What is the importance, for the Salesian Family, of understanding digital methodology with respect to the evangelisation of young people, especially those in socially vulnerable situations?
Let me answer with a question: How do teenagers communicate online with their parents and teachers? They do this horizontally as equals. The hierarchy of relationships becomes more familiar, closer, friendlier. This does not mean that we lose the sense of authority in this digital model of communication, but interactivity in the digital world is like a game of table tennis. You don’t play alone and the other is important, indeed necessary. Being digital is about networking, it is working together, collaborating and discovering the value of the other. In this way a digital humility is generated which helps to enhance the other and to place myself at their service. It is in this sense that we can speak of evangelisation in the digital world: I do everything to help others. The Parable of the Good Samaritan can be an inspiring text for anyone who wants to evangelise young people in today’s world.
How does this new book connect to the series of articles on “Don Bosco and the digital and virtual reality” of which you are the author?
I have written a lot on the digital and virtual question, but I use my articles to organise conferences, course handouts and books. I took advantage of some articles from the “Don Bosco and digital reality” series to prepare the new book.
Are there any unusual or funny stories you can share with us about the process of creating the book?
The texts I publish are usually translated into Italian, Spanish, English, French and Polish. Sometimes they are translated into other languages: Chinese, Arabic, and Korean, for example. It’s a good feeling to see that what I write can reach so many people from so many different cultures and languages. I wrote the book “Don Bosco and Digital Reality” thinking of all the young people around the world. I don't know if it’s funny, but what I do most when I write a book is think about the title and cover of the book. It takes a good amount of time. The cover of this book was made by an Italian graphic designer, Fabrizio Emigli, and I am already thinking about the cover and title of the next book.
Can you give some anticipation of what we will find in the new book?
As a newly ordained priest, Don Bosco studied geography a lot. He called on a former pupil at the Oratory in Valdocco, a certain Marchisio, to be his teacher. This teacher drew the maps of cities in Italy, and was therefore a good geographer. Why did Don Bosco want to learn geography so much? In my book I show the relationship between knowledge and Don Bosco’s geographical mentality, and the way in which digital architecture, networks, digital tools such as mobile phones, the relationship between geography and GPS, satellites are designed. Geography is linked to connections, graphics, design, aesthetics, the transmission of information, the data system: everything is geographically and geometrically organised and available. What about Don Bosco? What does this have to do with him? Don Bosco helped the architect who designed the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin and the Sacred Heart in Rome. And let’s think about our courtyards, which have their own system of spaces. The Preventive System is also based on spatial geometry, on a geography of relationships.
How long did it take you to write this new publication?
The book is small, about 112 pages and I wrote two chapters a month, I would say. The work is published by Elledici and is available at https://www.elledici.org/negozio/don-bosco-e-la-realta-digitale/
Do you intend to translate the work into other languages? If yes, which ones?
Absolutely! We are already translating it into French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish.
Source: RSB
