ALEA Uganda

The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Leo XIV to participants in the global meeting of The Economy of Francesco, taking place from 28 to 30 November 2025 (Castel Gandolfo):
https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/11/28/251128d.html

What I would share with the community upon returning is the energy to look for friendlier businesses and businesses with social responsibility, where we leave aside social classes, where we leave aside our preconceptions and seek to develop a common society, where we can all be a unique brotherhood and that allows us to grow more as a society.

Jeremy Ramírez
Costa Rica

I joined the Economy of Francesco because I want to create real impact—starting with my local community, and then, together with others, contributing to meaningful change on a global scale. What I’m hoping for here is connection: to meet people who share the same purpose and to explore how we can turn ideas into concrete actions that reshape the way we think about the economy.

After this event, the smallest action I want to take is within my local Lazio Hub. Until now, most of our work has been focused on educational activities in schools and universities. I want to expand that. My plan is to gather everyone and start a practical initiative—something that responds directly to the needs of people who are less integrated in the economy. A small step, but one that brings us closer to reducing inequality and building something that truly serves our community.

Flavio Tomassi
Italy

I commit myself to continue being vos so that people discover that companies do have a soul, that it is up to us to revive that soul that the company has and give a special participation to those who were excluded from the whole process of well-being (or good). I do that today. So it would be committing myself to being able to announce it and add more people so that we can achieve not only having a project, but having a better quality of life for everyone (all men and women).

Mariny non Vázquez
Puerto Rico

Clarins: I’ve always resonated with the values of the Economy of Francesco. As someone doing social work in Indonesia—and often feeling like a minority—it means a lot to find a community that is so grounded, welcoming, and sincere.

Audrey: In my years working in media, it was rare to meet people who genuinely put values above profit. But here, I’ve met entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and so many others who share the same desire to make the world a better place. It feels like home.

Clarins: Being here has strengthened my conviction that it’s okay to be different and to stand firm in my faith, values, and the commitments I’ve made—even when others don’t understand. I’ve learned that disagreements and tension can actually be beautiful, because they create dialogue and help us see each other more deeply. EoF showed me this in a very real and tangible way.

Audrey: Before coming, I saw work mainly through the lens of money and success. EoF challenged all of that—in the best possible way. It made me unlearn a lot of old beliefs and rebuild a healthier foundation. Now I want to reassess my motivations, align my work with what truly matters, and approach everything with more intention, especially when it comes to faith, family, community, and purpose.

Audrey: Through our projects, we want to bring this spirit back home. With the Feminine Genius Collective, we hope to create a space where women can find belonging, clarity, and confidence in who they are. The response we received at EoF, from both men and women, showed us that this need is universal.

Clarins: We also hope this energy flows into the wider ecosystem of our foundation—the Sembarita Foundation Indonesia—reaching the children, underprivileged families, and marginalised communities we work with. What I experienced here—the openness, generosity, confidence, and respect for every story—is something I want to replicate. I want every woman to feel that she is uniquely made, deeply valued, and meant for a beautiful life.

Clarins & Audrey
Feminine Genius Collective
Indonesia

Marco: I think the best thing I did today, which is truly the day I enjoyed the most, is because we held these workshops. I found it very beneficial to talk, especially in a group. I did a workshop that focused more on vocation. We divided into groups, I talked to many people, I expressed myself, I talked about service, about what I might do, what my vocation is. And indeed, the thing I could tell my family when I return is that I have changed because I feel prompted to continue this path and to continue coming next year too.

Lorenzo:
So, as my companion said, today we participated in various—in one general workshop for each person. The one I participated in spoke about energy, especially renewable energy within villages. The idea that came to mind is how every person who has their job within a village can unite their ideas. For example, we had renewable energy; how they can unite all the ideas to find a common solution to, for instance, I don't know, make a village self-sufficient to create autonomy within this village, uniting all the elements and the visions, the perspectives of every single inhabitant.

Marco: I'll add one thing. The best thing is that everyone treats you not based on your age, but on your person. I did not feel small, even though I was surrounded by great people, not only in age but also in what they do. I always said that our project has always been a small thing, but everyone always thanked me for the fact that it is a great thing and can provide a beautiful perspective.

Marco and Lorenzo
Students from Istituto Salesiano San Marco
Italy

I joined the Economy of Francesco because I believe it’s a rare space where people of different faiths and backgrounds can come together to discuss real global challenges. I’ve always respected how the Vatican and the Catholic Church engage openly with issues like climate change and inequality, so being part of these dialogues felt meaningful to me.

During the event, I’ve already learned a lot just by chatting with people over coffee and during breaks. Hearing what they do in their home countries, why they came, and what they hope to learn has given me perspectives I wouldn’t normally encounter in my corporate life.

I’m also here to share an idea I care deeply about: creating a sharing economy within the AI sector. I believe we can reduce energy waste and improve the utilisation of underused data-centre infrastructure by rethinking how we share computing power. I’m hoping to meet people who can help bring this idea to the right stakeholders and push it further.

One belief that has grown stronger for me at this event is the importance of the sharing economy in solving societal problems. We create so much waste in modern life—often because we think we need more than we actually do. Models like Uber and Airbnb show how unused resources can be put to good use. The real challenge is shaping these models so they benefit society, not just individuals. EoF reminded me how essential it is to share not only the good things in the world, but also the responsibilities and actions needed to face global challenges.

Yik Wai Chee
Grafilab
Malaysia

"...profit should not be the aim of the company but a tool at the disposal of the company as we always see."

I'm part of the Management & Gift Village in the Economy of Francesco and also in regard of the extraordinary entrepreneurial ideas. I will present a business incubator which I coordinate.

We try also to bring to encourage young people to promote these ideas of doing business with morals. And also do our best so that profit should not be the aim of the company but a tool at the disposal of the company as we always see.

That's one of the main objective why I am an EoF ambassador. I go along with others young people within EoF community to learn from each other and to also impact more young people wherever we are in Cameroon in a breaker through the incubator.

"When asked “Why me? Why now?” I genuinely believe it has to be us—those who are here today—doing whatever we can, even if it feels small."

I first got involved because I was studying international relations and was very active in the Church, doing social service and working with Leo Club and Lions Club International. I wanted my life to feel more grounded in real community work.

When Pope Francis made his call in 2019, my mom saw it before I did and told me, “You need to be part of this.” It truly felt like a calling. I applied without any expectations, and even though the first event was supposed to happen in 2020, I eventually got invited and attended for the first time in 2022.

My final university exam was actually about the Pope and the Economy of Francesco, and now that I’ve moved to a new city, we’re trying to build projects through Leo Club and Lions Club inspired by EoF’s idea of sustainable and meaningful service.

This year, I’m coming as a village coordinator. My hope is to bring more people into our village so we can spread the message of Business and Peace and have more hands working across different parts of the world.

When asked “Why me? Why now?” I genuinely believe it has to be us—those who are here today—doing whatever we can, even if it feels small. If everyone takes this approach, we can spread both Pope Francis’ spirit and the vision of the Economy of Francesco much more widely.

And finally, I want to take what I’ve learned back to my community, especially the importance of caring for our world rather than using it and discarding it. I hope to spark more sustainability-focused projects through our clubs.

Giovana Batista
Leo Club
Brazil

Seeing my friends, colleagues, and people in Mozambique struggle with self-esteem, depression, and anxiety made me grow and learn how I could help change perspectives and address this reality in Mozambique.

Nicolye Durão Mondle

Mozambique

I chose to be part of Economy of Francesco to help create a stronger and more stable network in the Piedmont area. The goal is to connect with other associations that share our values and to strengthen our bond with them.

Daniele Lonardo
Italy