(ANS - Rome) – "Salesians today promote justice, peace and solidarity through social communication". This was stated by the Salesian Congregation's General Councillor  for Social Communications, Fr Gildasio Mendes, during an interview conducted by Fr João Carlos Ribeiro and journalist Jocasta Pimentel from "FM Don Bosco" radio station in Fortaleza, in the Province of Recife, Btrazil (BRE), during a break in the "Shaping Tomorrow" World Congress  held in Rome from 1 to 7 August 2024. Below is an extensive summary of the interview, the full audio of which was broadcast by the  "Tempo de Paz" radio program and the full text of which is available in the Portuguese version of the article.

(ANS - Rome) - Satisfaction, gratitude, enthusiasm, planning and the future: it was under the banner of these elements that the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, summarized and concluded the work of the World Conference on Social Communication "Shaping Tomorrow", which took place during the last week (1-7 August 2024) at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) in Rome. An appointment that marked a watershed in the Salesian commitment to communication at the service of education and the evangelization of young people.

(ANS – Rome) – "What is the story we want to start building now?" This is the question that Andy Stalman, entrepreneur, writer and lecturer, invited us to reflect on in his conference entitled "How can the Catholic Church better understand the digital transformation taking place in the modern world?", held in the main hall of the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome on the afternoon of Tuesday 6 August, as part of the World Conference on Social Communication "Shaping Tomorrow".

Rome, Italy - August 2024 - The topic of communication in relation to migrants and refugees returned for the third time in the "Shaping Tomorrow" in the last conference of this World Social Communication Conference, on the morning of Wednesday 7 August. This time the topic was explored in a new formula, with an introduction by the invited speaker, Donatella Parisi, and the first-hand testimony of Ducler, a refugee from Cameroon. Parisi, head of communication at the Vatican's Centre for Higher Education 'Laudato Si', emphasized the importance of getting to know migrants and refugees and 'listening to what they have to say, in order to be able to communicate well the themes of forced migration, climate change and social justice', three themes that are absolutely intertwined. He then gave the floor to Ducler, a teacher, political activist and social worker, persecuted in his country, one of the 117 million people, especially young people, forced to flee their homeland. He recounted the persecution he suffered in Cameroon, his flight through four countries and the difficult restart of his life in Italy, where he arrived on a barge and where, after facing loneliness, incomprehension and bureaucracy, he also encountered the solidarity of the 'Centro Astalli' (Jesuits), which allowed his progressive social integration. "Today my voice also wants to be that of many other young people who cannot find work or integration and who are not listened to".

Rome, Italy - August 2024 - As part of the "Shaping Tomorrow" Social Communication Conference, renowned branding expert Andy Stalman gave an inspiring talk on the importance of branding in today's world. During his talk, Stalman stressed how branding not only defines a brand identity, but also establishes an emotional connection with people. "To put off a good communication strategy is to waste an opportunity," he said. Furthermore, he emphasised the need to adapt to technological and cultural changes in order to remain relevant in an ever-changing market. The "Shaping Tomorrow" World Social Communication Conference, which ends today, has established itself among the various social communication representatives from Salesian provinces around the world as a key space for the exchange of ideas and the formation of new strategies.

Rome, Italy - 6 August 2024 - "Is the story that I want to tell is visually appealing? Can it give rise to debates? Can people be interested in it?": these are the three key questions for generating potentially viral digital content, according to Laura Wagner-Meyer, Head of Programmes at the South African media company "Seen TV", during her second talk at "Shaping Tomorrow", the World Social Communication Conference promoted by the Salesians of Don Bosco. During her talk, dedicated to "migrants and refugees in the context of communicating with young people through social media", she emphasized the need to use social media to go beyond the prejudices about migrants and refugees that traditional media often convey; and to do this effectively, she suggested combining the potential of mobile journalism and storytelling. Thanks to the filters and lenses of digital applications, as well as Augmented Reality or the services of Artificial Intelligence, it is possible to make viewers deeply empathize with what migrants and refugees are experiencing and thus arouse involvement, proximity and - ultimately - have a real impact, not only on a communicative but also on a social level.