(ANS – Melbourne) – On Sunday the 28th of February, celebrations for Don Bosco’s feast day kicked off at St John the Baptist in Clifton Hill, Melbourne. Occurring almost a month after the feast day itself due to COVID-safe regulations, the festival was another fine instalment of Salesian fun and joy!

(ANS - Rome) - On Tuesday 23 February, over 45 people, representing 16 Provinces and 20 countries of the Americas, participated in the first communication meeting of the "Salesian Social America Network" (RASS), which brings together the works and social services for young people at risk on the American continent into a network.

(ANS - Madrid) - The National Delegation of Social Communication held the VII Salesian Communication Day on Wednesday 24 February on the theme “From online content to communication”. This edition, which took place online, brought together more than 120 Delegates and those responsible for communication from the various Salesian presences and entities. The meeting's central moment revolved around the intervention of Fr Gildásio Mendes dos Santos, General Councilor for Social Communication.

(ANS - Madrid) - The Spanish National Communication Delegation presents the VII Salesian Communication Day, which will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 24 February, from 10:30 to 13:30 (UTC + 1), online. The event will develop the theme: "From content to online communication", and will see the participation of Fr Gildásio Mendes dos Santos, General Councilor for Social Communication of the Salesian Congregation.

(ANS - New York) – Sr. Elena Saavedra, FMA, added to the footprints of Salesian Family at the United Nations Commission on Social Development (CSocD 2021). The Commission’s proceedings began on 8th February with the adoption of the agenda for the 59th Session of the Commission and ended on 17th with the adoption of the Report of the Commission in its 59th Session. The intervening days saw 5 High-Level Panel discussions, 5 days of Virtual Civil Society Forum and over 50 side events, each event highlighting one aspect or the other of the priority theme “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all”.

(ANS - Tokyo) - On Saturday 13 February, the Salesian Family of the Province of Japan (GIA) held the annual Seminar of Spirituality of the Salesian Family, inspired this year by the Strenna 2021 of the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, entitled : «Moved by hope: "See, I am making all things new" (Rev 21,5)». Due to the current pandemic, the event took place online, both on the Facebook page of the Salesians of Japan and on its YouTube channel.

(ANS - New York) - During the 59th Session of the Commission for Social Development, taking place from 8 to 17 February at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the pioneering work that the Salesians carry out, in India, to track down the escaped and missing children was presented. The data were illustrated by Ms. Maheswari Balan, researcher and analyst of the Salesian network YaR (Young at Risk), during a webinar held on 9 February and focused on digital technologies used to track down homeless children.

(ANS - Vienna) - The meeting entitled: "Human rights work in challenging times - ways forward" took place on Monday 1 February in digital mode. The event, promoted by the Platform of Fundamental Rights - a body of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), based in Vienna, saw the involvement of "Don Bosco International" (DBI), the body representing the Salesians of Don Bosco at the European institutions, which led a thematic session entitled: “Promoting the rights of young citizens of third countries in alternative assistance services”.

(ANS - Soyapango) - With the aim of strengthening the links between Salvadoran society and its Scholarship Program (Probecas), the Don Bosco University of El Salvador, through its Department of Social Planning,  organized the traditional event “It's Good to Give Education” for the fourth consecutive year. It was held in mid-January, and which, due to the pandemic, took place in virtual mode.