For a few days following August 28th, 12,000 young people from more than 100 countries gave a youthful face to the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Among them were fifteenyoung people from the Midwest. It was the tenth edition of the international Genfest, the "celebration" of the youth, with the title: "Let's Bridge"- let’s build bridges!

It is precisely the big bridges over the Danube River that have become a symbol of a commitment for the world of the Gen (new generation of the Focolare Movement) and young people everywhere: breaking down the barriers between different cultures, religions, ethnic groups in conflict, and the barrier between people in need and people who can give.
On Friday, a big evening concert of six bands presented more than twenty musical pieces composed for the Genfest by young people from different countries. The entire Saturday program in the Arena was the presentation of experiences of building bridges from all over the world, including some hot spots like Egypt and Israel. Later, the celebration at the Arena moved out to the streets of Budapest: a long march through the city up to the Chain Bridge, where the 12,000 strong flash mob shouted to the world their desire and their commitment to be protagonists in making history change course for the better.

Jessica, from Michigan, remembers looking down at the crowd in the arena, and thinking that at that moment we were all gathered together, but soon we would go back to our own countries and cities and bring love to those places, this was an overwhelming thought "I was looking out at this army of love!" B.A., from Chicago, found himself running into people from other countries that he know from previous gatherings and he realized that he was part of this world-wide family.
The young people gathered in Budapest had a great desire to return to their own countries and cities to bring this charge of hope and true relationships to their environments. Another Chicagoan, Gina, shared how powerful it is for her to continue building bridges with the people around her and to know that many other young people all over the world are doing the same.

The young people will continue to work together for a united world and committed themselves to the United World Project. (www.unitedworldproject.it).
The Genfest was born from the prophetic intuition of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement. This year's Genfest gathered together young people who want to show the world that universal brotherhood, a united world, is possible--an Ideal worth living for.