The Economy of Francesco, new peace initiative

(ANSA) – PERUGIA, 01 MAY – The letter with which Pope Francis called young economists, entrepreneurs and changemakers from all over the world to “make a pact to change the current economy, and give a soul to the economy” is five years old of tomorrow”. It was May 1, 2019. From that invitation, The Economy of Francesco was born, which is preparing to celebrate this anniversary by animating ten peace paths in different nations, including Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Uganda and Jordan. “A way to celebrate, with gratitude and renewed commitment – explains the diocese of Assisi – the first five years of life of this global movement, certainly, but which opens up a new challenge”. It’s called “Steps for peace (S4p)”: a long “piecemeal” journey of 8 million steps which ideally (and not only) will take the young people of Economy of Francesco from Assisi to Jerusalem. Eight million steps, 4 thousand kilometres: this is the distance that separates the two cities that are symbols of this initiative. A path that will be followed “to remember all the wars that are inflaming the world at the moment, and to give voice and legs, with backpacks on one’s shoulders, to the ‘pact’ that the Pope signed with young people. A disarmed economy, which ‘does not kill’ as Pope Francis had already asked young people in the first letter of 2019”. Since that first letter, the Pope has continued to accompany the journey of this large international community, of young economists, researchers and changemakers, entrusting them with a message every year. During the last meeting in October 2023, Pope Francis invited young people to have “the courage of the journey”. In fact, he wrote: “Just as the pilgrim knows that his journey will be dusty, so you know that the common good requires a commitment that gets the hands dirty. Only dirty hands know how to change the earth: justice is lived, charity is incarnated and, in solidarity in the challenges, we persevere in them with courage. Being ‘Francis’ economists and entrepreneurs today necessarily means being women and men of peace: not giving ourselves peace for the sake of peace”. (HANDLE).