Meeting of delegates for social communication-Conclusions

MEETING OF DELEGATES FOR SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

NAIROBI 19-22 MAY 2006


CONCLUSIONS


Taking the conclusions from the CIVAM meeting in Addis Abeba, 2003, the delegates at the Nairobi meeting offer an evaluation of what has been achieved and concrete proposals to help carry out what still needs to be done. In view of the maturing appreciation for Social Communications in the Congregation's thought and action, the delegates have added a sixth overall proposal to the five from Addis Abeba.


  1. Full time delegate for SC is desirable

EVALUATION: a good number of SC delegates at provincial level now exist but not full time.

STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHAT WAS ASKED FOR:

      1. The provincial to send an adequately prepared confrere around the houses to explain the nature and role of SC in the Congregation's mission

      2. The question of a full-time delegate is to be listed on the agenda of a Provincial Council meeting in the short term and given due consideration

      3. Acknowledging that circumstances may in fact make a full-time appointment not possible at the moment, at the very least a part-time appointment is to be made in those few cases where there is still no delegate for SC.

      4. The delegate is to have a team even if in fact this team is one shared with another sector.

  1. Seeing to SC planning especially for initial formation stages

EVALUATION: In most cases there is still no planned formation for SC.

STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHAT WAS ASKED FOR:

      1. The Guidelines.... are to be put as an item for discussion and consideration by the Formation Commission with the participation of the SC delegate.

      2. A complete formation package such as that which has recently been prepared by BEAMS (or some other such 'package' e.g. Shepherds for an Information Age, BOSCOM India with due adaptations) to be offered for all formation stages.

      3. The overview of formation to SC is to be kept at regional level (cf .the added point 6) to ensure a complete and gradual approach including the stage of specific formation (theology or Brothers).

      4. As the formation of Rectors in SC is crucial to the community level awareness and action, practical steps are to be taken to ensure this formation.


  1. Seeing to information sharing, exchange by groups in the province

EVALUATION: The desire for such sharing and exchange is in evidence and something has already been achieved.

STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHAT WAS ASKED FOR:

1. Raise the awareness of confreres to the fact that SC is one of the five key dimensions of the Salesian mission (this can be cross-referenced with other recommendations e.g. 2.4 above)

2. Each community to have a local SC coordinator appointed by the Provincial

3. Each province to have a provincial newsletter

4. In view of (a) conserving our Salesian heritage and (b) assisting the provincial newsletter, ANS and other 'agencies' (e.g. Those bodies or individuals who donate funds for our projects), each community to send in, or enter in, where an interactive website is in place, a monthly set of items – news, photos which form a kind of province chronicle.


  1. Developing a province SC plan (PICS)

EVALUATION: A number of provinces have no SC plan.

STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHAT WAS ASKED FOR:

    1. An SC provincial plan to be developed with close reference to SSCS, Guidelines, and the Handbook for SC.

    2. It is suggested that it is sufficient to focus on one or two significant elements.

    3. A suggested simple approach is to ask (a) what resources do we already have? and (b) what are the needs of our confreres in this field?


  1. Prepare a Salesian specialist in SC

EVALUATION: There are now some of these in place and their work has made a difference, while others are in preparation.

STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHAT WAS ASKED FOR:

1. Focus more on the notion of preparing an animator and person of vision in SC.

2. Look at the various possibilities already offered for African-based training

3. It is time to be giving responsibility to young local people, both Salesians and lay, in this field.


  1. New proposals, given the maturing reflection and action with regard to SC

1. It is time to appoint a regional delegate for SC in Africa*. We propose that the first step involve:

i) the appointed delegate taking part in meetings of the Regional Commissions for Youth Pastoral, Formation as well as the CIVAM meeting.

ii) the appointment of one of the CIVAM provincials to follow this sector via the work of the delegate.

2. The Department for SC based in Rome to continue to assist the Region, especially with specific and concrete help to follow up the fruitful experience of the Nairobi meeting and the content of the above proposals.


* The delegates put forward a name, Fr Tom Kunnel of AFE not with a view to tying the hands of CIVAM in this appointment, but to suggest the kind of person we believe the delegate should be: a person already involved in SC in one of the provinces, and who is able to devote much of his time to this sector.

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