After his five-year experience in Brussels, where he served as executive secretary of "Don Bosco International," the representative body to the European Union of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Renato Cursi returns to Italy to lead the Salesians for the Social Association. Before moving to Brussels, he had worked for five years at the Youth Ministry Department as Executive Secretary and following the international coordination of the Salesian Youth Movement.
Two experiences that will be valuable for his new job at Salesians for the Social: "I am happy to return to Italy," he explains, "and to take on this role at Salesians for the Social. Working for the poorest and most vulnerable young people in line with Don Bosco's charism is a privilege and a responsibility. As I told the employees at the national headquarters, there are three words that describe the perspective I would like for Salesians for Social: participation, internationalization, and care."
And then he explains, "PARTICIPATION, of minors and youth as subjects and protagonists of change; and of the association as a creative workshop for members. INTERNATIONALIZATION, as a method, based on comparison with other educational and welfare systems; and as a horizon, towards Europe and the world; and the reform of the Third Sector looking at the Social Economy Action Plan and ecological, digital, and social transitions. And finally, CARE: of relationships with people, members, and institutions; of training staff, members and territorial committees; and of how to communicate all this."
"On participation, then," he concludes, "the assembly we are about to experience from Sept. 16 to 18 in Rome will be the first stage of a three-year journey of redesigning the association, with programming that will be thought out and written with a bottom-up process, involving territories and members."
Salesiani per il Sociale APS is composed of 88 organizations (ordinary members) diversified into ecclesiastical bodies, voluntary organizations, associations, and social cooperatives present throughout the country. In numbers, it animates: 46 Residential Communities (foster homes, housing communities, and semi-autonomous modes), 30 Day Care Centers for minors and youth, and 10 Reception and Accompaniment Centers against addiction.
Its work is carried out thanks to 901 qualified operators, 102 Supporting Members who carry out educational activities mainly related to Civil Service, and as many as 2983 volunteers who serve for free, having young people at heart, especially those who have had less from life.
