Dear Friends !
Salesian Communications Delegates from all of our Salesian Regions have made very important and innovative choices for communication through the communication plan for their Region.
In 2020, meetings of Communications Delegates saw excellent participation and were organised by the Coordinators and Communications Delegates of America South Cone, Interamerica, Africa-Madagascar, South Asia, East Asia-Oceania Central & North Europe, and the Mediterranean.
Each Region, based on its own situation, rhythm and vision, contributed significantly to the continuity, deeper understanding and implementation of the communication plans of the Provinces and Regions.
Based on the study of the 8 Priorities of the Rector Major for the Congregation, all the Delegates for Communication, and in some Regions, SB Editors and Directors of Radio and Publishing houses chose and approved some basic priorities for communication for the next 5 years.
Targets, processes and actions were defined for each priority, with their respective dates and the people responsible for accompanying, implementing and verifying that plans have been carried out.
The priorities chosen are:
According to our guidelines, those coordinating Delegates in the Regions, together with the Provincial Teams, will accompany the steps and implementation of these activities related to the priorities of each Region.
On 9 February this year I met online with the Coordinators of the Social Communications Delegates of the Regions for the Salesian Congregation to design together the Program for the School of Social Communication Delegates which we aim to start online on August 2021.
The team, involving myself together with the Coordinators of the Regions, Fr Ernest Rosario(South Asia), Fr Peter Chinh( East Asia-Oceania), Fr Javier Valiente (Mediterraneam) , Fr Rigobert Fumtchum( Africa-Madagascar), Fr James Gardner (Central & North Europe) and Zaida Elisa( America South Cone and Interamerica) defined the goals, the methodology and the contents of the School of Social Communication.
The SSC (Salesian School of Communication) is a special program organised by the Department of Social Communication in Rome, with the collaboration of the Social Communications Coordinators of the Regions, in response to the two actions proposed by the Project of Animation and Governance of the Department of Communication(2020-2026) a. Guideline 5.1.4 b. Guideline 1.1.1
The Course aims at deepening, forming and enriching those involved in leading the media ministry/services of various Salesian provinces across the globe from an evangelical, synodal, Salesian and convergent perspective on communication in order to evangelise and educate the youth of today.
The course will be available to Social Communication Delegates from Salesian Provinces, Editors/ Coordinators of the Salesian Bulletin, Radios and Publishing Houses, Salesian/Lay people chosen and indicated by the Social COM Coordinators of the Regions (5 people).
For each topic a lecturer, an expert in communication, will conduct the reflection as well as the practical aspects of each content. The course will start in August 2021 and will end in September 2022.
The course will be conducted online
Some of the topics to be developed in the course.
We hope this course will help us to creatively respond to the challenges and opportunities of the digital world.
Wishing you all health and hope.
Fr Gildásio Mendes dos Santos, SDB
General Councillor for Social Communication
Rome, 24 February 2021