"The Focolare Movement and its social and political aspects"

Abstract: On September 15, 1998, Chiara Lubich presented the Focolari Movement to a group of European Members of Parliament, pointing out her proposal for a political and social renewal, by launching the Economy of Communion. Lubich underlines communion and mutuality in their evangelical roots as the common traits linking economy and politics, the commitment with the polis and the research of an economy more caring about civil aspects. The tools to realize social unity are: the pursuit of common good, the acknowledgment of the political commitment even in parties other than one’s own and a wide dialogue with no preconception or antagonism. To develop a different economical behavior we need the courage to choose tools other than the traditional individualistic theory. Lubich proposes entrepreneurs to share a part of the profit in order to generate more social equity; but also to support the development of structures for the formation of “new people”, people with the “culture of giving” that are open to share freely and to give help to those suffering from various forms of poverty.