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Ethiopia – “Print your future”
Addis Ababa) - Don Bosco TVET, the Salesian Centre for Technical and Professional Training at Mekanissa, near Addis Ababa, runs a training project in graphic and typographic arts. The project is called “Print your future” and is already showing two important results: an increase in the professionalism of the students and the spread of the name of Don Bosco and the Salesians as synonyms for education and development opportunities.
The project was launched in 2014. It is the result of collaboration between Salesians, the NGOs "VIS" and "Vides", the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Episcopal Conference and the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia. A laboratory of graphic and typographic arts was opened in 2015.
Currently there are night classes for students, alternating between theory and practical sessions. They are aimed mainly at workers and those employed in the printing industry, to help them upgrade their skills and improve their chances of employment.
This training will be part of a structure like that of Don Bosco TVET which is already functioning and accredited by the Agency for Technical-Vocational Education in Addis Ababa. It provides courses to many poor and vulnerable young people from the area.
The courses in graphic and typographic arts are generally held by local experts, but there are also special lectures by experts from the renowned Italian technical schools of San Zeno in Verona and San Marco in Mestre, both in the Salesian Province of North-East Italy (INE).
These courses had as their first positive result an increase in the number of young people who come to the school. "Don Bosco TVET Mekanissa is now in effect a mecca for the young people of the area," commented the organizers.
The graphic and printing industry is very important and is growing in the Ethiopian labour market, but at presen t there is no institution in the whole country that offers training for local people. The school in graphic and typographic arts is the first of its kind in Ethiopia and is a showpiece of Salesian activity in the capital.
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/2991-ethiopia-print-your-future
RMG - Preparations for International Congress on Youth and Family Ministry – the website is online
Rome) – One of the subject matters on which the Department of Youth Ministry focused its work between 2015 and 2018 is the topic of the family, as requested by the two Synods on the pastoral challenges of the family (2014 and 2015) and the 27th General Chapter (2014). An International Congress on Youth and Family Ministry (from November 27th to December 1st 2017), which will be held in Madrid. A website has been opened for enrolment at: https://symfamily17.org
In 2014 the Department started a continuous and forward-looking journey of study and reflection, consisting in a number of stages in which all the Provinces of the Congregation are and will be gradually involved:
Study of the family contexts in all regions, through a number of study sessions involving all the Delegates for Youth Ministry. These were organized with the help of qualified experts from different regions (September 2015 - February 2016 ).
Creation of an international study group, which outlined the main emerging issues and drew a realistic and detailed analysis of challenges to the family. The creation of this group was based on the study of the different contexts, which was carried out during the first stage (March 2016).
Analysis of the provincial and local context, through a consultation addressed to all Provinces: a Questionnaire that the Provincial Councils used to share information on their pastoral work and on the support they provide to families in their area (June - February 2017).
Organization of the International Congress on Youth and Family Ministry. It will aim at further studying the current guidelines on the family set by the Church and the Congregation, sharing challenges and educational and/or pastoral opportunities, as well as creating new fora for reflection and action within the education and ministry community.
The Congress will be a forum for participation and representation of all the Provinces of the Congregation. As to the choice of participants, a set number of people and their profile have been identified so that congress sessions and proceedings can advance smoothly. This is why participants include lay people and religious of our society, who are involved with families in the field of Salesian Youth Ministry, so that they will be able to help promote and strengthen various pastoral processes on behalf of the family, as topic and recipients of our ministry. A specific number of participants has been set for every Province (in the "participants" section of the web page you may find this data). Provincial Delegates for Youth Ministry, instead of single individuals, will manage the registration process.
The following are the most important dates leading up to the General Congress, to help Provinces prepare for it:
- March 28th – July 31th 2017: registration, enrolment and payment period.
- 1 August - 30 September 2017: registration to activities (panel of "good practices" and training workshop or "Mini Course") and registration.
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/2975-rmg-preparations-for-international-congress-on-youth-and-
Germany - When the circus makes the difference
Bamberg) - The goal of "Zirkus Giovanni" (Circus John, in honour of St John Bosco) is to involve children and adolescents who have experienced failure at school. This is a unique artistic and educational project of Salesian inspiration. Last year alone they gave about 30,000 hours of circus performances. In recent days, those responsible for this project have launched a campaign to encourage companies and benefactors to sponsor their activities.
"The circus has an advantage, because they all find their place in it," said Emil Hartmann to an audience of over 140 people. He told them that "Zirkus Giovanni" can develop life-skills and that children can experience small successes that improve their self-esteem and their everyday lives. "It is an original experience in which young people are involved in difficult situations. The applause and the compliments are strong incentives for their growth." But the circus needs sponsors to help move this challenge forward. It does not enjoy public funding and the costs for the participants need to be kept as low as possible in order to meet the limited resources of the beneficiaries.
"It is important that children and young people are happy. The circus is making an important contribution to ensuring that children learn to overcome challenges and to gain self-confidence. These young people need to experience success and recognition. Zirkus Giovanni offers the basis for all this" said Dr. Melanie Huml, Minister for Health in the State of Bavaria and Chairman of the Advisory Board of ‘Zirkus Giovanni. The Minister then also commented that "it is very exciting and beautiful to see this group of young people gathered here" and she clearly expressed her satisfaction, not only in her opening speech, but also during the childrens performances on the trapeze and in acrobatics.
The entrepreneur Michael Stoschek, who is also on the Ad visory Council of ‘Zirkus Giovanni, together with Gerhard Metzner, President of the Civil Association Kaulberg, presented a check for 1,000 euro, while numerous other guests promised their support.
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/2965-germany-when-the-circus-makes-the-difference
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Letter from Fr Filiberto
Dear Friends of CS:
This time I share with you the experience of the meeting of Salesian Publishers of Europe in Prague, from 20 to 23 April 2017, aware that these are part of your Provincial Plan for Social Communication.
The first point refers to the facts mentioned by some of the participants who are in this meeting for the first time, others have come as representatives of the editorial directors, and others who also hold, simultaneously, different positions/roles in the Province. This creates a particularly complex dynamic which we have to take into account, since it affects the life of the province and the publishing apostolate due to the different speed/pace and knowledge, due to the different experiences and the investment of time and resources. This causes discontinuity in the processes and the feeling of not being able to respond well to all tasks, at the same time.
A second point concerns the interest and the active participat ion of everyone, the creation of a good (synergized) environment, bearing in mind that we belong to the same institution that has a common mission.
Thirdly we must recognize the presence of lay people who always bring quality and specific know-how in the field of publishing.
The fourth, but not least, our thanks to the staff of the Portal publishing house, for their warm welcome, the careful logistics and the wise choice for the meeting place.
I also mention other elements that must be taken into account over the next two years.
With regard to our being: to pay more attention to guaranteeing the Salesian identity and mission, to always have an updated publishing project, to have a deep sense of the institution (Church, Congregation, Province - Provincial Organic Plan), to start the timely preparation of content and relevant authors (SDB and laity), to be open to unity in diversity (a common mark in the autonomy of the provincial a dministration).
With regard to our attitudes: facing the future with hope, intelligence and imagination, offering the values of the Gospel and the charism in new ways, while listening at the same time, to consumers and persons who are experts in proposing values. For this, it is healthy to integrate young staff and experts in our publishing team, thinking more and more about the laity.
With respect to our principles: always act with professionalism, transparency and in accordance with the laws of your countries, being competitive in quality, and reaching self-sustainability.
All that Don Bosco did and what the Constitutions say in the field of communication and publication is a historical and foundational fact which develops the charism and places us right at the center of the Salesian mission. Everything that you do with such generosity and intelligence, with much capacity and institutional sense, must be taken into account in the rest ructuring, redesign and review of relevance in the Province, because we are seeking to be faithful to the charism and to the mission for the youth and people and not to works.
The next meeting of the Salesian Publishers of Europe will be in Monaco from May 2 to 5 of 2019.
In Don Bosco,
P. Filiberto González
email: webmaster@sdb.org
Information:
RMG - A new type of media for Salesian Mission Day 2017
Rome) – In order to offer the best possible service in transmitting the footage of Salesian Mission Day 2017 to all the continents, the Departments of the Missions and Social Communication, in collaboration with "Missioni Don Bosco" in Turin, have developed a new mode of distribution.
The traditional DVD containing videos and additional materials for Salesian Mission Day is being replaced this year by a USB key. This is an option that preserves the quality of the filmed material in high definition, is easy to transport and distribute, can be played back on screens and computers, and allow for the transfer or copying of the contents.
Distribution of the USB key has already begun at the meeting of the Missionary Animation Delegates of the Inter-America and Southern Cone regions, at Retiro das Rosas, not far from Belo Horizonte in Brazil.
With video clips on USB flash drives, it is possible to show the work of the Salesians for the Yanom ami Indians in two important missions in the Manaus Province, with the Mixes of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, and the Chinantecos, another indigenous group living in the same state, and also with the Mapuche, an indigenous people living in the southernmost parts of Argentinean Patagonia.
The compatibility of the USB keys is guaranteed for all operating systems from Windows to Mac OS. The speed of the device depends not only on the interface but also on the type of flash memory used.
Videos are also available on the ANSChannel YouTube, in 5 languages.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?
list=PL6Ly5Pu2EbG4dBrWUSE8Ld_HNiAAE4luP
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/3109-rmg-a-new-type-of-media-for-salesian-mission-day-2017
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Czech Republic - Meeting of Salesian Publishers of Europe
Prague, Czech Republic - April 2017 - From 20 to 23 April, a meeting of Salesian Publishers of Europe, is taking place in Prague. It is being chaired by Fr Filiberto González, Councillor General for Social Communication,
link: www.infoans.org/en/sections/news-photos/item/3097-czech-republic-meeting-of-salesian-publishers-of-e
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