Young people from over 100 countries at Genfest 2018 in Manila

By Robin Gomes

Some 6,000 youth from around the world are converging on the Philippine capital, Manila, July 6 to 8, for the 11th edition of Genfest, the international youth festival of the worldwide Focolare Movement.

Genfest 2018 is the first such rally being held in Asia and outside Europe. 

The Manila Genfest has at its theme, “Beyond All Borders”, that aims to allow young people to experience crossing cultures and traditions, find best practices, tools, and projects that would help them achieve sustainable change and realize that everyone is a member of one human family. 

Gio Francisco is the main MC at the 3-day Manila event that kicks off on Friday.   We talked to him on the phone and asked him how the countdown to Genfest 2018 was proceeding.

Francisco said that many foreign participants were arriving in Manila on Thursday, and on Friday, day 1, they were expecting a large number of Filipinos from various parts of the country.  Overall some 6000 young people from over 100 countries are expected. 

Francisco said that there will be numerous workshops and forums held simultaneously that encourage how young people to go beyond borders to different aspects in society.  He said there is also social action which takes the youth to the peripheries.  But according to the MC, the most important feature of Genfest will be the experiences of young people, how they went beyond their borders in their own realities, which will be presented in artistic presentations.   

Those interested in following Genfeste 2018 event can updated themselves through the following links:

Live streaming: http://www.y4uw.org/live

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genfest/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/genfest_en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genfest.official/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GenfestOfficial