FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, 33 NOBEL LAUREATES AND THE RECENT SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI LAUREATE, ALEJANDRO G. ROEMMERS, MET TO SPEAK TO HUMANITY
On June 10, a world meeting was held at the Vatican, an initiative of the Fratelli Tutti Foundation. The event on Human Fraternity, was entitled #NotAlone and became a day of celebration and unity around the principles of the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, “joining forces to build a more harmonious world”.
The Fratelli Tutti Foundation, a non-governmental organization, is presided over by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti and inspired by Pope Francis‘ encyclical. The event sought to foster humanity and affection among the inhabitants of the planet. It was broadcast live to all continents from the emblematic Piazza San Pietro. Pope Francis was unable to attend in person because he is recovering from a recent surgery, but he asked that the celebration go ahead, and accompanied live this symbolic gesture of peace in the heart of the House of Peter.
The meeting brought together important personalities from the world of economics, politics and the arts. Among them, Alejandro G. Roemmers -poet and philanthropist, winner of the St. Francis of Assisi Award- was summoned by the Vatican with his gesture to save the world: The Embrace of Assisi.
The Fratelli Tutti Foundation invited young people from all continents to the meeting. Very moving moments were experienced where the 33 Nobel Laureates elaborated a document calling for the commitment to human fraternity.
The Fratelli Tutti Foundation was established by Pope Francis at the end of 2021 to promote fraternity and build bridges of “social friendship” through education, dialogue and the contemplation of beauty expressed in the language of art. It is a space open to the formation of young people, as well as to the creation of projects and networks on the environment, politics, economy and business, among other topics.
The meeting had its most emotional moment when Alejandro G. Roemmers presented his Embrace of Assisi and was able to express a strong message to humanity of universal fraternity. A moment of great energy was experienced at the closing of the meeting with his words: “My first thought at this moment goes to our beloved Pope Francis, who has summoned us here today. Let us all pray together for his speedy recovery”. “We are here today to produce a symbol, a gesture of unity that can be condensed into an image that says more than a thousand words, that needs no translation and that can reach and be understood by the whole world.” “The embrace is a language that transcends words, it is the language of the heart that we all understand, in which time stands still and we can all meet.”
The Embrace of Assisi, a moving manifestation of brotherhood that inspires the world to more compassion and peace, took place as the central act of this event. This powerful display of brotherhood was conceived by Alejandro G. Roemmers from his inspiration in the words of St. Francis of Assisi: “We are all brothers”. The Assisi Embrace was launched to the world last April 30 at the Porziuncola of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels of Assisi, in Perugia, Italy, with the intention of being replicated in different parts of the world.
The Embrace of Assisi was a moment of great emotion and strong energy of shared peace, symbolizing communion and social friendship beyond beliefs, ways of being and thinking, ethnic or blood ties. This meeting was promoted for the sake of integral human development and communication, seeking to join forces and build bridges between different sectors of society to achieve a more harmonious world.
The participation of youth and prominent leaders from all over the world, embracing the central message of universal fraternity, reflected the importance of working together to overcome the global challenges we face. Most of the countries of the world sent their diplomatic representatives.
Global commitment for human fraternity supported by Nobel laureates.
An outstanding group of 33 Nobel Laureates, among them Juan Manuel Santos, Oscar Arias, Lech Walesa, Shirin Ebadi, Muhammad Yunus, Giorgio Parisi, elaborated a document calling for a commitment to human fraternity. This document was presented to Pope Francis, who signed it and shared it with all the people of the world who wish to build a society based on solidarity, justice and peace.
During the event, a gigantic collection of signatures was carried out with the aim of reaching a billion of supports to the document elaborated by the Nobel Laureates. In addition, renowned artists such as Al Bano, Amara, Andrea Bocelli, Roberto Bolle, Giovanni Caccamo, Simone Cristicchi, Hauser, Carly Paoli, Piccolo Coro dell’Antoniano, Mr. Rain, Amii Stewart and Paolo Vallesi participated in this initiative, adding their voice in favor of fraternity and mutual understanding.
The document on universal human fraternity, endorsed by the Nobel laureates, was signed in eight squares around the world connected to St. Peter’s: Brazzaville (Congo), the Ionian Sea rescue ship in Trapani (Italy), Bangui (Central African Republic), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Jerusalem (Israel), Nagasaki (Japan) and Lima (Peru).
Alejandro G. Roemmers‘ participation in the Fratelli Tutti Foundation event reaffirmed the importance of his humanitarian work and highlighted the positive impact that multiplying human commitment can have at the international level. Recognized as an activist for love and values, the Argentine poet and philanthropist has contributed significantly to the promotion of empathy, solidarity and mutual respect through his literary works, such as his successful book The Return of the Young Prince, translated into more than 30 languages.
In addition to his participation in the Embrace of Assisi, Alejandro G. Roemmers has left a profound mark on society through his commitment to humanitarian causes in areas of extreme poverty and his constant search for global peace. He has provided solutions in regions of Africa, providing scholarships, mechanical tools, agricultural technicians and water systems. In the Peruvian Amazon, he has saved the lives of children at risk of organ trafficking and promoted inclusive projects of empowering economy and sustainable management, such as the case of San Francisco in Jujuy.
Alejandro G. Roemmers has also financed the production of a series on screen addiction, a currently worrying problem that especially affects young people. Aware of the negative effects of this phenomenon, he proposes to establish limits and encourage a balanced use of technology to promote healthy development in the new generations, while seeking to generate a change of focus towards spiritual values and channel quality information through screens.
A day for world fraternity
This meeting invites the ecclesial and lay commitment of families, associations and all those people who today are forced to live on the margins of society, from the poorest and homeless to migrants and victims of violence and human trafficking. Thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed with the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, the meeting will also present the work carried out in recent months by Italian schools on the theme of fraternity.
In a world facing increasingly complex and dangerous challenges, actions such as the Embrace of Assisi and the Fratelli Tutti Foundation event at the Vatican become beacons of hope. They invite us to reflect on the importance of cooperation, dialogue and mutual understanding to build a more just and fraternal world.
About Alejandro G. Roemmers
He supports different human development projects that provide access to housing, health and education to hundreds of families in South America and Africa. He is one of the largest donors to Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF and other NGOs worldwide. Alejandro G. Roemmers is also a patron of artists.
He is president of the Argentine Foundation for Poetry. With an extensive career as a writer, in 2008 he presented his spiritual book, The Return of the Young Prince, which has been translated into more than 40 languages. This made him one of Argentina’s best-selling authors, with 3.5 million copies. His books of poems have been distinguished throughout Latin America and Spain. In 2009 he was recognized as a work of cultural interest by the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation.
He was recognized as “outstanding personality of the Culture of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires in 2010. Distinguished with the honorable mention “Senator Domingo Faustino Sarmiento” by the Honorable Senate of the Nation as a writer, playwright, composer and philanthropist. He is a member of the Academia de Artes Escénicas de España. He is also Honorary Professor at UNAM (Mexico), Universidad de Los Andes (Chile) and Universidad Nacional de La Matanza (Argentina).
He has paid tribute to St. Francis of Assisi in his theatrical work: “Franciscus, una razón para vivir”, awarded with the ACE Award (Asociación Cronistas del Espectáculo) in 2016 and with the Santa Clara de Asís Award in 2017.
Her latest novel, Morir lo necesario, was presented in 2022 and received praise, among others, from Nobel Literature Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, who traveled expressly to the Argentina Book Fair, to actively participate in its launch.
The book became one of the 10 best-selling books of the year, and Roemmers donated all the money received from its sale to collaborate with Unicef and the United Nations to help the children of the world in emergency situations.
