(ANS - Lubumbashi) - "Joseph arrived at 'Bakanja Ville', the Salesian center in Lubumbashi dedicated to the first reception of street children, last May," says Delphine Morin, a volunteer at the same center. "It was a street kid who found him and took him to the center. The child was in a bad state: he had continuous epileptic seizures, which left him weakened and frightened, and a nasty wound to the tibia that prevented him from walking. Communication with him was not at all easy: with mental retardation, he barely spoke and seemed to have his head perpetually in the clouds."
Mumbai, India - January 2018 - On 9 January, the Salesian NGO "Don Bosco Development Society" (DBDS) of Mumbai, in association with the traffic police, organized an interactive workshop entitled "Safe Roads" for the children and young people living in the slums. Thanks to this activity, the participants learned basic rules and advice on how to deal with the streets of the city safely.
(ANS - Rome) - This Christmas, Pope Francis called upon all men and women of good will to see the faces of suffering children in the face of the child Jesus, to think of the many children in the world who suffer and are victims of war, violence and forced migration. To understand the import, some data.
(ANS - Paris) - Soon it will be Christmas: the streets and houses are illuminated, parties with friends and relatives are organized, people look forward to the joy of meeting... But this is one of the most difficult periods for young people housed in minors institutions. Below, the testimony of Fr Jean-Marie Petitclerc, Salesian priest and educator, and founder of the "Le Valdocco" Association.
(ANS - Rome) - Sexual abuse of minors exists in all societies, cultures and countries around the world. The evil is much more widespread than commonly thought: according to EU data, in Europe alone, a boy or girl in five is sexually abused. For this reason, the Center for the Protection of Minors of the Gregorian University has recently organized the "1st Global Congress" on "Dignity of the Minor in the Digital World" - to which Pope Francis also sent a message.
(ANS - Negombo) - From the mountains of Trentino surrounding Rovereto, his hometown, to the Himalayas of Bhutan, to the waters of the Indian Ocean alongside Negombo, the city of Sri Lanka where he serves the neediest children, especially the young victims of abuse and violence: it is the 45-year journey in the missionary life of Br. Gabriele Garniga, Salesian Coadjutor.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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RMG – “Do Elderly Salesians have a role in the Digital Culture?”The answer in the letter “Sharing wisdom and hope in digital culture” from the General Councillor for Social Communication
(ANS – Rome) – In view of the current digital reality, and due to the presence, especially in some regions of the Salesian world, of a large number of elderly Salesians, the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, has decided to dedicate a special letter to them, entitled: "Sharing wisdom and hope in digital culture". Here is how he explains to ANS readers today the origins, significance and perspectives of this document.
EDITORIAL
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Myanmar – Tragedy of Innocent Children in the midst of Armed Conflicts(ANS – Naypyidaw) - Myanmar finds itself immersed in profound grief and anguish as innocent lives, particularly those of children, continue to be mercilessly lost in the enduring armed conflicts. Families are left devastated by the tragic loss of their loved ones while the relentless violence shows no signs of abating. This week, a heartfelt plea from Myanmar reached our community, shedding light on the heart-wrenching death of a young girl Juliet in a military airstrike, prompting a unified call for prayers and action.
EVENTS
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Italy – "Education and culture of safeguarding in sport. Towards the establishment of protection and prevention models": PGS conference with UPS(ANS – Rome) – The synergy between the Salesian Youth Sports Centres (PGS) and the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) in Rome gave rise to the conference on "Education and culture of safeguarding in sport. Towards the establishment of models of protection and prevention", which will take place on 13 April, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., at the UPS facilities in Rome.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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Latin America – Strengthening Vocational and Educational Commitment Today: 30 Years of the Salesian School in Latin America(ANS) – Since the first meeting in Cumbayá (Ecuador), 30 years ago, educational processes on the continent have found a collaborative epicentre which has given rise to the Salesian School in (Latin) America – ESA, in Spanish – as a forum for reflection and a common path. Many Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) and other groups of the Salesian Family (SF) have enriched this synodal journey, focusing on young people and their integral development. What are today's demands of us in the educational field? How are we building the Salesian School of the future? Can we further strengthen this great Salesian educational network in America? Some FMAs and Salesians who were at the first meeting in 1994, share their experience and their vision of how this journey has allowed a growth in the understanding of the youth reality, in the strategic decisions within the Provinces themselves and in the challenges that emerge for Salesian education.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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I’M A SALESIAN AND I’M A BOROROTHE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB
Diary of a Happy and Blessed Missionary Day
Dear friends , I’m writing to you from Meruri in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. I write this greeting almost as if it were a journalistic report, because it has been only 24 hours since I arrived in the middle of this Brazilian state.