From Tor Vergata to Castel Gandolfo: now young people walk for an Economy of Peace

by Luca Iacovone 
Published in ‘VITA’ on August 11, 2025

Young people from every continent are walking—on foot, running, together—towards Restarting the Economy, the major event of The Economy of Francesco from November 28 to 30. A global pilgrimage that unites squares, cooperatives, universities, communities, and gardens, to bring the common good back to the heart of the economy. Three days of dialogue, faces, and proposals, with voices from all over the world to design an economy of peace, justice, and care for the planet.

When Pope Leo XIV, at Tor Vergata, said “Aspire to great things” and “You are the sign that a different world is possible,” some of the young people present already had a clear commitment and aspiration: to build an economy of peace. A true restart of the global economy, as announced by the title of the upcoming gathering: the Jubilee of the Economy, the event of The Economy of Francesco scheduled for November 28–30 in Castel Gandolfo.

This time, not vast open fields, but the Laudato Si’ gardens, the green heart of the town and a symbol of an economy that wants to give the Earth back its breath.

Here, hundreds of young economists, entrepreneurs, and activists from every continent will gather for Restarting the Economy: three days of dialogue, proposals, and alliances to build an economy inspired by the biblical Jubilee—rest for the Earth, liberation from debt and modern slavery, and commitment to an economy of peace. It will be the second major in-person gathering since the birth of the movement, after the 2022 meeting in Assisi with Pope Francis. But if the goal was to recognize one another and shape an international community, today the challenge is to bring together concrete experiences, ongoing projects, and shared visions, developed in hundreds of places worldwide. At Castel Gandolfo, a living laboratory will take shape, where every voice and proposal will contribute to drawing a global agenda for an economy capable of caring for people and the planet.

A global journey towards the Jubilee of the Economy

The journey towards November has already begun, and it is not just a metaphor. Since April, young people from every continent have been turning the anticipation of the Jubilee of the Economy into a real pilgrimage, made of steps and encounters. In Central America, the Carrera para Reiniciar la Economía was launched: a widespread run in which each participant, wherever they are, covers 5 kilometers, dedicating them symbolically to the Jubilee of the Economy. There is no single starting point or common finish line: each run becomes a piece of the global journey, joining individual effort to that of hundreds of other young people worldwide.

In Haiti, the CMC-Naturel Laudato Si’ Circle group walked from one shelter to another to give a name to the new garden created to host plants that survived recent violence. In Italy, some groups walked from historic town squares to social cooperatives offering work to people with disabilities or vulnerabilities, turning the pilgrimage into a moment of encounter with those already building a more just economy. In Kenya, university students walked through the streets of Nairobi to an agricultural training center that teaches sustainable cultivation techniques to unemployed youth.

At each stop, the rule is the same: start from a public place, like a square or campus, and arrive at a site where a “jubilee” economy is already in practice—a cooperative, a sustainable business, a religious community, or a social project. Upon arrival, it’s not just about “visiting”: stories are listened to, questions are asked, ideas are shared, and alliances are built.

All the distances covered are added up into a global counter, which in November will show how many kilometers the world has walked to bring the common good back to the center of the economy. But the number, however impressive, will only be a symbol of what truly matters: thousands of new connections, unexpected conversations, and concrete commitments born along the way.

Castel Gandolfo: The Jubilee of the Economy comes alive

From November 28 to 30, 2025, Castel Gandolfo will become a global laboratory of ideas and projects. It is here that The Economy of Francesco will bring to life Restarting the Economy, the international event linked to the 2025 Jubilee and the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures: three days to pause, breathe, and start again, imagining an economy that frees and makes room for life’s breath.

The “restart” is a choice: to rethink today’s economy in light of the biblical Jubilee, with its three ancient and ever-current signs: rest for the Earth, liberation from debt and modern slavery, and justice beyond the logic of limitless accumulation.

The program will open with Prophetic Voices for a New Economy, speeches by young people from every continent on the challenges of peace, justice, and sustainability. This will be followed by the EoF Fair, an exhibition space to discover projects and initiatives born in the international network, and a plenary session linking care, technology, and human dignity with Jennifer Nedelsky and Paolo Benanti.

The day will close with the first session of Extraordinary Ideas in Action, presentations of innovative ideas ready to receive feedback from experts and social investors.

There will also be thematic workshops on regenerating the economy, with voices like Stefano Zamagni, Jeffrey Sachs, and Gaël Giraud. And moments led by young people from all over the world, to transform local experiences into global proposals.

With Yvan Sagnet, Helen Alford, Massimo Mercati, and Alessandra Smerilli, the young participants will discuss how to free work from exploitation and precarity, and how to rebuild economic models rooted in ethics and the common good.

Between plenaries, workshops, artistic spaces, and informal encounters, Castel Gandolfo will host a mosaic of experiences and expertise. It will be the destination of the global pilgrimage that, for months, has been leading young people from every continent to walk towards places where a jubilee economy is already a reality. But it will also be a new starting point: from here, ideas and concrete commitments will continue their journey, into 2026 and beyond.