World Confederation of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco, 6 June 2021 -- Five years after the 11th Regional Congress (Timor Leste, Dili - October 2016) the World Confederation President Mr. Michal Hort has convoked the 12th Congress, this time to be held online on 25-26 June 2021 due to travel restrictions in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Pandemic restrictions forced the cancellation of the long-awaited 2020 December Congress in Tokyo, Japan, and the President of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco, Mr. Michal Hort sent out the following notice on 2 June 2021:

“It is an honor and a pleasure for me to announce the Asia-Oceania Regional Congress of Past Pupils of Don Bosco. The originally planned Congress in Tokyo - Japan for 2020 had to be canceled due the Covid-19 crisis. Since the Pandemic is still very real and challenging, after consultation with the Presidency, Regional Councilor for Asia – Oceania Mr. Rajesh Gupta and GEX Regional Councilor Mr Niel Evangelista, we decided to have the Congress in 2021 but in online space on 25-26 June 2021.

I would like to encourage you personally to attend the meeting, since it is an important activity for whole region which, I hope will bring a lot of fruits. Because of that believe I will personally participate on the Online Congress … [along with the two Asia-Oceania World Councilors will be present also our World Delegate, Br. Dominic Nguyen Duc Nam]”.

The two-day (25-26 June) online program envisions three sessions with the evaluation of the path taken since the previous Congress in Dili, Timor Leste (2016), reports from each Alumni National and Provincial Federation as well with two special inputs and the possibility for smaller group interaction. The figure of Mr. Carlo Gastini (1937-1910) – founder and first leader of Don Bosco Past Pupils will be highlighted in the context of the ongoing 150th anniversary celebration of this largest Salesian Family Group. Also the 10th successor of Don Bosco, Fr Ángel F Artime has promised his presence and input.

The Past Pupils of Don Bosco are in 28 countries of their Asia-Oceania region, animated by their SDB delegates who belong to 24 SDB provinces (12 in South Asia and 12 in the East Asia-Oceania Region). Although the official ‘Federations of DB Past Pupils’ are not yet established in all 28 countries, this is the first occasion where all Alumni and Friends of Don Bosco may take part.

The ‘official level’ of the Congress (Presidents, Secretaries and GEX representatives with their SDB Delegates) will be held on the Zoom digital platform with necessary translation to the various Asian languages, and the Congress will be streamed in real time on Facebook to all participants in need of simultaneous translation. Registration is open: https://tinyurl.com/AOCregistration until 10 June.

Since 1976 the Asia-Oceania Regional Congress of Don Bosco Past Pupils has been held every 4 years: 1976 (India), 1980 (Philippines), 1984 (Hong Kong), 1988 (Australia), 1992 (Macau), 1996 (South Korea), 2000 (Thailand), 2005 (India), 2008 (Philippines), 2012 (Thailand) and 2016 (Timor Leste).

For your registration and preparation details: https://www.facebook.com/gex.asia.oceania.

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