| Czech Republic – Looking for young volunteers for the “S.O.S” workshop |
| RMG – Meeting about Voluntary Service |
| Germany – “My world-one world” |
The Seminar began with a presentation, on the part of the coordinators of the national programmes of some examples of good practice carried out in various European countries. The Slovak representative explained that in the Salesian centres they used video reports on the voluntary service activities which were then broadcast on the Catholic TV service “Lux” and on the Internet. Young people from Germany on the other hand explained how the Ministry of Education assists in the formation of volunteers for developing countries, considering voluntary service a valuable form of human development worthy of support. The Salesians from the Czech Republic then spoke about the training school for leaders and other preparation courses for pastoral work.
Afterwards, the Salesian Fr Meinolf von Spee from the Heiligenstadt community in Germany presented the Project for Europe launched over two years ago by the Salesian Congregation. Still being developed, the project is based on the idea which the Pope also has confirmed in his analysis, that after having sent many missionaries to the rest of the world, nowadays Europe has become a continent in need of missionaries from other continents in order to renew its own faith. “We also want to look at Salesian works,” – Fr. von Spee said. “We are thinking about the advisability of re-location and re-organisation. Often we have a large Institute in the centre of the city while the young people are on the outskirts in the urban suburbs.”
During the Seminar among the issues examined was that of value of promotional activities, pressure groups and “lobbying”. Dr. Adolf Jilek, a Senator in the Czech Parliament encouraged the volunteers to act in this way. In spite of the bad press surrounding the term “lobbying” the politician explained that a pressure group is important in order to provide publicity for the good things that are being done: “If you are doing something worthwhile, you also ought to make it known, publicise it. Don’t think that a good product becomes known just like that; without good publicity people won’t look at you, even though it is something good”.
On the programme there were also times for sharing and socialising, which included an enjoyable meal in a restaurant and a tour of the city of Prague. The visit to the Salesian church of the Holy Cross, surrounded by shops, made the volunteers reflect on how even today the people of Europe need silence, spirituality and closeness to God, and that their making themselves freely available was a witness to those who see life only from a materialistic point of view.
The event was supported by the European Social Fund of the Czech Republic, the Programme for Human Resources and Employment, the Association “Salesiánská asociace Dona Boska” (SADBA) and the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Published 30/03/2011
