| India – Seminar about Planning and Development Offices |
| Czech Republic–Study Days for the New Evangelisation |
| RMG – II General Assembly of Don Bosco Network |
The purpose of the meeting was to identify the nature of missionary promotion and those involved in it throughout the world On the first day of the meeting Friday 15 October, after the presentation by those taking part of the activities of their respective NGO, Fr Klement gave a talk about the identity of the Salesian mission.
The Councillor emphasised the growing importance which the laity and the missionary NGO had assumed in the life of the Church; the missionary commitment which at the same time the Congregation had developed with a proliferation of Mission Offices – in 2009 arrived at 5 around the world –; the progress made towards a “System of solidarity for the missions” in the last 10 years through forms of collaboration, planning meetings and common projects.
Fr Klement also clarified the specific roles which the NGO and the workers can fill to improve the efficiency of missionary activity, dividing areas of responsibility and skills in: promotion; communication, organisation of congresses and education on-line; fund-raising projects and practical projects; voluntary service and the training for voluntary service.
The meeting continued with a sharing of experiences gained by the various NGO in their own working contexts and then on Friday there was also meeting about NGO founded by other Congregations, with the contribution of Luis Arancibia.
At the end of the work based mainly on sharing good practice an attempt was made to draw up an outline of “Criteria for a Salesian missionary NGO /for development”. This needs to operate always in harmony with Salesian identity and therefore special attention needs to be given to formation of the workers themselves. Of it nature it ought to be sensitive to the topic of evangelisation and in the way it operates the NGO ought to be a solid bridge between the Church and society.
The ideal relationships between the NGO and the Provinces and between the NGO and those benefiting from the projects were indicated: on the first point the close link between the NGO and the Province was highlighted which needs frequent inter-communication which ought to lead in time to the NGO being self-sustainable; on the other hand the NGO were reminded of the value of the “cycle” missions-voluntary service which aims to involve those who benefit in the first place in the formation and the in the accompaniment of the volunteers, by involving them in the activities at Province level and in collaboration with the Salesian Family.
The Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Pascual Chávez, aware of the meeting taking place sent from South Korea a message expressing his satisfaction with the work undertaken and his thanks to all those taking part.
The next stage in developing collaboration will be a Seminar on Planning and Development Offices (PDO) to be held between 5 and 10 November 2011 in Hyderabad, India.
On ANSChannel a short video is available in which Fr Klement traces the development of missionary promotion in recent years and the purpose of the meeting.
Published 18/10/2010
