Don Vito-inglese


Don Vito-inglese

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Human rights as an effective way of fulfilling the
salesian educative mission
Results of a research among the chapter members of CG 26
Premises
Don Vito Orlando1
The proposal to reflect on this theme has evoked in me a great interest for various reasons.
From the time I started teaching Social Pedagogy at UPS I have tried to reflect and collect
material on what could be recognized as “the specifics of Salesian Social Pedagogy” and on
how to draw the profile of Don Bosco as a social pedagogue. It is an on-going interest and a
continuous research and I hope that time will permit me to realize something significant as a
tool for those who are involved in carrying out the Salesian mission in the world.
This interest was solicited all the more by the invitation of the 25th General Chapter: “To
globalize our educational commitment”, “in order to give vigour and hope to the world of youth”
(CG25, n.140). I consider this globalization not as the setting up of a multinational of education,
but as a vital energy capable of diffusing itself and of bringing together in every part of the
world all those who have an educative sensibility at heart to become true “benefactors of
humanity” by assuming the fundamental duty of humanity as a whole, of every society and of
every adult in every age: to transmit the culture of life in order to help everyone to become “a
conscientious, free and responsible citizen of the world”.2
1. Two Providential Events
All that was nurtured as a dream and thought about in their possible actualizations, seemed to
me as practical and concretely realizable in the path that was opened by the strenna for 2008:
the path of human rights as “a strategic frontier of a new education”, as an effective way of
rethinking and re-proposing the Salesian Preventive System today at the world level.
But how do we go about making all this a possibility? How do we pass from dream to reality,
from invitation to actualization, from a theoretical way to an evaluation of the possibilities in
their concrete realization?
By divine providence (and I don’t consider it exaggerated to see the intervention of God in this
specific case) VIS has involved me in the project of sensitization for a commitment, which for
them is already a project and a fruitful contribution for the promotion of human rights in general
and of children who run the risk of being exploited and made use of in particular. The
actualizing process was set in motion with the meetings of the scientific committee and with the
charge given to me to prepare a questionnaire for evaluating the actual situation of our
Congregation regarding our attention to, promotion of and sensitization about human rights in
various parts of the world.
1 Don Vito Orlando, Salesian, Social Pedagogy Professor, UPS University in Rome.
2 Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, Message on “Globalization and Education”, at
the conclusion of their first joint seminar, 16-17 November 2005, Casina Pio IV.
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Having decided to involve the members of CG 26, who are the representatives and those
responsible for the salesian mission, I tried to prepare a survey tool, which would allow us to
gauge the existing situation at the level of initiatives present and their protagonists, specifying
also the particularity of the initiative, the levels of sensibility, the practical actualization of
human rights in the actual works of a province, and what should help the Salesians themselves
to grow in the capacity “to educate promoting human rights”.
These aspects of the survey have been considered essential in order to create a map of the
existing state of affairs, to evaluate the present reality and show the actual needs for improving
the situation. However it is not possible to conceive of an action plan for the progress of
education without the possibility of investing energy, passion, creativity etc. into it. They do not
explode from the mind and heart of the educator if interior resources are lacking, resources
which can stimulate them and carry them forward to concrete actualization. The interior
energies are nourished by convictions and spiritual diligence which unite human action with the
plan of God for the salvation of humanity.
The certitude of being called by God to actualize his work of creation (to complete it) and of
salvation (foundation of the same creation) is the condition so that our educative work can
enter into another horizon and can be lived as a pastoral action directed at establishing the
kingdom of God… to evoke in the heart of every person the joy of being preferred and saved
by God.
In order to explore this world of convictions and interior energies to be invested in the
educative-pastoral mission, two questions were presented to the chapter members. It was
done with the intention of exploring their convictions regarding the connection between the
attention to and promotion of human rights on the one hand, and the actualization and
safeguarding of the preventive system with human and social promotion dedicating oneself for
a more just society on the other. It was also to see the connection between attention to and
promotion of human rights on the one hand and evangelization on the other, which is the
realization of a new world and the possibility of opening oneself to the transcendent (to
recognize this is to concretize both the principle of the incarnation and the divinization of
humanity).
This deepening of analysis has been deemed necessary in order to evaluate and interpret the
levels of assimilation on the part of salesians of a reflection that has had decades of history,
but which does not appear to be always present in everyone. The reflection has been about
“the grace of unity”, “educate by evangelizing”, the awareness that it is education that helps
one to discover the significance, the value and the dignity of life, that the Lord has come to
reveal and open to us the fullness of life through his Gospel and his Resurrection. In short, the
Mystics of education and of the educator is always a necessary condition for an authentic
fulfillment of the salesian mission of education.
2. The Structure of the Research Report
In the light of what we have said one understands better the strong stimulus offered by the
reflection “Preventive System and Human Rights” and the great expectations and opportunities
it helps us to foresee.
How to communicate and share them with salesians given the opportunity of this timely
research? I would like to state clearly right at the outset that it is not to make use of the
research to impose personal views which are not congruent with the objectives and contents of
the survey done among the chapter members. It is rather an expression of the need for
understanding the truth of the very formulation of the strenna 2008: to promote human rights
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as one of the efficacious ways of educating with the heart of Don Bosco. Besides, the data
regarding the reality always need theoretical reference points in order to be interpreted, and
the correct comprehension of the empirical results always needs to be contextualized in order
to grasp better their meaning and importance.
On the one hand the research dealt with helping to understand why the path of human rights
can be seen today as “the strategic frontier for a new education” in the actual social reality and
in the perspective of a globalized educational commitment. On the other hand it was also
necessary to recall the essential features of the salesian educational paradigm in order to
highlight the validity of the new perspective (attention to and promotion of human rights) for a
renewed and shared educational commitment fully in line with the spirit and style of Don
Bosco’s pedagogy.
For these reasons the first chapter of the research report offers some reflections in order to
help to grasp “the importance of education for a united human society”. This calls for the duty
to rethink education as a “social good” and the educational path of human rights as a condition
for “world unity”, so that education is understood as a “great resource”, like a treasure to be
recognized and valued in the actual world and in every society in which we live. A “culture of
human rights” and a “pedagogy of human rights” can allow educational structures to help
“discover and promote the innate rights of a person and defend the person’s inviolable
dignity”,3 to make possible a peaceful living together in actual multicultural societies and to
succeed in appreciating the differences in an intercultural education.
The concept of inter-culture, creating and appreciating solidarity as “a cognitive, ethical and
political resource”, will try to make a democratic living together which respects differences in a
multicultural society possible. Even in this concrete situation in order to make the passage from
multicultural to intercultural possible, in order to create a new mentality and a new ethos, a
strong commitment at the level of education is needed, a commitment which is “capable of
creating agreement, common action, global bonds, as well as new procedures of knowledge
development attentive to the complexity, the difference and meta-cognitive horizons”.4
Intercultural education, therefore, especially in the encounter, comparison and direct dialogue
between concrete persons, can give rise to recognition and expansion of common humanity,
which concretely means “common recognition of rights, rights which emerge from this shared
common humanity”.5
On the one hand it is necessary that these rights be “recognized, published and defended”,
and on the other it is necessary that the debate around these be comprehensive because they
are certainly the fundamental postulate of “the newest turning point of our history, in which
innovation and humanity seem – for many aspects – to come together and such a coming
together appears to be all the more necessary”.6
It deals with a “hope-principle” shot through with not a few shadows which globalization brings
with it and above all the triumph of technique could really obscure what human rights intend to
help to recognize as a priority at the global level: the value of the person and his dignity.
In the second chapter I have recalled the essential elements of the salesian educational
paradigm, the cardinal points of “the salesian educative compass” in order to see its
3 MORANTE G., Per una pedagogia dei diritti umani, “Note di Pastorale Giovanile”, 37(2003) 1, 65,
4 CAMBI F., Incontro e dialogo, 46.
5 Ibidem.
6 Idem, 51.
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importance and recognize the need for new initiatives in a situation of “educational
emergency”.
The objective of the second chapter is to understand how the globalization of our educational
commitment as a specific task for the new millennium could be thought out and actualized.
Obviously the reflection leads to the consideration of human rights as a “strategic frontier” for a
new education. It deals with understanding how the motivations for our works can be changed
in order to recognize the dignity of every youngster, and how “the pedagogy of respect for the
young” can be made precise in order to promote their responsibility and autonomy etc.
This task is not absolutely irrelevant and the objective is not easy nor easily realized. To
produce a cultural change through an educational system is certainly not easy and quick
because there will be eyes that do not want to recognize the problem of the condition of minors
and hearts that refuse to make a self-criticism about certain consolidated ways of acting and
relating to youngsters. It will not be easy to make people accept significant changes in order to
really make “a choice in favour of the more excluded and marginalized”.
To seek to change the society from within while carrying out our educative mission means to
reawaken cultural and social energies in order to overcome situations of obvious injustice. It
means to appeal to the social responsibility of all and to open the mind and will “to the
exigencies of the good”.7
“We as humble sentinels of the Gospel must make the effort for a collective pedagogy in order
to offer to many people concrete ways and projects in which we are also involved for a style of
life that is authentic and generous.”8
That all this may not remain pure utopia, but can become a daily committed exercise of hope,
and for not running the risk of appearing foolish and unprepared in this project for “a new
humanism” in a globalized world through an educational project of promotion and defence of
the rights of minors, we must find new efficacious modalities for expressing our social
commitment and become more aware of its political import. It is also necessary to see the
value of an education to citizenship and social awareness. That is “the place for practicing
virtue in daily life and which can change our personal and social lives”.9 In short it deals with
whether we can create adequate strategies so that our educative mission will really express
true prophetic courage.
3. The Results of the Survey Conducted among the Members of CG 26
We shall begin by posing a question: What is the actual situation of our attention to and
promotion of human rights especially of minors in the educational works of the Salesians in
various parts of the world?
3.1. A Survey of the Situation
In the first place it is proposed to examine whether in the various activities carried out in the
provinces there are initiatives, experiences, specific works, particular tasks carried out by
Salesians etc., which are dedicated to the awareness, promotion and defence of human rights,
especially those of minors. It is also to be seen whether these are pursued with an explicit
planning and with definite formal contents or they remain only as actions which have a general
style and orientation towards human rights with an attention to what happens in one’s own
7 Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, n. 28.
8 J.E. Vecchi, Si commosse per loro, p.32.
9 F. Motto, Ripartire da Don Bosco, p. 166.
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context. This analysis has been extended to the various forms of educative action and to the
diverse modalities of commitment even of individual Salesians which could be the sign of a
passion for justice and social solidarity.
It is also important to analyze the consequences of this awareness and whether it is able to
evoke an operative dynamism leading to the individuation and realization of specific itineraries
of participation in the work of education and promotion of human rights within the salesian
communities as well as in their collaboration with other agencies in the area.
At the conclusion of this analysis and evaluation of the situation, we have also inserted into the
questionnaire a query which would express clearly the capabilities, the sensibilities and the will
to put into practice respect for human rights in everything that is done through the works of the
province. It would be of little comfort to find an appreciable attention at the level of educational
sensibility and a lack of respect for human rights with regard to persons in our works where we
are trying to promote this sensibility.
Another question of this first part put to the chapter members was asking them to specify what
would be needed to help Salesians to appreciate fully this reference to human rights in their
educative activity.
We have considered it important to listen to the suggestions of the provincials and the
delegates of CG 26 to give direction to the choice of interventions and the preparation of useful
tools which would increase the possibility of carrying out the mission through education and
promotion of human rights.
A. A Comprehensive picture whether initiatives for the promotion and/or protection of
human rights especially of minors are present or not:
85.2% of the chapter members have indicated the presence of similar initiatives in their
own provinces. Only 12.8% have said that no such initiatives are present.
The picture of the existing situation can be specified under two sections: firstly the
various initiatives and their protagonists, and secondly those who carry them out.
The initiatives for the protection / promotion of the rights of minors
Initiatives
total
Not indicated
9.4
Street children / boys 26.0
Formative courses for
minors in difficulty
32.3
Homes for minors,
migrants and others 24.4
Cultural initiatives for
sensitization
26.8
Provincial plan of
promotion / prevention 15.7
Various
formative
interventions
44.8
Others
3.2
Total
100.
0
- Shelter for street children: a roof for those without
home and family, giving attention to minors who are
without any point of reference...
- to offer formative opportunities for youth at risk:
introducing them to the world of work, accelerated
training courses etc.
- communities offering hospitality, case famiglia (family
houses), centres for unaccompanied minors and
foreigners.
- initiatives which have a cultural character and which
seek to sensitize others regarding the situation of minors
in difficulty.
- Provincial plan of promotion / prevention: projects for
the protection of minors from abuse.
- all the formative activities, whether directed to the
young or to the formators themselves.
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Those who carry out the initiatives of promotion / protection of the rights of minors
Initiatives
total
Not indicated
3.9
Individual salesians
24.4
Entire communities
37.0
Groups of salesians and 56.7
laity
Organizations that have
originated in the 21.3
salesian ambient for this
purpose
Organizations
coordinated
salesians
by 15.0
Some salesians who
participate with other 16.5
organizations
Others
16.5
Total
100.
0
In many ways we are still in the phase where
individual good will begins to coagulate around
engrossing experiences. But there is a preference for
flexible experiences from the institutional point of
view in order to ascertain with greater freedom the
impact and the efficacy of specific investments at the
ecclesial and social levels.
Nevertheless, it is significant that there are
communities that work towards the promotion and
protection of the more needy children in original
ways, both as a sign of fidelity to the salesian charism
and of dialogue and collaboration with other
initiatives.
B. The modality of education to human rights and the levels reached: The attention to and
promotion of human rights can be both deliberate and unintentional, and may be realized either
in institutional contexts or in the ordinary praxis of everyday life. Therefore we speak of Formal
Education, Non-formal Education and Informal Education, each with its specific modality of
working.
Modality of Education to Human Rights
Modality of Education to total
Human Rights
Not indicated
13.4
Formal Education in 36.9
Schools
Non-formal education 53.7
Informal education
47.7
Others
18.8
Total
100.
0
Formal Education
• In connection with specific disciplines, active
methods of learning…
• Participation in initiatives, organisms of
participation…
Non-formal Education
• Reciprocal respect, conscientization, voluntary
participation, encounters with witnesses etc.
Informal Education
• Ordinary situations and relationships, exhibitions,
demonstrations, appeals, meetings etc.
At what point are we regarding both the extension of initiatives and action and the level of
sensitization about education and promotion of human rights in the various provinces? On
these two aspects we had asked the chapter members explicitly to clearly indicate the situation
of their provinces on a hierarchical scale. In order to evaluate better the levels reached in
individual regions, besides the percentage based on the responses given, we have also
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worked out a comprehensive average and shown the significance of the differences between
the regions.
Levels reached in the education to and promotion of Human Rights
Levels of education to HR total
1. Nothing is done
8.7
2. Something with little
local relevance
11.4
3. Continuity is missing
24.8
4. We are in the phase of
sensitization
47.0
5. a good level of
awareness has been 18.1
reached
6. involved in valid
initiatives
32.2
7. capable of important
initiatives
10.7
8. Extending participation
to the Salesian Family 26.2
Other
6.7
Not responded
3.4
Average score
5.176
Levels of Promotion of HR
1. Nothing is done
2. Something with little local
relevance
3. Continuity is missing
4. We are in the phase of
sensitization
5. involved in valid initiatives
6. capable of important
initiatives
7. Extending participation to
the Salesian Family
Other
Not responded
Average score
total
4.7
10.1
17.3
41.6
40.3
17.4
22.1
2.0
6.0
4.855
The collective level for education to Human Rights for the entire salesian world is
expressed by the average score. Taking into account the responses and the choices in the
hierarchy of alternatives offered, we have calculated average score that go progressively from
1 to 8. The average score that expresses the actual situation of the congregation is 5.176. It
indicates a sensitization that is opening itself to deep awareness, an awareness that needs
consideration, verification and discernment so that it may give rise to mature and convincing
proposals of action.
The collective level for the promotion of Human Rights for the entire salesian world is
shown by the average score of 4.855, calculated on a progressive scale of 1 to 7. It indicates
that there is quite a well diffused sensitization and there are many significant initiatives.
C. What the confreres need to be able to educate “promoting human rights”
After having explored all that could serve us for mapping the existing situation, we could not
but ask for suggestions about what the confreres actually need in order to be really enabled to
promote rights in their educative work.
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What the salesians need total
Not indicated
4.7
Formative programmes 61.7
Give attention during the
basic formation years
59.1
Prepare guidelines for
formation meetings
49.0
A virtual space for
contacts and for sharing 30.2
materials
Create a virtual salesian 40.9
web
Guidelines for translating
the strenna into concrete 57.7
initiatives
Other
3.4
Total
100.0
10
Urgent needs of Formation: Attention,
sensitization and the capacity to intervene are
related to the possibility of giving formative
experiences extended also to the Salesian
Family.
Necessity for adequate guidelines: the need for
good guidelines, adequate materials which help
to facilitate better formation encounters.
New Space for relationship and exchange: the
virtual space is seen as a new opportunity
• To create a salesian website on education to
human rights,
• To encourage contacts and exchange of
material between communities that are
distant in actual space.
D. In the light of the data presented it is good to call attention to some important
aspects
The problem has global dimensions and must preserve its universal character:
• To overcome the risk that every reality measures its own pastoral zeal (temperature) in
a way that refers only to itself.
• To comprehend the question of human rights beginning from a multiplicity of cultural
perspectives in order to evaluate more strictly one’s own ecclesial and social presence.
• So that the urgency of team work may be considered with greater awareness: it is
important that the different salesian provinces listen to one another so that the talents of
each territory will be joined to those of others. A true commitment to sustain rights is
possible only through this spirit of dialogue.
The forms of participation in the attention to and promotion of human rights must be revised:
• To grow in the capacity to work in a collaborative way within salesian structures.
• To overcome forms of collaborative participation at the experiential level according to a
subaltern logic rather than a true co-responsibility (especially in the relationship between
religious and laity).
• To give priority to how and why certain initiatives are promoted and to safeguard the
centrality of educative relationships, to appreciate the same youth as the fruit and sign
of charity and sound spirituality.
It is necessary to start afresh from formation:
• Stressing the aspect of being before knowing and doing.
• Enriching existential competencies before the cultural and technical.
10 The total is more than 100 because each person could give more than one response to the question.
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• Without putting a time sequence of formation and action, one is intertwined with the
other.
3.2. Deepening the meaning of the educative way of human rights
The analysis of the actual situation has not stopped with what is to be done and who does it. In
order to grasp the innovative range of this new educative path we wanted to examine the
levels of awareness on the part of salesians about the educative and pastoral worth of the
promotion of human rights. The meaning of this evaluation is the following: if salesians are not
really convinced that the “path of human rights” allows them to fully actualize their educative
mission, it is clear that they will commit themselves to the maximum in some initiatives, but will
not go beyond. They will continue to do what has been done so far and will not think it useful or
necessary to rethink ways of putting the preventive system into practice from the perspective of
human rights and in particular of the rights of children/minors.
We shall make a quick presentation of this part inviting all to a personal study of chapter four,
although it might cause a little intellectual fatigue. In this short presentation we shall try to be
simple and clear to help to understand the results of the research.
3.2.1. The educative efficacy of the path of human rights
In no.12 of the questionnaire there were some implicit objectives which we wanted to examine
in order to ascertain the actual perception of the effectiveness of education to and promotion of
human rights. For each of the objectives we had inserted some alternatives in the question.
Regrouping the various parts of the question we can give a comprehensive picture of what we
wanted to explore in the following schema.
For example, the alternatives 1 (to promote the culture of life), 3 (the recognition of the other,
the different), and 4 (respect for the dignity of the life of all) of question no.12 were different
aspects of the objective indicated as anthropological and cultural commitment, which can
be achieved through commitment to education and promotion of human rights. The chapter
members could indicate how salesians considered their commitment to education and
promotion of human rights as promoting a culture of life by responding with ‘very’, ‘sufficient’,
‘little’ or ‘not at all’. Since 72.5% say that they are very convinced, the collective medium is very
close to 1 (1.23 to be precise). For every objective we have calculated the average score of
effectiveness, the result of having considered each of the alternatives associated with each
objective. The criterion for interpreting the average score is as already indicated: the more it
comes closer to 1, the more the chapter members consider it highly possible to attain the
objective and/or be able to realize what is contained each of the aspects to which the
objectives make reference.
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Education to and promotion of human rights is for us:
12a. an anthropological and cultural commitment that aims at [1.280]
• 1. promoting a culture of life [1.23]
• 3. the recognition of the other, of the different [1.51]
• 4. respect for the dignity of the life of all [1.27]
12c. commitment for a more just society [1.536]
• 6. a more democratic society open to co-responsibility [1.70]
• 2. collaboration with other agencies to create a more just society [1.64]
• 5. prevention of abuse of power and breach of trust against the weak [1.50]
• 9. construction of a more just world opposed to the economically and politically
powerful [1.85]
12b. commitment to education [1.587]
• 11. promotion of education as a condition for enjoying the rights [1.57]
• 8. to allow development to every one according to one’s capacity and commitment
[1.83]
• 7. to form an active and responsible citizenship [1.59]
12d. actualization of the preventive system [1.634]
• 12. actualization of the preventive system beginning with human rights [1.71]
• 10. insertion of salesian pedagogy in all the present cultures [1.73]
Observing attentively the four objectives highlighted in the above table, there emerges very
clearly that the opinions of the chapter members become more uncertain, the response ‘very’
becomes less and tends towards ‘sufficient’ and the responses ‘little’ or ‘not at all’ increase.
The average score shows that the opinions converge more with regard to anthropological
commitment and social justice. They tend to differ when dealing with objectives that are more
specific to education or when referring explicitly to the actualization of the preventive system.
3.2.2. The educative and pastoral effectiveness of the path of human rights
To educate “with the heart of Don Bosco” it is necessary to embark upon the “integral
development of the young” opening them to the religious horizon (helping them to discover
their dignity as ‘children of God’) as conditions of “authenticity and fullness”. To emphasize,
therefore, education to and promotion of human rights, especially of children, as an effective
way for the actualization of the preventive system, must shine forth clearly and must be
understood by all who work in the spirit and charism of the salesian mission, also as a valid
perspective for “a renewed pastoral commitment”.
The last question proposed to the chapter members was aimed at examining their perception
about the effectiveness of the educative and pastoral work of salesians who are attentive to
human rights as the concrete actualization of the concept, to evangelize by educating.
Here too we shall give an example to make things clearer. The average score that indicates
the various opinions of the chapter members regarding the possibility of “enriching the human
content of the educative proposal” through educative and pastoral action that is attentive to
human rights is obtained from the total percentage of the responses which are the following.
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To what extent do you consider the NR Very
educative-pastoral action attentive to
human rights as effective for
1. Enriching the human content of 7.4 49.0
the educative proposal
Sufficien little Not
t
at
all
34.9
6.7 2.0
Average
1.59
All the results which we have obtained are reported in the table below where the lines
highlighted indicate the objectives we wanted to ascertain in the perception of the chapter
members. As we are able to see in their formulation, there is a gradation between the path of
human rights and activity with specifically religious or pastoral intent.
Possible objectives and contents of the educative-pastoral action
Average
score
A. Safeguard the contents of the educative proposal
Enrich the human content of the educative proposal
Reveal and recognize the value and dignity of each one.
1.507
1.59
1.48
B. To Evangelize by educating
An effective educative path to help to discover the value of education for the
proclamation of the Gospel
To live the salesian mission committing oneself to the poorer and the
marginalized
1.640
1.79
1.53
C. A possible new world
1.652
The prophecy of a new world
1.86
To make the concrete conditions of life our own and commitment to improve them 1.73
To give to the salesian congregation the capacity to make its voice heard in the 1.72
civil society at the world level.
D. The exigency of incarnation-divinization of man
To recognize and appreciate the principle and the event of the incarnation
To be open to the ultimate, to the divinization of man
1.905
1.92
1.99
The average score of each objective moves away from the more positive, which as we have
said is 1, and tends gradually towards the specifically religious level: it moves from 1.507 for
the really educational goal of making known the human content of education and promoting the
dignity of the person, to 1.905 for the goal of arriving at a connection between incarnation and
transcendence through attention to human rights.
3.2.3. Interdependence between the two dimensions (educational and educative-pastoral)
In the light of the preceding results we ask ourselves: according to the opinions expressed by
the chapter members, is the path of human rights really capable of securing the integrity of the
salesian educational proposal? Is it an effective way that is new and creative, capable of
concrete mediation of the principle of incarnation and capable of leading the human person to
be open to the hope of divinization?
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As we have already indicated, our interest was to analyse the opinion of the chapter members
regarding the relationship between education and pastoral both at the ideal and operative
levels, and see if the salesian vision could concretely be actualized in our attention to and
promotion of human rights especially of children. The fundamental motive for this analysis is
this: this way can be adopted and insisted upon only if there is a conviction that we are not
constrained to sacrifice something or give up some important aspect of the salesian pedagogy;
only if there is a widespread conviction that it is a path that really allows the full actualization of
the preventive system; only if what is written by the Rector Major in his commentary to the
strenna 2008 is understood and shared – “For us Salesians, education to human rights, in
particular those of juveniles, is the best way to put into practice in different settings our
commitment to prevention, to all-round human development, to the building of a world that is
more equitable, more just, more healthy. The language of human rights also enables us to
discuss our pedagogy and introduce it into the different cultures of the world.”11
If human rights and their affirmation are a sign of our times, it is necessary to see how to make
them enter into theological reflection and introduce them into pastoral action. If the path of
human rights can lead us to recognize the value and the dignity of each person, it can also
make us recognize the event of the incarnation and be valued for presenting Christ “the perfect
man” who leads every one who decide to follow him “to become more human” (GS, 41).
We have compared the two dimensions in order to see the eventual connection,
interdependence and the significance of the statistics in their relationship with each other. In
other words, is it possible to say that there exists a connection between educative efficacy and
pastoral effectiveness? If education to human rights is recognized as the actualization of the
preventive system, is there an equally strong conviction that the salesian mission can be
realized through integral education?
In order to ascertain the presence of eventual factors capable of connecting the two aspects
and be able to explain the variations with respect to the average score of the results obtained,
we have made a further analysis of the various factors. The resulting matrix has highlighted
two factors with the results reported in the following table.
Table 30: Results of the analysis of the two factors
Objectives : Construed variables
Factor 1
12a. Anthropological and cultural commitment .104
12b. Commitment for a more just society
.144
12c. Commitment to education
.250
12d. Actualization of the preventive system .221
13a. Safeguard the educational proposal
.863
13b. To evangelize by educating
.890
13c. To create a new world
.876
13d. Incarnation-divinization of man
.885
Factor 2
.749
.836
.872
.761
.184
.201
.255
.129
In order to understand better the significance of what we are saying, it is necessary to clarify
that the analysis of the factors is a technique of statistics which helps to bring out “the
11 P. Chavez, Commentary to the Strenna 2008, p.26.
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existence of a series of latent dimensions underlying a series of inter co-relations”.12 If we need
to ascertain the possible inter co-relations between educational objectives and educative-
pastoral goals, it is necessary to see if there are common latent dimensions. These common
elements would demonstrate the existing interrelationship between the two aspects.
The factor analysis which we have done, in fact, has highlighted two latent dimensions (two
factors) which explain a considerable percentage of the variants: the first 40.4% and the
second 34.4%, a total of 74.8%. Moreover, the particular aspect that emerges out of this
analysis is the following. As can be seen from the data highlighted in the table, the first factor
explains in a significant way the variations that are there among the construed variables
regarding the objectives of the educative-pastoral action (those associated with no.13 of the
questionnaire); the second factor refers fundamentally to the variables of the educational
objectives connected with education to and promotion of human rights (those associated with
no.12 of the questionnaire). It is also able to explain the dispersion of opinions regarding the
possible objectives of education to and promotion of human rights.
The significance of these results is the following: between these two aspects (one more
educational and the other more pastoral) there is no significant interrelationship, they are quite
independent. The educational dimension which stresses more the socio-cultural and
anthropological aspects, and the pastoral dimension which highlight the biblical / evangelical
elements, are not significantly interrelated.
These results of the comparison between the two examined dimensions finally confirm what
has emerged from the analysis of each of them: the thoughts, perceptions and convictions
expressed by the chapter members do not always converge; the criteria that guide the daily
activities of the salesian educative and pastoral work do not have a widened and deepened
awareness of the effectiveness of an explicit attention to human rights.
There is need for a greater sensitization and a well-planned formation in order to give rise to a
mature conviction that the path of human rights is indeed the effective way today for the
actualization of the preventive system. At the same time this way of actualization is that which
allows the insertion of the salesian educative mission in the cultures and contexts where it is
carried out. Moreover, a mature pastoral planning, capable of extending collaboration to all
who are sensitive and directly committed to education, is necessary. In this work of
sensitization and experimenting with new ways of carrying out the salesian mission various
things can further its effectiveness like internet connectivity and communication, comparison
and exchange of existing good practices, creating a data bank of positive experiences and
problems to be faced from which all can share and to which all can contribute.
Conclusion: Necessary conditions for the effectiveness of the path of human rights
In order that the salesian educational commitment can be realized effectively along the path of
human rights, there must be a shared base of information and a working methodology which
can help in seeing this as a possible way and can clear the ground of every incomprehension
and possible diffidence.
1. One cannot walk the path of human rights especially the rights of minors in our
educative-pastoral action without knowing them, without grasping the anthropological
principles that inspire them, and the educative finality that they explicitly specify.13 This
12 K. D. Bailey, Metodi della ricerca sociale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1995, p.585.
13 The official commentary on the goals of education elaborated by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights
is very interesting and may be very useful for understanding well the sense and role of the first paragraph of article 29 of the
Convention for the Rights of Minors: OBSERVATION GÉNÉRALE No 1 (2001), Les buts de l’éducation, (Paragraphe 1 de
l’article 29) – http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/2a118d097f04449e8025677f005953be?OpenNavigator
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knowledge should help to understand that the anthropological vision that underlies them
does not exclude any specific perspective of fullness and that at the same time it
inspires an ethical vision that promotes freedom and responsibility.
2. The other necessary clarification that must be made, in order to evaluate the way of
human rights in the educative-pastoral action of the salesians, refers to the need for
fostering a strong conviction about the relationship of mutuality between education and
pastoral, between gospel and education. To carry out an educative-pastoral task in the
salesian style requires the capacity and pedagogical acumen to actualize an irrevocable
rapport between human maturity and Christian growth, and to assume the same task as
a way of collaborating with God in the growth of the human person. They are not two
distinct tasks, but two aspects of the same task which calls for the creativity of the
educator-artist, animated by pastoral charity, in order to actualize a “mutual exchange”
and their “harmonious integration”.14 From here springs the need to reflect on “the
mutual relationship between human maturation and Christian growth” which for us “must
be considered basic and indispensable in all the situations. The true and effective
application of our own Constitutions (art. 31 to 43) depends on its correct interpretation.
So, an anthropological twist, yes; but with Christ, the new man at the top!”15 This
reference to the New Man can really help us to rethink our commitment to the promotion
of human rights helping us to understand the realization of human life.
All this requires new types of competence: in the first place competence connected with the
reading of the reality and pedagogical planning. It deals with an endeavour which in the first
place has the character of self-formation for each individual salesian and for the entire
Congregation, but which must also at the same time become a privileged attention to and
service towards the region. To invest in this action does not mean to subtract from energy and
time dedicated to the youth, but to multiply the resources directed to them with abundant action
which improve the conditions in which young people live, grow and become aware of their
rights and duties.
It is worth the while, therefore, that the salesian communities become the throbbing motor of a
permanent task of research, reflection, formation, collection and documentation of
experiences, which are to be generously put at the disposition of all. And it would really be
important that with this style of presence our communities become outposts which help to
intercept the changes already in progress in a shorter period of time, not necessarily to favour
them, but to orient them better to help all – especially the youth – to be active in the world of
cultural, social and political innovations as protagonists and not merely as spectators (even
marginal and silent).
It means, therefore, to make courageous and far-sighted choices above all which do not distort
the salesian charism, but which, on the contrary, uphold it and make it transparent also to
those who do not know about still or are not wont to appreciate it. To do this, however, we
need a critical rethinking of our work, more enthusiasm about what is new, and “remember
wisely” in order to realize a greater resemblance and harmonization with the heart of Don
Bosco.
Vito Orlando
Professor of Social Pedagogy
Vice-rector, UPS
14 Cf. E. Viganò, Nuova Educazione, Atti del Consiglio Generale, LXXII (1991) 337l 19. This letter of the eighth successor
of Don Bosco is the most enlightened document regarding the education-evangelization nexus. In the introduction to the
letter, Don Viganò speaks of an “educational emergency” and sees it in the massive “anthropological twist” that culturally
runs the risk of falling into a “reductive anthropocentrism”.
15 Idem, p. 6.
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