austraLasia #2849 EAO Communications Delegates head home happy
MANILA: 30 April 2011 -- A very busy schedule, a
sometimes tentative wi-fi connection, and subsequent
'yo-yo-ing' between Manila, Dubai and Trichy to get the
South Asia Region comms meeting underway has made it
impossible to maintain regularity, but a few hours breather
on a warm Trichy afternoon is now making that possible,
before the next meeting gets underway.
EAO Delegates, and certainly the
Rome-based 'team' went their various ways to return home
yesterday evening, 29 April, convinced that they had
attended an event that will bring much benefit to the
Region, given what each participant has already gained
individually. It stood out as one of if not the best such
meeting that any participant could remember.
A highlight of the four days together was
the study of the renewed SSCS or Salesian Social
Communication System, and given that this was the first
group to see it and study it, the 'thumbs up' for the solid
two year effort, involving broad participation from the
entire Salesian world, was a relief, especially to those who
had been working at this task over the last two years.
Delegates or their representatives
arrived at some concrete deliberations to carry forward the
insights and the work achieved over four days in Manila.
They saw their very first task as that of reporting back to
their 'constituencies' and in particular to Provincials and
their Councils, their own Communications Team, and also to
the Formation Delegate and his team, since much of the
discussion of SSCS seemed to come back to this question one
way or another. The SC Delegates resolved to take up an
ongoing dialogue with formation both in their own provinces,
but also to seek opportunity, if it arises, to do so at the
wider regional level.
The Delegates have set up an online group
for exchange and to develop ideas. They intend sharing
materials on a regular basis.
Note was made of the extensive number of
Salesian websites to be found in the Region, and that these
are, understandably, in the local language where that is not
English. Delegates will encourage webmasters to include just
titles in English, in addition to the local language, to
enable the possibility of people identifying useful material
which they could subsequently ask for for. It was felt that
asking for titles would not be too burdensome, and much less
so than requiring bilingual pages. It was also noted that
given the number of young webmasters likely to be found
around the Region, there would be potential there for
formation to a Salesian online presence - as one province
puts it, learning to be 'interpreters' in the new
playgrounds.
The group recognised the work of
translators around the EAO Region. Perhaps of all the
Salesian Regions, EAO is the most organised in this regard.
In addition to indicating to translators their appreciation
for their work, it was felt that at some future date it
could be beneficial, for them, the region and in fact for
the whole Congregation, to bring this group together and
discuss a range of issues that are becoming ever more
crucial in the Congregation.
The question of communications protocols
was taken up, everything from who should communicate with
whom about what and how, given the rapid development of
media, be they personal, social or by any other description;
normal communication and crisis communication. The meeting
could not resolve all of this in the limited time available,
but it was able to look at example protocols, and feels that
with further sharing could, in the short to mid-term, be in
a position to assist provinces with ideas and
directions. Amongst other things, this discussion was
seen as pertinent not only to initial formation but also to
ongoing formation.
It goes without saying - but it should be
said - that Fr Eli Cruz, Provincial and Fr Noel Osial, the
FIN SC Delegate and his extended team, including a youth
media team, could not have done more to make this meeting a
success. Everyone is so very grateful.
_________________
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