via Streaming***)
– 8:00pm: Cultural Night. Unity in cultural diversity presented through testimonies, songs, and artistic presentations. (Available via Streaming***)
– 9:45pm: Conclusion of Day 1 and Practical Announcements

Saturday | July 7, 2018: Go beyond suffering

On the second day, we go deeper to experience human’s diversity and how to make it a possibility instead of a barrier.

– From 8 to 10 AM: Explo*. A 20-minute interactive exploration of the person through the lens of universal brotherhood.
– 9:00am: Workshops and Forums. Learn how you can be the change in your community.
– 1:45pm: Hands for Humanity**. Embracing the peripheries of our cities, simultaneously and worldwide.
– 5:45pm: Time Out for Peace. A solemn moment to deepen the experience of possible communion among human beings amongst diversity. (Available via Streaming***)

– 8:00pm: A United World. An international night celebrated through testimonies songs and artistic presentations. (Available via Streaming***)
– 9:45pm: Conclusion of Day 2 and Practical Announcements

Sunday | July 8, 2018: What do we do – United World Project

On the third and final day: the world is in motion and we can see it. Let’s go and begin living #beyondallborders in our cities!

– From 8 AM to 6 PM: Explo*. A 20-minute interactive exploration of the person through the lens of universal brotherhood.
– 9:00am: Mass (Available via Streaming***)
– 10:30am: United World Project (Available via Streaming***)
– 12:45pm: Conclusion and Practical Announcements (Available via Streaming***)

For more information about the program don’t forget to download the Genfest App available for free on the Apple Store and on Google Play. Schedules and other info are already available, with more to come!

*ExpLo (Exposition + Exploration)

The story of humanity from the point of view of universal brotherhood. ExpLo is a twenty-minute interactive journey of life through self-discovery. It begins with an exploration of the self or the person and continues on to the five fundamental dimensions of the person as represented by the word, body, earth, sky and future.

ExpLo participants need to register at the ExpLo Lobby to secure a timeslot. Groups of 100 people can enter every 20 minutes. Participants who wish to experience the ExpLo again will have to register to get another timeslot.

**Hands For Humanity

Hands for Humanity aims to provide participants with experiential activities to enrich the knowledge and experience gained from the preceding workshops and forums. It is an opportunity to embrace the peripheries of our cities by doing concrete deeds and acts of kindness. This event will take place simultaneously around Metro Manila and worldwide. There are 11 Hands for Humanity activities that go from social activities on the peripheries, ecology activities on natural environment and intercultural and interreligious exchange

*** LIVE STREAMING

The program will be broadcasted via Live Streaming in English (Official language). But it will also be possible to follow it in French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Go to http://www.y4uw.org/live to watch it!

Streaming schedules (Manila time, UTC/GMT +8 hours):

July 6, 2018: 16.00-18.30 (World Trade Center Program) and 20.00-21.45 (Asia’s Reception)
July 7, 2018: 17.45-18.45 (Time Out) and 20.00-21.45 (International Concert)
July 8, 2018: 9.00-10.30 (Holy Mass – English only) and 10.30–13.00 (World Trade Center Program)

Link: http://www.y4uw.org/live

Remember that you can also follow the whole Genfest through our social media. They will be continuously updated:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genfest/ or @genfest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/genfest_en or @genfest_en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genfest.official/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GenfestOfficial or Genfest-official

By Ana Martinez