The Coordinators of the regions, Fr. Ernest Rosario (South Asia), Fr. Peter Chinh (East Asia - Oceania), Fr. Javier Valiente (Mediterranean), Fr. Rigobert Fumtchum (Africa - Madagascar), Fr. James Gardner (Central and Northern Europe) and Zaida Navarrete (Cone South and Inter-America) and Fr. Gildasio defined the goals, the methodology and the contents of the School of Social Communication.
The SSSC (Salesian School of Social Communication) is a special program organized by the Department of Social Communication and aims to fulfil two lines of actions (1.1.1 & 5.1.4) from the Project of Social Communication Planning (2020-2026).
The SSSC will be executed in collaboration with the Social Communication Coordinators of the seven Salesian regions across the world.
The course aims to deepening, training, and enriching those involved in leading the media ministry/services of various Salesian provinces across the globe according to Evangelic, Synodal, Salesian and convergent view of communication in order to evangelize and educate the youth of today.
The course will be available to the Social Communication Delegates of the Salesian Provinces, the Director/ Coordinator of the Salesian Bulletin, Radios and Publishing House and five Salesian/Lay people chosen and indicated by the Social Communication Coordinator of the Region.
Some important information about SSSC (Salesian School of Social Communication);
- The course will be conducted online.
- The course will commence from August 2021 and will end in September 2022.
- For each topic a professor, an expert in communication will conduct the reflection as well as the practical aspects of each module.
- The sessions will be held twice a month according to the schedule and the reality of each Region.
- There will be a common layer of course (topics for all) and a particular layer (according to the Region). The coordinator of the course for the Region will choose at least five topics of importance and relevance to the region.
- Each session will last 3 hours with a 30-minute break.
- Each participant will present at the end of the month a short practical project based on the inputs received.
- Admissions close at the commencement of the course.
- To be admitted to the course each person invited has to sign up a form and submit it to the Coordinator Committee within the prescribed deadline.
Some of the topics that will be developed in the course are as follows:
a) Exploring and understanding the basics of Human Communication.
b) Strengthening the base of Christian and Ethical Communication.
c) Designing Institutional Communication and Marketing aids for Salesian institutions (Schools, Parishes, Provinces, Youth Centres, Others).
d) Protocols for handling institutional crisis and other cyber security & safety issues.
e) Protocols for safeguarding intellectual property and digital assets.
f) Designing the Communication Code of Ethics for the Institutions.
g) Organizing processes of building trust in organizations: internal and external communication management.
h) Integrating latest innovations such as artificial intelligence in our management eco system for building a better human governance of our mission.
i) Understanding the Digital World: Culture and the digital anthropology: the techno-human condition, culture of digital natives and networking.
j) Developing a pastoral methodology to evangelize and educate in the digital environment.
k) Fostering a Salesian educative accompaniment of the youth in the social media environment: language, codes, Salesian values and attitudes, interactions and engagement.
l) Promoting a digital citizenship planning in the Province: professionalism, digital inclusion, digital transformation, rights for digital education.
“We hope this course will help us to creatively respond to the signs of the times today” Fr. Ernest Rosario finally says.
