NEWS PHOTOS
Bangkok, Thailand – June 2024 – On Sunday, June 9, the Don Bosco Parents and Teachers Association of Bangkok organized the XVI edition of the Don Bosco Mini Marathon, a charity race competing for the royal trophy of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, at Suan Luang Rama IX in Bangkok. The competition was divided into two categories: a 5 km Fun Run and a 10.5 km Fun Run. The primary goal of this event was to raise funds to support the orphans, poor, disadvantaged, and hearing-impaired students of the Don Bosco Technological College in Bangkok. The opening ceremony was graced by the presence of Dr. Chadchart Sittipunt, the current governor of Bangkok. At the end of the event, Fr. Phonchit Phoolvithayakij, Rector of the Don Bosco Technological College in Bangkok, awarded prizes to the winners of the various events. The event saw full participation and cooperation from parents, students, and alumni, and it was conducted successfully according to the set objectives.
Interamerica – May 2024 – "Digital Photography with Mobile Phones" was the theme of the online social communication workshop led by Lic. Heriberto Vargas, a Salvadoran, former Salesian student, and multimedia producer with over 20 years of experience in the communication field. This workshop marked the beginning of a series of communication workshops to be developed by the Salesian Cooperators of the Interamerica Region, aimed at enhancing basic communication skills on social networks. The goal of the workshop was to disseminate the fundamental concepts of mobile phone photography to improve the acquisition of visual resources for content creation. The presentation took place on the Zoom platform, with participants from the 13 countries that make up the Interamerica Region. The event was conducted by the Regional Secretariat and was held in Spanish.
Campo Grande, Brazil – June 2024 – The Catholic University Dom Bosco (UCDB) and the State Home Minister’s Office of Mato Grosso do Sul (MPE-MS) have been awarded the 2nd "Ipê Amarelo" Environmental Award. The Environment and Sustainability Commission of the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy of Mato Grosso do Sul (Crea-MS) recognized the project of the Integrated Center for Environmental Protection and Research (Ceippam), which has been developed at UCDB over the past six years. Additionally, Master's student Priscila Quevedo Monteiro Garcez from UCDB's postgraduate program in Environmental Sciences and Agricultural Sustainability was honored for her Takakura project. UCDB was represented at the award ceremony by Denilson Oliveira Guilherme, coordinator of the Agro-environmental Program, Andressa Tognon, coordinator of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Agency (S-Inova), Ph.D., student Wesley Carvalho, and interns. Ceippam operates on two fronts: the Center for Research and Practice in Environmental Law (Nuppam), located in the Center for Legal Practices (Nuprajur) at UCDB, and the Technical Center (NT), which operates in the Geoprocessing Laboratory of the Catholic University. The technicians provide information and data to support environmental promotions in Mato Grosso do Sul in procedural decisions. The second edition of the Ipê Amarelo Prize aims to recognize projects and initiatives related to environmental conservation, sustainability, technologies, and entrepreneurship involving engineering, agronomy, and geosciences in Mato Grosso do Sul. This edition received more than 20 proposals, and two projects were awarded in each of the three categories: professional, student, and institution. In the professional category, Priscila Garcez, an environmental engineer and Master's student at UCDB, was awarded for her project "Takakura Accelerated Composting Method."
Buenos Aires, Argentina – June 2024 – From June 10 to 13, the Salesians of the Province of Argentina South (ARS) celebrated their V Provincial Chapter at the La Montonera retreat house in Pilar, Buenos Aires. Convened by ARS Provincial Fr. Darío Perera, SDB, these were days of work and reflection on the theme of GC29 and its three core themes. In the event moderated by the Vice Provincial, Fr. Osvaldo Braccia, SDB both Salesians, and laity participated with great enthusiasm. On this occasion, the preparatory committee had choses the method of spiritual dialogue, a methodology currently used by the Church in this time of synodality. The Moderator presented the regulations and methodology to the participants, after which the first of the three day-session began. On the final day, Fr. José García Arias, SDB, was elected as the Provincial delegate to GC29 to accompany Fr. Perera, and Fr. Jorge Ledesma was elected as his substitute. In concluding the Chapter, Fr. Perera thanked the participants thus: "One beautiful aspect of our Province is the strong youth participation. I usually participate in various youth meetings that are animated by the young people who are also Animators in Schools. I also see strong youth participation in the governing bodies of the Salesian houses."