It is difficult, but I know you can do it because you are already doing it. I know that including your efforts within your Churches and sharing your dreams, amid the economic realities of the places where you live is not immediate.  Reality seems already configured, often impenetrable, like ground on which it has not rained for too long. May you not lack the patience and resourcefulness to let yourselves be known and to establish gradually more stable and fruitful connections. The desire for a new world is more widespread than it seems. Do not close yourselves in: the oases in the desert are places to which everyone must have access, crossroads in which to pause and from which to set out again, different. So, remain open and seek out your colleagues, your bishops, your fellow citizens with determination and enthusiasm. And in this, I repeat, may the poor be with you. Give voice and form to a people, because the reality of the economy and the solutions you are working on and testing involve the lives of everyone. There is more space for you than it seems today. I ask you, therefore, to stay actively united, building real bridges between the continents on operational issues that will definitely bring humanity out of the era of colonialism and inequality. Give faces, content and projects to a universal fraternity. Be pioneers of integral human development from within the economic and entrepreneurial life.

Pope Francis 2023

“Have courage, dear friends, have courage! If you are faithful to your vocation, your life will blossom, you will have wonderful stories to tell your children and grandchildren.” 

Pope Francis, 2024

In the spirit of Advent, a season of hope and reflection, The Economy of Francesco proposes a series of regional events under the central theme of “Peace”. These gatherings will spotlight the vital work and progress of our Community working in areas experiencing conflict, instability, and poverty. The goal is to contribute to dialogue on peace-building as an imperative and to share real-world progress in advancing peace and economic stability across regions.

Each event will focus on a particular geographical area and problematic, beginning with a session dedicated to the conflict in the Middle East and an update on the Steps for Peace – The Journey to Jerusalem Campaign, these events provide a platform for collaborative updates, insights, and inspiration in peace processes around the world.

In his address to the EoF Foundation Pope Francis invites us to be witnesses, to not be afraid and to hope without tiring. Witnesses of life, to be consistent with our choices, to share the “good news”. To not be afraid, “don’t be administrators of fears, but entrepreneurs of dreams”, let us not be afraid of the world, the realities and let us not be afraid of working for the improvement of these. To hope without tiring, we are not alone against this world full of conflicts, full of wars, of industries that capitalize on weapons.

The path

The Advent events are regional, this to highlight the diverse peace-building efforts and challenges faced by different parts of the world, in these events local voices will lead discussions, present their efforts and share what’s been done at different levels. The events will come from all over the world, starting in Middle East, then going to Latinamerica, Europe, Asia and Africa.

The EoF Community will share insights and collaborate on strategies that are being done to build on Peace processes.

These events are aimed to:

• To raise awareness about the initiatives and the necessity of dialogue
• ⁠To collaborate! Collaboration between members of the EoF Community and al those who share our values
• ⁠Inspire action, motivate, invite, initiate and continue efforts towards building Peace
• Celebrate the actions that are being done, the initiatives that take place and the steps taken towards Peace

AGENDA

• 9th of December, 3:00 pm CET
  Middle East

• 13th of December, 3:00 pm CET
  Latin America

• 16th of December, 3:00 pm CET
  Europe

• 20th of December, 3:00 pm CET
  Asia

• 23rd of December, 3:00 pm CET
  Africa

> All events will be streamed on the EoF You Tube official channel