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WYD RIO 2103

Request from the joint YM and SC Commission at national level in Brazil - Could you please include this banner (and its link to their site at www.mjs.org.br) in your local Salesian websites.

After the success of the first “Ethnique” Festival, it was repeated this year with a range of culture, music and traditions of the young Mising ethnic group. The event took place from 4-7 January 2013 in the extensive buildings at “Don Bosco-Life Plus”.
     The Festival opened on the afternoon of 4 January, with Mr J. Taku, a local official, as guest of honour. In his opening address Fr Thomas Kalapurackal, sdb, the Rector and Festival promoter, indicated how all cultural and ethnic differences are God's gift to humankind and that it is by seeing the worth of such differences that we build up the individual and the community.
     Keeping the same setup as the earlier event, the Festival directly involved young Misings who attend the informal education program known as I-Card or the “Young Misings Association”, in total around 200 youngsters, mostly older youth who have left school but who do not as yet fully fit into the community. It was they who looked after all the preparation and execution of the Festival, from setting up areas, to lighting, making and selling craft items, performances, and preparing materials on local cuisine.
     A novelty this time was the involvement of the “Rhythm of Dance” Dance school, which performed to public applause on 6 January. Other special attractions were the many stage scenes presented by the young Misings, who presented traditional stories from their culture and the various rituals that mark out community life. The Festival's aim, in fact, as well as presenting Mising culture for outside visitors, was to remind tribal youth themsleves of the importance of belonging to a community. “We are proud to be Misings and are happy to show our rich culture, customs and rituals to the people” said a student, Rakesh Kuli.
     The Ethnique Festival, which takes place in the first week of January each year, has brought much agreement amongst people and, while the basic structure remains the same “new ideas are welcome”, says Fr Kalapurackal. Public interest in what was on show was evident and many donations, in money and in kind, made the Festival possible.
     A professor from JB college, Mrs. Nazrine Shamim Ahnmed, said: “It is an awesome festival where we come to learn about the Mising community. But as things are, there is need for more advertisement, so that the general public will be aware such a beautiful celebration.” “We have planted a seed. We are going to see it grow - says Fr. Thomas Kalapurackal - With the type of media attention and public support which has begun to show up, Ethnique is a sure bet. For the marginalized young, it is a dream come true”.

A strategic alliance between the Salesian Social Communication Centre and Peruvian TV broadcaster JN19 has resulted in a number of special transmissions on Don Bosco, beginning from this month, aimed at fostering awareness of his history and at spreading the Salesian charism around the world. This is particularly in view of the bicentenary of Don Bosco's birth.
     The first special program is “Don Bosco, Saint of the young”, to be aired throughout January on Sundays at 9 p.m. And repeated on Monday evenings at 10 p.m. (Peru time). The Peruvian broadcasting team has shot a number of scenes in the Salesian Formation House and at Rosenthal de la Puente institute at Magdalena del Mar, involving Salesian post-novice José Luis Sánchez as conductor.
     Another program, already scheduled since October last, is “Salesians in the world” and presents a number of documentaries from Salesian producers such as Missioni Don Bosco (Italy) and Productora Salesiana TVP (Perù). Thanks to this joint effort, Salesians in Peru now have a TV 'window' on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
     Another program is “Paths of Light”, with Fr Santo Dal Ben, Provincial of Peru, aired immediately after Mass at 6 p.m. From the 15th of each month until the end of the month.
     This project began in October 2012, and programming production is managed by Kelly Medina from JN19 and Abel Camesasca, from Productora Salesiana TVP.
     The programs can be seen live on JN19, either on internet or direct, keeping in mind Peruvian time.

In the belief that every Salesian must be a good communicator, and that today’s media and rapidly advancing communications technology are gifts which enhance communication when used wisely, 40 post-novices hailing from East Africa Province (AFE), Zambia Vice Province (ZMB), Southern Africa Vice Province (AFM) Sri Lanka Vice Province (LKC) and Guwahati Province, India (ING) took part in an intense seminar of reflection, theory and practice regarding the digital continent from 27 December 2012 to 3 January 2013.
     The Seminar, led by experts in the field from the AFE Province’s communications centre at DBYES-BEAMS, and from the Social Communications Department, Rome, engaged the young Salesians and their formators in a profound process of reflection on the impact of new media on their lives as consecrated Salesian Religious, educators and evangelisers, as well as in exploration of practical matters such as the production of newsletters, creating a web page, ways of evangelising through communications activities, especially through drama, music and other arts, and appropriate use of ‘gadgets’, and how to make best use of the various Congregational and Provincial websites and other media, as well as contributing to them. The seminar also covered areas such as ethics in the digital world, spirituality in this context, and awareness of how our habits of mind are profoundly altered by the tools we use.
     In addition to the reflection process, a kind of ‘scrutinium digitalis’, the student body also drew up a draft communications policy for the community which they have submitted to the Council of the Community. The policy is based on the SSCS or Salesian Social Communications System, a document which was explored in depth at the seminar and offered to the students as their guiding principle for current and future action in the communications field.

I thought that it may be possible to place the attached picture to have people send their birthday wished to Fr Arthur Lenti who turns 90 on 31 January 2013!
Here is a link that they can post their greetings to:

Don Bosco Hall
or
Facebook
Fr John Roche,
Don Bosco Hall, Berkeley USA

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BRAZIL: animation visit to 6 Provinces: 16 Feb - 9 March
ROME:  Pisana-Salesianum, 11-14 April 2013, the SC

World Advisory Council (aka Consulta).
ROME: UPS, 3-4 May 2013 Formators and formandi, initial formation Italy for study of World Communications Day Message 2013.
ROME: Pisana-Salesianum, 9-12 May 2012, all SC Delegates Europe.
ROME: Pisana 3-6 October, European Publishers
THAILAND: 21-24 October 2013 all SC Delegates EAO (precise location t.b.a).