(ANS – Brasilia) – Between 6 and  8 July in Brasilia there was the VIth National meeting of the  Salesian Social Action Network (RESAS) on the subject “Giving new significance to and consolidating the Salesian Social Action Network."

The meeting was open to the directors and managers of the 81 social works promoted by the Salesians in Brazil and to the teams of Provincial Commissions for social action. Added to these 115 participants were the Superior, the  Economers and the Youth Ministry Delegates from the six Provinces in Brazil.

“We  have reflected on the growing maturity in the awareness of net-working on the part of Salesian social works,” the Executive Director of RESAS, Fr Nivaldo Luiz Pessinatti said, according to whom one of the more important parts of the meeting had been the group  work in which it had been possible to  deepen the understanding of the problems and to make practical proposals for the immediate future.

There were a series of talks, exchanges of ideas and experiences and group work during the three very busy days of reflection and forward planning for the consolidation of the RESAS.

Among the subjects dealt with were: “Preventive Salesian social works in the current situation” by Fr Agnaldo Soares de Lima from the Salesian Interprovincial Conference of Brazil (CISBRASL); and “The bicentenary of Don Bosco and social works by” Fr Tiago Figueiró (Province of Campo Grande). In addition new projects and future prospects for social works were presented.

Topics dealt with in the work groups were: Salesian identity; putting planning and development project offices on  a professional level. From the discussions it emerged that it was necessary to re-shape the RESAS Strategic Plan so as to face the current challenges with new models of management, changing and strengthening partnerships with the Government at local, Provincial and National level.

Before the RESAS National Meeting, on 5 July there was a meeting for Provincial Economers, coordinators of social action and the managers of the planning and development project offices (EPD) of the six Salesian Provinces. During the meeting there were presentations by the already existing offices or those being set up, and consideration of the challenges at local level and solutions proposed in each region. At the end the minutes were read of the  International Meeting held in India in 2011 which offered guidelines to the Salesian Congregation in the work of the social organisations.

RESAS is a network of 81 Salesian social works supported by the Salesians of Don Bosco in Brazil. In total about 76,000 people benefit from the various services provided especially children, adolescents and young people at risk. The RESAS projects go from educational support, such as training courses, monitoring scholastic, sporting and recreational activities and cultural visits; to the more complex activities such as specialised socio-educational accompaniment for adolescents.

Published 20/07/2012