This year marks the 25th anniversary of the U.N. General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. In that declaration, the U.N. recognized that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.” This year’s theme is “Cultivating a Culture of Peace.”
Salesian missionaries provide social development and educational programs to youth and families in poverty regardless of gender, race or religion. They work to level the playing field for poor youth so that they have the support needed to gain an education and the skills for future employment.
“Salesian missionaries are on the front lines in some of the most difficult and conflict-ridden places across the globe, working to ensure youth have access to education and social development programs,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “We are working to change the lives of poor and disenfranchised youth and put them on a path to becoming full members of their communities while encouraging a life filled with peace and meaningful contribution.”
In honor of the International Day of Peace, Salesian Missions highlights unique Salesian programs that are positively impacting youth around the globe.
DR CONGO
People who have been internally displaced and living at Camp Don Bosco, located at the Don Bosco Ngangi Youth Center in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, had access to healthy nutrition thanks to a partnership between Salesian Missions and Feed My Starving Children. The donation helped 2,780 people over three months in 2023.
Camp Don Bosco was set up in the fall of 2022 to aid in the war between a rebel group and the loyalist FARDC army. Don Bosco Ngangi Youth Center welcomed displaced people and allowed them to use a plot of land that was once used for youth sports activities. Most of the 21,000 people who camped on the land were displaced from Rutshuru and Nyiragongo.
Camps for displaced people, such as Camp Don Bosco, are overcrowded and lack adequate infrastructure. Living conditions are extremely precarious, with limited access to clean water, sanitation, food and health care. Disease, malnutrition and other health problems spread rapidly in such conditions.
A Salesian noted, “The highly nutritious food from Feed My Starving Children has been warmly welcomed by the families living in the camp. The families know that they are getting much-needed nutrition and are able to provide healthy meals for their families. Families with children testify that this food is highly nutritious and facilitates a quick recovery of malnourished children.”
ITALY/TURKEY
Students from the Salesian Evrim School, located in Istanbul, Turkey, took part in the Marco Polo project, which was focused on “Dialogue with the East. Peace and Sustainability.” The art developed by the children for this project was exhibited at Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice, Italy, and at the end of May at the Elgiz Museum in Istanbul.
During the first stage of the exhibition, held at the great San Teodoro School in Venice, two professors and historians, Pieralvise Zorzi, from Venice, and İlber Ortaylı, from Istanbul, tried to interpret the artistic works produced by the students, contributing their point of view to highlight the importance of dialogue for peace and sustainability.
In the second stage, held at Palazzo Mocenigo, several local civil and religious authorities honored the exhibition with their message about the importance of education for dialogue, which begins at school with the acceptance of cultural, social and religious differences with respect for others.
MYANMAR
Students in a Salesian school in Myanmar have laptop computers thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Donor funding was utilized to purchase 25 laptops to help the students with their education and for them to learn basic computer skills. The school set up the internet and the electrical wiring for a new computer room for the 300 students, as well as hired skilled staff to teach the course.
Father Khun Myat Victor, provincial economer in Myanmar, said, “We have just set up the computer room and the first group of young people have begun their lessons on basic computer skills.”
Myanmar has suffered political violence and instability since the military coup took over power in February 2021. There has been ongoing violence and chaos, and schools have been shut because of this and the COVID-19 pandemic. Salesians are opening their schools to enable youth to get back to their education, which they have been without for two years. Classes focus on English, computers and math.
UKRAINE
Since the start of the war in Ukraine,* Salesian missionaries around the globe have been working together to provide support and hope for those displaced in the country and those who have fled as refugees into neighboring countries. Salesian organizations in Italy came together to launch projects. The organizations include Mission Don Bosco, Don Bosco Nel Mondo Foundation, Opera Don Bosco ONLUS Foundation, Opera Don Bosco Nel Mondo Foundation and VIS volunteers.
The Salesian delegation entered Ukraine from Poland on April 2 with a first stop in Lviv, where three of the projects are being carried out. The first project is focused on those who have been internally displaced. The Salesian organizations, with the support of the Department of Civil Protection of the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna and the Government of Poland, have prepared housing containers capable of accommodating families who have arrived in Lviv with the bare minimum.
A second project is supporting people who were left with physical injuries from the war. Salesians provide support for the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center where war-affected adults and children receive comprehensive and qualified medical care, including reconstructive surgery, orthopedics, and robotic prostheses.
The third project is focused on orphans in Lviv. This project is supported by the Salesians in the city who can offer shelter and support for youth who have lost their family as a result of the war. Salesians from Italy also traveled to Dnipro, where Salesians load buses with food and necessities for people who did not want to or can’t leave their homes, mostly the elderly who are not able to receive support from government authorities.
