PORT MORESBY: 13th March 2006 -- Not content to work in 3D,
the
PNG-SI Delegation is adopting 4D in a novel approach to the 'catch-up'
process of future planning: drawing up an integrated delegation plan,
formation directory, province directory.... though
'catch-up' is not quite fair. It is only in quite recent times that
Solomon Islands was added into the Salesian Melanesian mix; that the
Delegation has really seen itself as moving to the point
where it could legitimately petition the next and inevitable step -
Vice Province. All this is the background to the so-called 4D
process
for the Extraordinary Assembly of Confreres planned for July: Discover,
Dream, Design, Destiny. That's 4D
PNG is no stranger to jungles, and you could
believe, for a moment
that you were amidst a jungle of acronyms at first glance on the
'Journey Together - Discussion Papers' provided by the Assembly
Chairman, Fr Alfred Maravilla. The process, after all, involves
AI,
SAID and 4-D to arrive at IDP and SEPP at an EAC. But we already
know - or
should - what SEPP is, and IDP is a rather sensible English rendition
of the animal Italian calls POI or Piano Organico
Ispettoriale, Integrated Delegation Plan, for PNG. And there
is
nothing artificial about the intelligence behind the AI approach, for
indeed it means 'Appreciative Inquiry', a positive approach to change
focusing on probing the Delegation's best attributes and
practices. AI pays attention to what is working well, to
qualities of
leadership. It is something that not only fits in with the 'does
not
give way to discouragement' line of C. 17, but centres on fundamental
values of life, community and relations - everything a Melanesian heart
desires!
The 'discussion papers' run to 55 pages, the early
pages describing
the AI approach, the overall 4D design that should result in the
Delegation's forward planning, and SAID. SAID is where it is really all
done! The confreres in
each community 'Share, Appreciate, Inquire and Discuss' in the process
of
sharing their own story, exploring life experiences as a community,
identifying the core sources of life (principles) over a range of set
topics.
If it all sounds
almost too optimistic, then note that Fr Maravilla draws the confreres'
attention to precisely this. If the process works well, then they
have
to confront what was not life-giving in the past, or now, and see what
needs to be done. Vision and Mission,
Fraternal life, Animation and Government, the Evangelical counsels in a
Melanesian context x 3, Salesian Family, Vocation promotion to Salesian
life - Brothers and Priests, Initial formation, Ongoing formation,
Formation of laity, Youth, Education and evangelisation, Review of
apostolates, Communion with the local church...after 15 solid
topics of the kind it will be time to say "yupela wet pastaim!", or
"just hang on a tick (and get it all together)".
There is little doubt that the preparation for this
Assembly has
been extremely thorough. We look forward to hearing of the
Assembly
itself in July, which will actually be in three parts: an assembly of
all confreres from the Delegation, the celebration of Delegation Day,
and the EAC or Extraordinary Assembly of Confreres which is in fact a
Chapter, juridically speaking. We look forward to hearing more of
it.
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