Presentation and Principles
The “New Humanity International Association” is a Non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 1986, and is active in more than 100 countries worldwide.
New Humanity aims to contribute to the creation of unity in the human family, fully respecting the individual identities of all of its members. For this reason, New Humanity advances the idea of a united world in all spheres of society and at all levels. It promotes the universal spirit of fraternity, as proclaimed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (article n. 1), as a dynamic factor in social cohesion.
New Humanity is built upon a solid foundation of volunteerism and active youth involvement. As a partner, it promotes and supports numerous cultural initiatives, social, projects and educational projects; carries out economic initiatives on both local and international scales; and acts as a voice to share experiences and best practices.
As such, New Humanity is open to the contributions of all. It collaborates with individuals, institutions, representatives of world religions, and diverse cultures towards the achievement of common goals.
In 1987 New Humanity obtained Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Social and Economic Council (ECOSOC), and has held General Consultative Status since 2005. In 2008 New Humanity was recognized as a NGO partner of UNESCO.
New Humanity’s main headquarters is located in Rome, with delegations in New York, Geneva, and Paris. It is composed of various associated organizations, and collaborates with several partners that specialize in many different fields of activity. New Humanity also belongs to important networks of other organizations, such as the Catholic-inspired NGOs Forum (CINGO) in Geneva and the NGOs-UNESCO Liaison Committee.
New Humanity promotes the United World Project, in partnership with the Youth for a United World Movement (its youth section) and the New Humanity International Movement (its network of active citizenship). The United World Project is an initiative that seeks to promote and diffuse the ideal of universal brotherhood, by acting in all spheres of society.
New Humanity’s principles and initiatives draw on the values of the Focolare Movement. New Humanity is, in fact, one of the expressions of the Focolare Movement, founded in 1943 in Trent (Italy) by Chiara Lubich, recipient of the 1996 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education and the 1998 Council of Europe Prize for Human Rights.
Members of the Focolare Movement are present in 182 countries and belong to different cultures, religions, ethnic groups and traditions. Focolare members are committed to building relationships among people, social groups, cultures and institutions based on mutual respect, dialogue and forms of active collaboration. They follow a vision of civil and political life inspired by universal fraternity (a principle also contained in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), in which each person is a builder and a citizen of a united world.