杏MAP导航

By Joseph Tulloch

鈥淵ou have decided not to live as enemies, but as brothers. May your example inspire peace in those who have political responsibilities.鈥�

These were the words of 杏MAP导航 Francis at his weekly General Audience this Wednesday, as he addressed a group of around sixty young people from the Rondine Citadel of Peace project.

The initiative brings together young people from warring countries the world over 鈥� Russia and Ukraine, for example, or Israel and Lebanon 鈥� and offers them the opportunity to live together in a tiny village in the Italian region of Tuscany.

That village 鈥� Rondine 鈥� gives its name to the project, which began in 1990 and has, over the years, welcomed thousands of young people from five different continents, offering them formation, community, and a chance to practice the art of dialogue.

One current participant, who was present at Wednesday morning鈥檚 General Audience, is Ruzica, a 27 year-old psychologist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She spoke to Vatican News about her meeting with the 杏MAP导航, and the 鈥淩ondine Method鈥� of conflict resolution.

Meeting with the 杏MAP导航

Around sixty people affiliated with the Rondine project, Ruzica says, were present at the General Audience on Wednesday morning, and had a private meeting with the 杏MAP导航 afterwards.

The participants presented him with a Rondine t-shirt, and had a chance to greet him individually, an experience Ruzica describes as 鈥渞eally moving鈥�.

鈥淚t was very significant,鈥� Ruzica says, 鈥渘ot just for the religious aspect 鈥� which is really important to me 鈥� but also because of the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 message of peace and dialogue."

The 鈥淩ondine Method鈥�

Moving on to the Citadel of Peace initiative itself, Ruzica describes how the goal is the 鈥渃reative transformation鈥� of conflict.

鈥淔or Rondine,鈥� she says, 鈥渃onflict is not a negative thing. The meaning of conflict is to meet another person, to listen to the different point of view of the person with whom I鈥檓 in conflict.鈥�

鈥淚 have my part of the story,鈥� she continues, 鈥渂ut also the other person has their part of the story. In conflict, we need to understand that I am not more valuable than that person. My opinion is as important as that of this other person.鈥�

Our interview with Ruzica

Ambassadors of peace

The ultimate aim of the project, Ruzica explains, is for participants to return to their home countries and work for peace there.

Some of them, like Ruzica, stay in Rondine for a year, before returning to their countries of origin to implement a particular project. Other students stay in Rondine for two years, working 鈥渞eally intensely on the theme of conflict鈥�.

During their time in Italy, all participants study for a master鈥檚 degree in Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action.

鈥淔or me鈥�, Ruzica says, 鈥渢he most beautiful part is that we do all of this in Rondine, and we all live together, even those who disagree, and we work to see how we can deal with our emotions, and make conflict into something good.鈥�