manuala5-en :: Social Communication

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manuala5-en

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Department for Social Communication

ROME, Via della Pisana, 1111 Italy

SALESIAN,

COMMUNICATOR

Social Communications

Handbook

2005

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Presentation

1 This handbook has a single aim: to help whoever works

within Social Communication in the provinces, provincial con-

ferences or regions by offering practical directions, helping to

spell out the frame of reference already provided in The Sale-

sian Social Communication System (SSCS). It was ﬁrst pub-

lished in 2001, at the end of Fr. Martinelli’s time as Councillor

for the Salesian Family and Social Communication as it was

then. He says in a brief ﬁve lines at the end of the book that it

was born of the cooperation of all the Province Delegates for

Social Communication. We know it also breathed his own en-

ergy and vision. This current edition is a complete re-writing

of that, given that a year or two is a long time in this age of

’Rapid Development’ (the title of Pope John Paul’s last let-

ter before he died, and, appropriately, on Social Communica-

tions), and since so much has happened within the Congre-

gation in this sector, following GC25 and the appointment of

a Councillor speciﬁcally for Social Communication. Material

from the ﬁrst edition which is not included in this newer one

can still be useful, even if some terms and structures have

changed in the meantime.

In his Letter ’With the courage of Don Bosco on the new

frontiers of social communication’ (AGC 390), Fr Pascual Chávez

called for a change of strategy on the part of confreres in this

area – not the creation of new guidelines but practical steps to

’release the life lying dormant in the doctrinal patrimony of

the Congregation, and to ﬁnd ways of embodying it in our ed-

ucative and pastoral communities and in our localities’. That

is as good a statement as one could ﬁnd to express the inten-

tion of this handbook.

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Who is the handbook for?

2 The handbook has in mind primarily those with respon-

sibilities at province level: The Provincial and his Council,

Province Delegates for social communication. Others who

will beneﬁt include those working in social communication

at any level, provincial or local (amongst whom Salesian Bul-

letin editors, writers and publishers of texts of any kind), lead-

ers and animators in social communication, members of com-

missions and advisory groups. People working in formation

– of the young, of young confreres, of confreres generally in

the area of social communication will ﬁnd useful direction

from the handbook, along with SSCS and the Formation to

SC - Guidelines, the latter produced jointly by the Social Com-

munication and Formation Departments.

3 It could be of interest here to mention one other group

of possible beneﬁciaries of this text: national, conference or

regional Social Communication Delegates and Commissions.

Where a nation has more than one province, or provinces

have formed a Conference, it has been found useful to organ-

ise social communication coordination around a national or

conference Delegate. There is even the possibility of an as yet

undeveloped regional communication structure.

How is this handbook arranged?

4 The handbook draws from Part II of the Salesian System

of Social Communication (SSCS): The functioning of SSCS,

with further reference to aspects of Part III of the same docu-

ment: organisation of SC. Effectively, the structure of chapters

here is as follows:

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CHAPTER ONE: the province social communication plan the

why, the what and the how; this needs to be read

in conjunction with the outline for the plan pro-

vided in the relevant appendix at the back of SSCS.

CHAPTER TWO: the management and organisation of social

communication within and beyond the Salesian

community and Salesian Family;

CHAPTER THREE:the delegate and groups or teams involved

in social communication as run by a province, con-

ference, region.

CHAPTER FOUR:structures and services involving public re-

lations but also internal matters such as documen-

tation and archiving.

CHAPTER FIVE:coordination between provinces.

5 In each of the above areas there are responsibilities at ev-

ery level: the Province Delegate has tasks to carry out in coor-

dination with the Educative and Pastoral Project (EPP) of the

Province, and by delegation from the Provincial. He avails

himself of an advisory team and/or a commission according

to local circumstances.

6 Where there is no Province Plan it will be difﬁcult, if not

impossible, to work effectively with and in social communi-

cation in a Salesian way. Without a plan, whatever is done

remains isolated and scattered, without impact.

7 Where delegation from the Provincial is missing, the

Delegate’s task often becomes complicated.

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8 Since we are dealing with a continually evolving sector,

there is a need for guidance and authoritative help: only the

Provincial, supported by his Council, can give force to some

of the choices involving local communities, and practical ac-

tivities in education and evangelisation.

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL

COMMUNICATION

PLAN

Communication at the service of the

Province

9 In the view of social communication built up and de-

veloped by the Congregation especially over the past decade,

’our communities, works and activities...become part of a much

wider system of communication within which they are com-

pared and interact’ (Fr Vecchi, AGC 370). The Salesian Social

Communication System, as it is now termed, is a uniﬁed and

integrated project very much at the service of the shared vi-

sion and values identiﬁed as the Salesian charism, and seen in

practice in a Province, its sectors of activity, its communities.

10 Social Communication is a distinct sector of Salesian

activity; this sector is represented at Congregational level by

a Councillor with a team known as the Social Communica-

tion Department, and assisted by an advisory body drawn

from experts around the world. At Province level, this sec-

tor is also represented by a Delegate acting in the name of

the provincial and with a team, usually known as the Social

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

Communication Commission. There may also be an advisory

body. The social communication sector is placed at the service

of the entire Salesian project as represented by the Province in

all its activity.

Communication Plan basics

11 The Province Social Communication Plan (PSCP) is at

the heart of our social communication action at provincial and

local level. This plan forms part of the province educative and

pastoral project. The Salesian community applies a pedagogi-

cal method in its educative and pastoral work: a model which

is both gradual and circular.

Gradual: appropriate for the overall development of the

young person and adult. It does not offer everything

all at once or indiscriminately; nor does it delay with

what is needed when it is needed. It pays attention to

the path of growth, accompanying it, supporting and

encouraging it. It avoids repetition and is not afraid of

confronting new situations.

Circular: as opposed to linear, or to a model that sees

things in terms of chronological order and which is not

interactive. The circular model gathers up the richness

of particular moments and experiences, instead of deal-

ing with things according to a rigid time-line. Our con-

cern is that what has been acquired is able to inﬂuence

steps yet to be accomplished, that it enhances research

and response. The process never ﬁnishes, but is some-

thing constantly in process.

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

The Social Communication Plan itself

12 A plan is the formulation of a detailed method or de-

sign by which a thing is to be done. It is something to be

accomplished in a particular reality and which begins from

that reality. The Communication Plan responds to needs and to

questions arising from a broad frame of reference and as part

of the province project. At this point reference can be made to

the appendices to the Salesian Social Communication System,

the second of which is an outline and ’check-list’ of aspects

and situations to be included in the PSCP of a province.

In the letter of Fr Chávez referred to above, a reference to

these appendices makes it clear that they are in themselves

an urgent programme to be read and to be put into action:

’by following the points listed...and accepting the suggested

guidelines we are led to diagnose, plan, implement and sys-

tematically verify the state of social communications in the

provinces’. The plan is the concrete and ﬁnal result of a plan-

ning process which is ’drawn up and implemented with the

greatest and best possible participation at different levels; it

should be constantly animated and periodically veriﬁed by

the animation and government bodies of the province’.

In integrating The Province Social Communication Plan into

the Overall Province Plan or OPP, the following elements are

central:

The community

A Province plan is not the fruit of one person’s thinking. The

following persons and groups should be in agreement con-

cerning a formation plan for social communication (not listed

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

in a speciﬁc order): the Province Delegate /Social Commu-

nication Commission / those responsible in the communi-

ties for being in touch with the province centre / those re-

sponsible for publishing in the province (Salesian Bulletin ed-

itor, one in charge of Province Newsletter, editors of maga-

zines and books from the Salesian centre etc), experts in com-

munication in the province / educative communities in the

province / the Delegate for Youth Pastoral Ministry and his

YPM Commission / the PFC / the Provincial Council / and

the Provincial. This list is not exhaustive.

The charism.

Social communication in its various forms and aspects requires

a policy outline that ensures its ﬁdelity to the Salesian charism.

This outline is broadly stated in SSCS.

The Province SC Delegate and the Plan

13 The Province Delegate for social communication, who

is a key player in the development, coordination and veriﬁ-

cation of the PSCP, and in its integration within the Overall

Province Plan, forms part of a broader project involving all of

Salesian life in the Province. It is important for him to pro-

mote contacts, dialogue and understandings with the other

sectors in a Province’s life. These sectors include:

An example of contents of an SC Plan could be:

• Purpose of such a plan,

• relationship of SC sector with other sectors of province

activity,

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

• organisational structure at Congregation level,

• province organisation,

• the SC Delegate,

• the SC Commission,

• the Advisory group,

• Information or Press ofﬁce,

• local organisation and coordination,

• local delegates or coordinators, areas of activity, forma-

tion and information, business ventures.

At least one Province (Mumbai, South Asia) has produced a

Social Communication Policy which is worth having a look at.

The policy forms part of an overall SC plan. This policy con-

siders a coordinated means of presenting information (Bosco

Information Services or BIS),media public relations (PR) pro-

cesses and media advocacy, who is able to put out a press

release and on what kinds of issues, crisis communication –

what it is and who it will be handled by.

Formation and its organisation.

14 People are the focus and criteria for choices when it

comes to Salesian life and activity. Each Salesian Province has

a PFC (Provincial Formation Commission).

This organising group is not only for provinces which have

formation stages organised within their province. It is some-

thing for every province since we need to think primarily

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

of ongoing formation, not only of initial formation. An un-

derstanding with the PFC is essential for the formation of

young Salesians and confreres working in the communities,

for scheduling formation interventions, and organising their

content. The Formation to SC - Guidelines document (2005-

6) produced jointly by the SC and Formation Departments,

offers help in this regard.

Youth Ministry and its organisation.

15 We can never forget that we are always working in a

shared and uniﬁed way within the broader areas of Salesian

and Church pastoral ministry. Coming to an understanding

with Youth Ministry implies:

• being part of the Provincial Youth Ministry Commis-

sion, to give weight to youth ministry projects drawn

up at province and local level;

• having the delegate for Youth Ministry or at least a rep-

resentative, on the Social Communication Commission;

• frequently dealing with interventions and criteria utilised

in carrying out projects in the different works and activ-

ities: school, technical centre, parish, oratory, publish-

ing, youth-at-risk works etc.

Economer's department and its organisation.

16 We all know how much quality communication costs

these days, along with the ﬁnancial resources needed to pro-

duce messages and information.

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

The Province Delegate plans by taking into account, amongst

other things, the ﬁnancial implications of what he intends to

do. Therefore some discussion with the Provincial Economer

must occur before ﬁnalising a communications activity and

presenting it to the Provincial and his Council.

This discussion considers also the possibility of carrying

out communications activities which are ’ﬁnancially autonomous’

in the sense of not having implications for the province ac-

counts. For its part, the Economer’s ofﬁce will regard com-

munication work as a pastoral service which occasionally will

also need some ﬁnancial support.

Salesian Family and its organisation.

17 The experience of Don Bosco and his Family underlines

the importance of working with lay people in the different

sectors of our activities. GC24 has drawn attention to the pos-

sible and desired contribution of lay people to Don Bosco’s

spirit and mission.

In Christiﬁdeles Laici, the Church indicated the new ﬁelds

for lay involvement for a new evangelisation, and did not

overlook the communications ﬁeld. Subsequent documents

have developed this understanding. Keeping in touch with

the Salesian Family means having a large reservoir of possi-

bilities, either of experts or of co-workers. Lay groups in the

Salesian Family often include in their statutes a call to work

within Social Communication.

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Missionary dimension and its organisation.

18 It is enough to remind the Province Delegate of what the

Encyclical Redemptoris Missio has to say in n. 37 to motivate

him to link closely with the Province Delegate for Missionary

animation. The missions, especially mission ad gentes, are

a powerful communications message for our young people

and it would not be advantageous for Don Bosco’s charism to

overlook this area.

Wider contacts to benet the Plan

19 Along with internal Salesian contacts, other contacts

with communication workers in the local area are to be seen

to and nurtured. Journalists, those working in radio and TV,

advertising experts, directors of news agencies, managers, song

artists, music, theatre etc. are important for us.

Contact with them has two purposes:

• to establish good relations for mutual assistance, to learn

about communication as an art from those who are liv-

ing it from within,

• to involve them in animation and formation, requesting

their help at key moments and in ways that are appro-

priate to the objectives being pursued.

20 A practical consequence of the above could be an annual

meeting with all those mentioned in the previous paragraph,

to understand directions and new developments in the sec-

tor. It used to be part of the Salesian tradition to celebrate

the Feast of St Francis de Sales with those who worked in the

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1 THE PROVINCE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PLAN

communications ﬁeld. Pope John Paul II of happy memory

chose to make the announcement of the theme for the World

Day for Social Communications on the Feast of St Francis de

Sales, 24th January. Celebration of this amongst us could be

an appropriate tradition, then, to maintain.

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2 MANAGING

COMMUNICATION

INTERNALLY,

EXTERNALLY

Animation

Animation is described in SSCS no.87 as ’manage-

ment...in educational processes’ and as ’internal and external

relations’. Animation occurs when there is a person to make

it happen.

The Delegate acting in the name of the Provincial, the teams

who assist him, the local coordinators in communities, all

share this task of ’promoting various communicational reali-

ties’ (GC23, 259), and their accompaniment. There are at least

four essential animation areas with regard to social commu-

nication:

- education

- formation

- information

- production

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

Animation media education, educommunication

22 The Province Delegate assists people and communities

to draw up Media education curricula. This handbook is not

about offering material for such curricula. For education of

the young there is a need to seek out appropriate material to

assist with education to media. Confreres, too, require educa-

tion to and through media. This is taken up below in no.24.

As a term, Media Education is direct and practical, and has

a solid tradition behind it especially in the English-speaking

world. It is education with media, to media and even for me-

dia. In the context of a province and its work in social commu-

nication we are looking at a new kind of ﬁgure – the person

who is himself and is able to prepare others to be, a media ed-

ucator, that is not just an educator, but a multimedia expert,

someone who works with a critical attitude and is capable of

encouraging others, especially the young, to be responsible

collaborators in the ﬁeld.

Media education is placed squarely at the border between

education and communication, both sciences in their own right.

The media educator is educator and communicator.

23 From media education to educommunication:

Every community is called upon to improve insti-

tutional communication; to plan and bring about

in the educative and pastoral communities educa-

tion to communication and education through the

media, educommunication, which includes edu-

cation to the use of ’languages’ and of the media;

the use of the media for education and evangeli-

sation in schools, parishes, oratories etc.; the pro-

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motion of dialogue with communicators, artists

and publishers, especially if they are young; help-

ing those afﬂicted by the new forms of poverty

and those excluded by the new communication

techniques; and improving the standard of media

skills. (Pascual Chávez, AGC 390, p 39).

As a term, educommunication emphasizes a communal dimen-

sion, perhaps even a political one in that it ensures the forma-

tion of people who are creative and aware of the democratic

value of media for the common good.

24 Curricula dealing with social communication, particu-

larly for young people, need to be ﬂexible since the young are

born with computers and television as part of their make-up!

Rather than complete curricula for young people, we need to

think in terms of units for knowledge and formation, since

in many cases today’s youngsters are already ahead of their

counterparts and adults of earlier times. This way, useless

repetition can be avoided; repetition could be off-putting.

25 Help for those working in communication to carry out

their work as educators, through the means they are using,

goes beyond the possibilities and efforts of a Salesian Dele-

gate and his team. But at least to think about the idea is a sign

of wanting to discover what can be done so that communities

and people don’t just complain about the products or instru-

ments of communication but know how to offer some useful

ideas and even some possible changes of direction.

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Animation - formation

26 The Province Delegate for social communication is seen,

in the overall organisation of the Province, as a formation per-

son, in the sense that he has his own speciﬁc role to play in

initial formation and ongoing formation of Salesians.

27 The Salesian curriculum outline for initial and ongoing

formation, Formation to SC - Guidelines, is a resource and

guide for the Delegate in his task regarding initial and ongo-

ing formation.

28 The formation aspect of the PSCP represents a primary

task for the Province Delegate and the Social Communication

Commission. Refer to the checklist in SSCS, the appendix out-

lining the PSCP.

29 Animation which ignores the context is ineffective. For-

mation requires of formators that they be part of life’s context

so they can develop according to a plan which enriches the

person.

30 One possible formation activity: attention is drawn here

to an initiative involving the whole Church:

- World Social Communications Day. This is a propitious for-

mation occasion. The Roman Dicastery prepares reﬂection

and prayer material for the theme of the Day which can be

used in communities. Episcopal Conferences and Diocesan

ofﬁces prepare practical materials for carrying out the Day

well.

31 Some notes on what is useful when using this material:

• read the text of the papal message,

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• organise a community gathering on the theme chosen

by the Pope, giving some depth to the discussion of

theme and problems connected with it,

• invite experts in the material presented by the message

so they can offer a point of view and other perspectives

to follow up,

• ﬁnd time for prayer together about social communica-

tion, recalling its importance, inﬂuence, its possibilities,

its risks and challenges in our world,

• suggest the possibility of a Communication Ministry for

the reﬂection of the local Church. Given the many eccle-

sial statements, we could also move to action, recognis-

ing the service given by communication in the church.

There is a long journey ahead. We can take the ﬁrst

steps!

The reference to celebration of the communication day does

not mean we are limited to only an annual remembrance of

our Salesian commitment in this sector. Beginning with that

day we can draw up other initiatives that bring attention to

and promote an area that young people today live with such

intensity.

Animation information

32 Information is both internal to the Salesian Family and

external. External information is represented by some activ-

ities which may also function internally such as the Salesian

Bulletin and the Congregational or Province level web sites,

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but it also assumes activities and relationships which extend

to the world at large. By internal information we mean what

is done:

• for the Salesian community SDB

• for the Salesian Family.

Information internal to the community, then, concerns

• the province,

• the whole Congregation.

Here we cannot take into account all the information products

available in different provinces, so we limit ourselves to some

of a more general nature:

The Province Newsletter (1),

The Salesian Bulletin (2),

The Province website (3)

other typical products (4),

the correspondents’ network (5)

(1) The Province Newsletter

33 A Province Newsletter project is a topic worth attentive

analysis. Herewith the essential reference points for a mean-

ingful Newsletter project and an effective informational tool.

34 Project outline:

• The Province Newsletter within the Province Social Com-

munication Plan.

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

• The nature of the Province Newsletter.

• Who the Province Newsletter is for.

• Editorial policy for the Province Newsletter.

• Being in charge of and producing the Province Newslet-

ter.

• The Province Newsletter structure.

• The Province Newsletter frequency.

• The Province Newsletter language and style.

We should not forget that for many provinces the Newsletter

is the only information tool they have, internally or externally,

meaning that they lack other channels for the ﬂow of infor-

mation. It is important to be aware of this if we are asking

questions about the visibility and meaningfulness of Salesian

presence and action in a place and a culture.

35 The Province Newsletter within the Provincial Social Com-

munication Plan.

The ﬁrst thing to be considered is that if there is no commu-

nication plan, the Newsletter risks being shipwrecked in his-

tory rather than in what’s actually happening in a province.

It will be subject to constant change depending on who has

been asked to produce it, or its choices will not respond to the

province’s real direction. The province communication plan

offers the essential coordinates:

• for the province’s history, which the Newsletter becomes

the custodian and promoter of;

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• as part of the history of the Salesian charism: the Newslet-

ter should help with a re-reading of the Salesian charism

in the Province’s situation, without locking itself into

simply telling about celebrations which have happened

or will happen; it offers cooperation and vocational com-

mitment (in broad terms) with lay people who share

Don Bosco’s style.

36 Fr E. Viganò wrote:

Without substantial information about the origins,

the history and the current life of our Congrega-

tion and the Salesian Family, there is insufﬁcient

circulation of the vital sap in the organism. Lack-

ing proper impulses for identity and a sense of

belonging, it atrophies. Instead, with adequate in-

formation (circulation and communication of Sale-

sian values), it grows in vitality, enriches aware-

ness and enthusiasm for our vocation and gives

rise to family joy.

37 The nature of the Province Newsletter.

Not all province products serving internal communication

use the title Province Newsletter. All provinces, however,

have followed up the indications of the Special General Chap-

ter in giving life to family news. SGC n. 516 puts it as follows:

Communication in and beyond the Congregation.

. . . B) AT PROVINCIAL LEVEL promoting abun-

dant information by means of Newsletters which

are interested in linking communities and confr-

eres concerning problems regarding the Province

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and encourage free initiative, chances to meet, seek-

ing solutions to problems and giving occasion for

facing up to and revising ideas, experiments, meth-

ods, guidelines.” (The Italics are part of the Capit-

ular text).

The result is as follows:-

The Province Newsletter is:

38 an instrument of communication.

This is the ﬁrst item emphasised by the SGC text: abundant

information. An instrument, then, which allows information

to circulate: should follow, as far as possible, the criteria typi-

cal of any information product. Current news is a substantial

and necessary aspect of information.

39 instrument of communion.

Communion comes from awareness when this becomes a rea-

son for interest, that is, affective and effective attraction, and

relations created around common issues regarding confreres

and communities. The pathway to communion built around

the Newsletter is different to that brought about by interper-

sonal relationships, or by prayer or by common opinion.

40 a stimulus to creative renewal.

The Newsletter is to be thought of and produced as some-

thing that tries to arouse creativity and renewal. In some

ways it is a place for checking out initiatives taking place, for

experiments in new things or new ways of intervening, for

pastoral creativity in response to needs of the time and place.

It is worth noting that the SGC aimed high where Province

Newsletters are concerned.

The risk we can run is to make the Province Newsletter:

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• an unrelated collection of stories about events. In some

ways substituting the House Chronicle;

• a kind of review of printed items in the Houses and the

Province. It can be useful in ensuring we don’t forget

what has happened and how it was received in terms of

Salesian events in the local and national press;

• a kind of ofﬁcial collection of ecclesial and Salesian doc-

uments at different levels world, national, provincial,

local. Certainly a few special numbers containing docu-

mentation can be useful if they would otherwise not get

to the Confreres. But there should be just a few num-

bers of this kind, not as a regular style for putting the

Newsletter together.

The list of risks could go on. Better to show that each risk has

consequences for the practical planning of the Newsletter.

The Province Delegate is asked to evaluate the Newsletter

in the light of the positives and negatives listed above.

The Province Newsletter: who it is for

41 Choosing the public audience for an information prod-

uct is important. It is essential to deﬁne the target, who to

direct contents, language style, priorities to.

Broadly speaking the confreres are the recipients of the Newslet-

ter.

The Province Newsletter also goes to some outside the Sale-

sian community.

The Province Newsletter doesn’t only deal with life in the

religious community. It considers the mission and spirit of a

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Salesian community which has the Salesian Family, lay part-

ners as part of its horizons and plays a responsible role in

Salesian activity.

Guidelines given by GC24 need to be part of the under-

standing of the Province Newsletter.

Animation, a typical service of the SDB community for the

CEP also goes by way of a communication product like the

Newsletter. The choice, however, should not just remain broad

or tacit. It is expressed and deﬁned at different provincial lev-

els. The expectations of Salesians living in a province should

not be lost sight of. They take part in the life of the whole Con-

gregation. The Province Newsletter should respond to these

needs.

The Province Newsletter: editorial policy

42 The Newsletter is:

• an instrument of communication,

• an instrument of communion,

• a stimulus for creative renewal.

All this can’t be done in improvised fashion or be left to chance.

The Province Newsletter has something institutional about it

at the Province level. It should be able to present the Province

in its typical contexts of society, church, young people and

education. This requires guidelines, criteria, reference points.

or, in other words, an editorial policy.

43 The reality has different names in different regions:

editorial policy, frame of reference etc. What is important is

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that the choice is: a conscious one, founded on the precise

nature of the Newsletter.

The Provincial and his Council are part of this together with

the Province Delegate for social communication, and the ed-

itor of the Newsletter; explicit, such that it is public and well

known in the Province; and known especially by those at

work today, and those who are asked to help to put the Newslet-

ter together; consistent with the communication system in

place in the Province.

An evaluation should be made of information and commu-

nication products in the Province to study the relationship

and coordination between them; constant over time. To be

honest the editorial policy isn’t something rigid, invariable,

but nor it should not change for every edition.

The Provincial's letter to the Confreres in the Province

44 Some reﬂection is in order regarding the best place for

the Provincial’s letter, if it forms part of the Province Newslet-

ter.

As the ﬁrst item in the Province Newsletter it takes on the

role of a fundamental article (generally, however, this is not

the intention of the letter, even if it could occasionally be this):

consequently it would need to be written from this point of

view.

In the body of the Newsletter, it could refer to institutional

tasks - objectives to be aimed at, taking into account informa-

tion coming before it and community news. The letter would

thus function as practical guidance. If it comes at the conclu-

sion of the Newsletter it could have the function of encour-

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agement, stimulus, review, planning etc. So – the location of

the letter is not a matter of indifference. Nor is the perspective

of the writer an indifferent matter.

The Province Newsletter its production

45 The Provincial appoints the person who puts the Newslet-

ter together, choosing from available and capable people in

the Province. Generally this is: the Vice Provincial, or the

Provincial Secretary, or The Province Delegate for Social Com-

munication, or The Editor of The Salesian Bulletin. Each of

these choices has its advantages and disadvantages.

Not to be overlooked:

• the ability (already there or to be acquired beforehand)

in working with information,

• availability of time for the job.

The Province Delegate helps the one in charge to coordinate

the work:

• a confrere in each community responsible for sending

in information,

• other useful matters which ensure a functional and easy

production.

• a list of possible outside helpers.

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The Province Newsletter structure

46 Organisational involves:

• ﬁnancial organisation: The ﬁnancial side of the Province

Newsletter is somewhat minor when compared to the

ﬁnances of other products. Given that it is part of the

Province institution, the Provincial Council should in-

clude accounting for the Newsletter in its overall ﬁnan-

cial planning.

• editorial organisation: deﬁning what makes up the Newslet-

ter. The different sectors of educative and pastoral ac-

tivity in the Province should be referred to: formation,

youth pastoral ministry Salesian Family, missions, so-

cial communication ﬁnance. Other information relevant

to the Salesian world has its place if it hasn’t already

been mentioned in the above. Similarly for matters re-

ferring to communities and works in the Province;

• organising distribution: ﬁnding out who the recipients

are guides the kind of distribution. Consider possibil-

ities for making the Newsletter known, other than to

confreres, in the Salesian Family, local Church, people

working in communication in the local area especially

if it is the only institutional product in the Province.

• organising graphics and layout: these are technical ele-

ments and it would be helpful to have advice from pro-

fessionals in matters like layout, headings, readability

of text, design, photos for enhancing text and so forth.

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The Province Newsletter: frequency

47 What has been outlined above can be applied to any

type of information product. If current news is a characteris-

tic of the information, an infrequent Newsletter (say three of

four editions a year) will not carry out its real function. It is

preferable to have a Newsletter with fewer pages than a huge

product only occasionally.

The growth of on-line Newsletters

48 This is part of a new reality. Facility in using computers

and internet has given us new possibilities for sending infor-

mation to and beyond the Salesian world. Just an observa-

tion: it is not enough to put the paper version of the Province

Newsletter on the internet. This does not meet the require-

ments of that process. The Internet has its own processes to

be respected in producing information.

(2) The Salesian Bulletin

49 The Province Delegate for social communication in some

provinces is also the editor of the Salesian Bulletin. In other

provinces, they are not one and the same person. In this lat-

ter case the Province Delegate for social communication has

some responsibility for animation, since he knows some infor-

mation coming from the centre, following Council decisions.

What follows is of direct interest to the Province Delegate for

social communication as well as, of course, the Salesian Bul-

letin editor.

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The Salesian Bulletin is amongst our oldest and most in-

stitutional of Salesian information products. Art. 41 of the

Regulations outlines the broad purpose of the Bulletin.

The Salesian Bulletin, founded by Don Bosco, spreads

knowledge of Salesian spirit and activity, especially

in its missionary and educational aspects. It is

concerned with the problems of youth, encourages

collaboration and tries to foster vocations. It is as

well an instrument for formation and a bond of

union between the different branches of the Sale-

sian Family. It is edited in accordance with the

directives of the Rector Major and his Council in

various editions and languages.

50 The Rector Major and his Council have over recent

years undertaken a vast work of renewal and re-launching of

the Salesian Bulletin. Following lengthy preparation by the

Department, Fr Vecchi and his Council came to the follow-

ing conclusions-decisions, which continue in force with mi-

nor adjustments as the years progress. A number of items

then expressed as aims, have now been achieved in practice

(e.g. The Congregation web site indicates online Salesian Bul-

letins):

1. Giving the Bulletin visibility to make its relevance recog-

nisable. All Bulletins should appear at least bi-monthly.

2. Making known and sharing to make people feel respon-

sible. Setting up a world commission:

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3. Effective organisation. Each edition of the Salesian Bul-

letin should have: An editorial group with its own tasks

and functions, an Administrative body, a Constitution

4. On-line Salesian Bulletins: the structure of the General

Administration Internet site is a guide

5. The linchpin of any practical strategy: people

a) Formation of SB editors

b) Constant evaluation of the relaunching process and

development

51 The work carried out by the Department at world level

was brought together in book form: The Salesian Bulletin in the

world – World Meeting for the SB for the third millennium – Ed-

itrice SDB, extra-commercial edition, Rome, the Pisana 1999.

The proceedings and decisions of the most recent 2005 meet-

ing of editors of the SB from around the world, held in Rome,

is available in CD form in provinces where the SB is pro-

duced, or from the SC Department in Rome. At regional level,

meetings have taken place for formation of SB Directors and

co-workers, to put into practice the General Council’s conclu-

sions. Salesian literature on the SB is extensive, a sign of the

interest by the Congregation, beginning from Rectors Major,

in the product. Circulars, various reﬂections, timely interven-

tions, research in the ﬁeld, experiments and creativity have

helped this publication to grow.

52 The Province Delegate for Social Communication and

the SB. Animation tasks regarding the SB by the Province Del-

egate could be as follows:

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• re-reading together with the SB director, conclusions and

decisions of the General Council, listed above;

• planning together how to carry out these decisions: prepar-

ing a calendar of interventions on each point, determin-

ing the persons responsible;

• helping seek who could be appointed to the editorial

board for the SB: remember to involve members from

outside the Salesian community, choosing from amongst

those qualiﬁed from the Salesian Family and other ex-

perts from the Friends of Don Bosco;

• studying together how to achieve an administrative body

in the area in which you are working: steps to be carried

out here should be planned in detailed fashion in agree-

ment with the Provincial and Provincial Council;

• trying out formation opportunities speciﬁc to the edit-

ing of the SB: through training in journalism, training in

different aspects relevant to a communication product;

• establishing together regular evaluation of products or

of the programme;

• seeing to the structure of features to appear in the SB,

for better presentation of the image of the Province and

the Congregation.

• increasing the address list of those who receive the SB,

studying together with the director ways to reach peo-

ple, groups, church and civil organisations who could

be interested in Salesian news.

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(3) Province websites

53 Province websites have become a regular and impor-

tant feature. They are more than a Province intranet and are

accessible to the world at large. In addition to the Province

websites, communities and their works have widely adopted

the practice of setting up a website.

There are a number of fundamental questions which need

to be considered for the setting up of a website (quite apart

from technical issues not tackled here):

• Who will this site be for? (Salesians? Employees? Stu-

dents? Young people? The whole world?) Accordingly

words, graphics and content would have to be chosen.

• What do we want to communicate to the target group?

How can we present the information in a brief and ap-

propriate manner?

• How can we build a site for this group that downloads

fast, and is useful and easily navigable?

Province sites should contain a link to the www.sdb.org Con-

gregation site.

54 The www.sdb.org website: – adequate communications

concerning its use come from the Centre. The Province Del-

egate should learn from what has been sent out concerning

the INTRANET/Reserved area, so he can help province del-

egates for other sectors, and communities, to use this to good

purpose.

But one particular issue of importance for the SC Delegate

in this regard is to advise the Coordinator of www.sdb.org of

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changes to information, addresses already present on the site.

It is almost impossible for the Coordinator to keep up to date

with changes unless adequately informed.

(4) Other communication products

55 Two explanations: The reference here is not to all the

possible products in a Province but to those which ﬁt the cat-

egory of ‘information’. Other products, will be at least partly

considered in the third chapter dealing with Salesian business

ventures. The reference here is to parish, school youth group

newsletters, or those of other groups inspired by Don Bosco,

all part of public opinion tied to the Congregation.

There are, besides, the many weekly, monthly news sheets

which are part of local daily life. Radio and Television con-

tributions which make known activities and initiatives of the

Salesian community are also considered here.

Obviously we cannot include absolutely everything, since

there is so much of it; The reference is from the point of view

of the Province Delegate for social communication, not from

the point of view of the editors of these products.

56 The Province Delegate’s role is:

• to study the kind of coordination possible. This does

not necessarily mean material cooperation, but rather

the deﬁnition of concrete ways to make it happen;

• to offer everyone, generally, some criteria for working in

the best and most effective way, so that products have

quality;

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• to help, when asked, in realising individual products.

The power of animation is no less than the possibility

for decision! The animation proposed regards aspects

already dealt with relative to the Province Newsletter.

A small structure needs to be created which takes re-

sponsibility for the task of working with quality even in

small things.

57 To ensure the functioning of Salesian information from

the local end. The Province Delegate should become the point

of reference for the local communities. One very useful item

in a Province is a handbook or manual developed at local

level and according to local needs – something along the lines

of the handbook you currently have in hand, but more de-

tailed in terms of communications needs and responses at

community level.

There is an excellent example of a handbook of this kind

available in Spanish, entitled Manual de Comunicación para Am-

bientos Salesianos, by Jose Luis Calvo Torollo (SSE). Chapters

4-8 of the example cited contain useful practical material on:

Salesian information, Communications deaprtment, types of

communication, the house, protocol, equipment.

Above we indicated the need to have a reference person

for information needed for the Province Newsletter. If each

community does this, there is the beginnings of a province

network which will bring its own fruits of communion and

mission between confreres and communities.

At the province centre there will be arrangements to re-

transmit information coming from houses and activities. An

organisation of this kind produces current information. No

need to wait for the Newsletter to be prepared to get news

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circulating.

58 The Newsletter takes on another role: reﬂection on daily

happenings, re-launching initiatives in Salesian presence, dis-

covering spirituality in life. Concerning external information,

two other issues:

• an information ofﬁce on the life of the Salesian province,

• more direct relationships with local media.

59 To ensure the functioning of Salesian information from

the ’centre’. The same networking is demanded of the Con-

gregation. ANS is an international Salesian information agency

in our project. It should not be confused with products. It is

the place where information is organised for Provinces to dis-

tribute. It is a clearing house as well as a collection centre. As

a collection centre it needs help from all the Provinces: this is

the speciﬁc help asked of Province Delegates for Social Com-

munication.

The Delegate should see to:

• following up Salesian activities in the Province from the

point of view of

– “constructing” news,

– “writing up” the information,

– “placing it” within the media at the interest level

of the news being offered (local, if it is about lo-

cal Salesian activities; national if it involves wider

interests stemming from what has happened).

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– “informing” the Agency so it can continue the in-

formation process.

60 It is not enough just to send off news, but to see what

effect the news can have locally and universally. The verbs

“construct”, “draw up”, “place”, “inform” are technical terms

in communication. Here we offer an outline that could help

keep in touch with the theme we have been dealing with .

(5) Correspondents' network

61 Information is supported by knowledge and with the

help of many other efforts. For this to happen we need to:

• create a network for gathering information about every-

thing concerning the Salesian Family.

• make this a professional network such that the cover-

age guarantees maximum reception of relevant infor-

mation.

• make the technical and professional means available which

are needed to guarantee an adequate treatment and dis-

tribution of information.

Province and National Delegates, the most natural correspon-

dents for the Agency, can refer to what follows to carry out a

service according to the information requirements of the Con-

gregation, and encourage other potential correspondents to

do likewise.

62 Information sources for ANS Salesian sources

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• General Administration:

– The Rector Major and General Council;

– departments and central services,

• General House in Rome.

• Provinces: The Provincial, Provincial Council, Provin-

cial Secretary, Provincial Services, Planning and Agenda,

prominent Salesians.

• Salesian Family, activities and initiatives from Lay Move-

ments.

• Publications: Salesian Bulletins, Province Newsletters,

local publications.

• Non-Salesian sources: The Holy See, Episcopal Confer-

ences, dioceses, Conferences of Religious.

– Organisations belonging to other Faiths.

– International, national and regional organisations.

– Cultural and pedagogical centres.

– International, national and regional youth organi-

sations.

– Other world press agencies at national or interna-

tional level.

63 The news: as it is and as it functions

Concept

• news is text with a basic function: to explain the max-

imum information about a fact in the least time and

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space possible, and with greatest communicational ef-

fect. It should be able to arouse interest in the public.

• news does not exist if a correspondent does not produce

it. An event remains an event; to become news it needs

the journalistic effort of the correspondent.

Editorial characteristics

• News should be worked up through:

• simple detached, concise and clear language.

• short sentences, one idea per sentence, and with plenty

of active verbs and concrete nouns.

• avoiding technical expressions that only a few can un-

derstand. Using the language of the common people.

• opinion and information should not be confused. Sources

need to be checked – facts and words.

There are several possible approaches to preparing news: two

of those presented here are the ‘take’ and another less rigid

approach which permits those in the ANS ofﬁce to write up

the points the correspondent offers.

The reality is that many Salesian ‘correspondents’ are re-

ally volunteer stringers, in journalist terms, with many other

tasks to do. They have neither the time nor, sometimes the

journalistic training to do more than offer the basics for oth-

ers to write up on their behalf.

Preparing a news ‘take’

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For the Agency, news consists in writing one or more ‘takes’

or pieces of content. A take is brief. Maximum length is usu-

ally 10 lines. The ﬁrst take must be self-sufﬁcient, that is it

should not require additions in order to be understood. Suc-

cessive takes are to add information; but all elements of the

news should appear in the ﬁrst. Writing a news item in one

or more takes depends on the importance of the news to be

transmitted and on those who will be reading it.

The structure of a take

The ﬁrst take opens with a lead, that is to say with the most

important part of the news item. It remains the case that news

is best written according to the classic ﬁve questions formula

of, i.e.: who, what, where, when, and why. And useful, too,

‘how’.

Writing headlines

There should always be a headline heading the news item.

The aim of a headline is to identify, announce and summarise

the information contained in the news item, as well as to con-

vince and arouse interest. A key or base word opens the head-

line (two words at most).

Example: DRUGS: SALESIAN THERAPY COMMUNITIES

FROM ITALY MEET.

ANS headlines should be no more than 55 keystrokes. Nar-

rative text headlines are usually a sentence worth – possibly

where the verb remains implicit. Topic texts normally have

headlines without a verb.

Another approach to prepare news for transmission to ANS

(a) Choose a brief title

(b) As a basis for putting your news points together, have

no more than 3 central ideas and 7 details (regard these ﬁg-

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

ures as maximums).

(d) Indicate the province or circumscription of origin

(e) Indicate the Salesian sector best represented by the news

(YM, Formation etc)

To this we can add: aim for a regular rhythm; experience

has shown that monthly is a minimum rhythm that works,

especially if a province has several persons who are prepared

to work on that basis. It is not too demanding on individuals,

yet enables a good ﬂow of news to ANS if one considers 90

plus provinces working on that basis!

64 A table demonstrating a worksheet that could be used for a

news item

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BASIC NEWS FACTS

FACT

WHERE: precise location

WHEN: date (time)

WHO: people, groups

HOW MANY: groups, participants

WHAT

WHY

HOW

IMPORTANT ASPECTS

OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST

PROBLEMS

POSSIBILITIES

COMMENTS

STATISTICS

DOCUMENTS (programmes, texts, speeches...)

PHOTOS, VIDEO

SOUND RECORDINGS

65 The link between correspondent and the ANS ofﬁce

The correspondent’s work is not complete if the informa-

tion does not arrive in the ANS ofﬁce in good time. Impor-

tant or very relevant news should be consigned as soon as is

possible. Standard news items can be consigned together in a

single mailing on the ﬁrst day of each month. Events for AS

agenda, instead, should be consigned before the 20th of each

month. Material should arrive preferably through email, ei-

ther to the ANS address or to individuals working there.

66 Using the telephone

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The telephone – cellular or otherwise – is one of the most

useful tools used by journalists, particularly agencies. Infor-

mation can be given and received by phone. The phone is

useful when there is urgent need to check details or make im-

mediate contact. When a journalist makes contact for the ﬁst

time, he should identify himself, the news organisation for

which he is working, and the reason for his call. Brief state-

ments by phone are possible, as well as brief interviews. To be

really faithful, a tape of the call would serve proper journal-

istic purposes. Seek other items of news that may come up in

the conversation. Questions should be brief and to the point,

and aim at providing everything needed for writing a com-

plete news item. The phone call should then be transcribed

and worked into a statement or interview format.

67 Using email

Email is the most common tool used for linking correspon-

dents with the Agency. Email should be checked daily at least

once. The correspondent should normally write and receive

news items ‘off-line’, i.e. in an attached document – the email

makes reference to the kind of document attached.

The attached document is best formatted as RTF (Rich Text

Format) or in current versions of Word (i.e. avoid using ver-

sions before Word ’95). The subject box indicates in a couple

of words the nature of the item despatched. It is important to

include this in the name of the document – it is not enough to

receive a doucment like ‘Italian.doc’ or ‘captions.doc’, since

one can’t distinguish one ﬁle from another like that. Using

‘urgent’ or ‘very urgent’ mode, when necessary, saves time

by speeding up distribution via the server.

68 photographs

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When email does not permit the transmission of photo-quality

images, more traditional methods - airmail post - need to be

used. Photos should be sent in landscape format rather than

portrait, preferably 10 x 15cm dimensions, in colour and al-

ways accompanied by captions which identify subject, date,

place, topic or event etc. Slides are also useful.

NB. Problems tied to photo transmission.

This concerns technical and practical problems relating to a

photographic news service. Technical advice should be sought

on these matters. The ANS ofﬁce is always ready to respond

to questions of this kind.

Organising information from outside the Salesian

community

69 Information from outside the Salesian community should also

be organised. Consider the following :

• relations with communications personnel in the local

area (1),

• active participation in the local Church’s commitment

to communication (2),

• setting up several provincial ofﬁces for social commu-

nication: Salesian information ofﬁce (3),

• Public relations ofﬁce (4),

• ofﬁce for promoting the Salesian image (5),

• Press review ofﬁce (6).

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70 The aim is not to propose heavy and complicated struc-

tures. But to indicate some areas that are possible for a province.

The distinction between the different areas does not mean

that there need to be different persons responsible for each.

One person can cover many aspects. On the other hand, per-

haps not all Provinces would be in a position to be immedi-

ately organising the services shown here. The Province Del-

egate needs to think, however, of the wide area entrusted to

him. It is important that he get responsible assistance from

the Social Communication Commission.

71 Our starting conviction is as follows: There is need for a

greater presence of our Salesian message in the media. There

is no lack of interesting experiences on the part of some confr-

eres when it comes to being part of the media; but it does not

appear that these experiences represent a coordinated or spe-

ciﬁc effort on the part of communities. Getting the Salesian

message ’out there’ is part of the Province Delegate’s task.

This would be a realistic way for Salesians to meet the chal-

lenge of social communication: Social communication is also

a way, an important way, to be in touch with the Salesian mis-

sion.

Statements alone are insufﬁcient. We need the personnel!

72 Relations with structures and communications person-

nel in the local area.

A mutual understanding between those working in the same

sector is the ﬁrst step to be achieved for effective cooperation.

A list of structures, people and media to keep in contact with

can be drawn up.

- For personal contact.

- For work contact.

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- For contact between institutions.

These are the bridges of understanding over which infor-

mation can pass beyond the community . We have already

said something about World Communications Day. The same

idea is taken up again here, but not just for that Day. Friendly

relations encourage other encounters. These can be listed in

the calendar of events.

The Province Delegate should remember that he not only

asks his colleagues for information but also offers them in-

formation useful to them. We will return to this again when

we speak of Salesian information ofﬁces. Here we see the ur-

gency for coordination between province and national levels.

The two structures should be of mutual support. The rela-

tionship is not limited to people only.

It should also be institutional, for example with the local

Church structures tasked with organising along the lines of

Aetatis Novae. The same can be said, especially in large cities,

for civil and radio and TV journalism structures.

73 Participating in the local Church’s commitment to social

communication.

The Pontiﬁcal Council for Social Communications, on 22nd

February 1992, promulgated its pastoral instruction celebrat-

ing 20 years of Communio et Progressio. The ﬁnal paragraph of

the text carries this heading: The need for pastoral planning,

and examines two points:

• The responsibility of the Bishops

• The need for a pastoral plan for social communication.

An integral part of the text is the appendix: Elements

for a pastoral plan for social communications.

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

74 One of the ﬁrst duties of the Province Delegate is to

carefully read what is said in the pastoral instruction. The

Bishops’ responsibilities are presented in number 20:

Recognising the value and the urgency of the needs

arising from media activity, the Bishops and those

whose duty it is to decide how to allocate the Church’s

limited human and material resources, should act

to give it due priority, taking account of the par-

ticular situations in their own nation, region and

diocese. This need may be greater than ever to-

day because of, at least in part, the great ‘Areopa-

gus’ of contemporary media has been more or less

overlooked by the Church up until now.

As the Holy Father has noted: “Generally preference has been

given to other means of formation and evangelisation, while

the mass media have been left to the initiative of individuals

or small groups who take only a secondary place in pastoral

planning." This is a situation needing to be corrected.

75 Cooperation from the Salesian Province can occur in

many ways:

• through the presence and participation in what is being

organised at diocesan level,

• through taking initiative ﬁrst if the diocese is not yet

organised

• proposing to help form communicators

• through liturgical animation,

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

• through youth groups,

• through participation in local radio and TV broadcasts,

76 Internet

Two matters are chosen here concerning the internet. Both

have different issues attached to them. The ﬁrst: Use of the

internet. The second: The usefulness of the internet.

77 The use of the internet

This is not about details but only about what touches on

the work of the Province Delegate for social communication,

recalling the social dimension of the phenomenon. The Dele-

gate is interested in educating the navigators, adults or young

people. There is technical, moral and social education where

the internet is concerned.

This is an educational area where the Province Delegate

needs to be concerned about planning and coordinating. We

need to learn how to use the internet to speak about the faith,

to teach, pray, educate, inform. Once we have overcome the

evil of uncontrolled navigation, it can become a real gift from

God. Perhaps it is a goal to be aimed at.

The primary factor is education. As in every other sphere

of life and activity the result is assured by timely planning, so

here too with the internet – we should not fail this appoint-

ment offered to us by new technology.

78 The usefulness of the internet

In making use of the internet for our own purposes we re-

call the importance of being professional. Help from profes-

sionals can make our on-line presence visible attractive and

effective.

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

Animation production

79 The Delegate’s role here clusters around three attitudes.

• respect for business processes and the various compe-

tencies involved

• coordinating this aspect together with the rest of the

province’s part in the communication’s ﬁeld

• guaranteeing the Salesian character of the enterprise.

80 Respect for business processes and competencies

The Province Delegate becomes part of the business side

of things taking into account three aspects: the explicit del-

egation he receives from the Provincial in the service of ani-

mation of this aspect, so he is clear about where his compe-

tence lies in this area. the typical organisation each enterprise

has for its functioning, with its structures for decision-making

and internal tasks; its qualiﬁed and competent personnel (to

avoid interventions that do not correspond to the manage-

ment of the enterprise).

Respect for competence is a sign of recognising the auton-

omy of this area.

81 Coordination

The Delegate needs to see to this. A business venture has

human resources, structural capacity, a mindset open to real-

ity and to the future. The province’s social communications

organisation can take advantage of all this, not to distract the

business from its task but to use it to help communities grow

in their understanding of communication.

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

Maintaining personal relations with those working in the

enterprise, following the development of initiatives and projects,

knowing the annual planning for the enterprise, can help the

provincial social communication project. For the Delegate it is

not a matter of coordinating the personnel, but coordinating

the projects and approaches.

82 Guaranteeing the Salesian nature of our business ventures.

This is the fundamental point. This is followed up ﬁrstly in

discussion with the Provincial and his Council, not directly

with those responsible for the venture. Again we recall:

• the promotional and educational dimension of business

activity,

• the planning dimension through the business’s drawing

up of a statement of intent,

• the formation dimension as regards employees, so as to

achieve the aims of a Salesian enterprise.

From all of this it is clear that there has to be support from

the Provincial and his Council for the person who represents

them in his role as Delegate. One concrete form of support is

to see that the Delegate is part of one of the Business manage-

ment councils.

Some important issues for running a successful business

venture

83 Some prejudices to be found in Salesian communities

where business is concerned; Relations to be established be-

tween the province and the venture.

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

84 Common prejudices

Communities, generally speaking, are not in favour of social

communication business ventures. A number of factors come

into play here. Some prejudices are practical and others theo-

retical.

85 Practical

The following, amongst others:

• lack of knowledge about the business sector: few Sale-

sians have had work experience in business, so they see

businesses as a distraction from the charism; there are

also few Salesians with the special competence required

for managing a complex business with its various busi-

ness regulations. Often this lack of knowledge gives rise

to doubts and suspicion;

• some ﬁnancial concerns: the experience we have of so-

cial communications business ventures in some provinces

has not been positive. In some cases the ﬁnancial col-

lapses have put provinces into serious difﬁculty. Why

unnecessarily run this risk?

• the religious circumstances of confreres running busi-

ness ventures: communities can be concerned about the

religious life of those working in a business venture, es-

pecially considering aspects touching on religious poverty.

It seems to them that it is difﬁcult to observe poverty

when operating within projects, ﬁnances, purchases in-

volving huge amounts, public relations expenses and so

forth. And there is occasional evidence of confreres liv-

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

ing apart from community, in situations which are not a

strong witness to the Salesian charism.

The ﬁrst task of the Province Delegate is to help Salesian com-

munities to know how to view the business side of commu-

nication objectively and sympathetically. This is not some-

thing beyond the ambit of the Salesian charism. This is not

some new choice contrasting with tradition. This is not an ac-

tivity for some people, carried out as a personal ‘thing’, but

a provincial and community activity, part of the project for

Salesian presence in a Church or civil jurisdiction, and within

the broader educative and pastoral project of the province. If

the above prejudices are not overcome it will be very difﬁcult

to foresee development and growth in this area. We believe

it is most important to be convincing about the Salesianity of

communications work and of the work of a business venture

in communications.

86 Theoretical

Theoretical fears include:

• the easy opposition that can be created between ‘busi-

ness’ and ‘ministry’. A business has power and money.

Pastoral ministry is deﬁned rather by service. There is

some truth, no doubt, in what has been just pointed out.

We cannot and must not, however, make them abso-

lute terms almost as if one is good and the other is bad.

There is also ‘powerful’ pastoral ministry. And there

are business ventures which ‘serve’. Short circuits only

serve to confuse.

If the reality was only in the simplistic terms above, how could

we explain such a massive and active presence of the Church

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

in communications and communication ventures? How could

we explain the no less nor secondary part that the experience

played in Don Bosco’s life?

Today especially the Church is attentive to and concerned

with the communications area and communications ventures.

These have become vehicles for the Gospel! What has been

said about the concerns should make those who work in this

area be more attentive and not allow themselves to be taken

up by aspects of power.

• fear of losing personal contact with people and letting

oneself be convinced by the audience (the public) in mak-

ing editorial choices. The fear points to a typical Sale-

sian sensitivity: seeking personal encounter with those

we minister to. It indicates also the desire to seek truth

in the face of concerns about current fashions. This con-

cern should not be under-estimated. It concerns every

Salesian of Don Bosco. It all indicates that social com-

munication and business ventures cannot be reduced to

material things, instruments, structures. A richness of

structures and means does not represent the total com-

mitment of Salesian communities working for the young,

especially the most needy and for ordinary poor people.

Structures and means are part of a wider project that al-

ways puts the person of the one we work for, and our

intention to save that person, at the centre of the Sale-

sian work.

87 Relations between province and enterprise

It is the province’s duty, through its ofﬁces responsible for

daily life and activity, to organise communication and in par-

ticular communications business ventures;

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2 MANAGING COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY

• each type of evasion by the province, that is by the Provin-

cial and his Council, either at the level of ideas or in

practice, cannot but cause problems and difﬁculties in

the immediate future;

• the provincial and his Council need proper help in their

animation and government of the sector: which explains

the function of the Province Delegate for social com-

munication, assisted by a commission of experts in the

ﬁeld;

• the province project should take into account all areas of

life and activity, to coordinate, animate and govern the

way forward for everyone and everything: structures,

people, organisations and perspectives;

• the organisation of business enterprises and ventures,

with a deﬁnition of roles internal to the work and func-

tions demanded of people, groups and councils, serves

to respect each one’s competence and ensure the ordered

development of the enterprise.

Don Bosco put himself in the vanguard of progress. The Sale-

sians have the strength and possibility of continuing their Fa-

ther’s and Founder’s choices.

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3 THE DELEGATE AND

HIS TEAMS

88 There are frequent questions about just who is involved

in Social Communication in Salesian communities.

The Delegate

89 GC23 spoke of social communication (cf. Acts nos.

254-260: “The journey of faith of the young demands from

the community a new form of communication”) in the con-

text of deliberations concerning Salesian activity. It indicated

the need for the Provincial to appoint the province person re-

sponsible for Social Communication (n. 259).

90 This confrere takes the title of Province Delegate for So-

cial Communication. Other delegates exist in the organisation

of a Province; they animate the different Salesian community

activities.

91 The clariﬁcation needed here is as follows: - Each Dele-

gate receives his delegation directly from his superior. When

this does not happen it creates uncertainty about what to do

(how much to do, how to do it) and also about any eventual

evaluation of the work done. It is worth noting that precise

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3 THE DELEGATE AND HIS TEAMS

delegation helps guide the one in charge and is an authorita-

tive support for his work in the community.

92 It is convenient, then, for the Delegate to come to an

understanding with the Provincial and his Council about the

limits and possibilities of his work, once he has received his

obedience to animate and coordinate social communication

in the Province.

93 The departure point and basic guide for working in

social communication needs to be worked out (by the Provin-

cial, Provincial Council, the Delegate) from indications given

in the Constitutions and Regulations, from the Project of Ani-

mation and Government of the Rector Major and his Council

(for example for the six year period 2002-8) and from the SSCS

document..

Social Communication teams: Commission

and Advisory group

94 The SC Delegate is essentially a team person. He will

normally be assisted by a Commission and at times will also

have an advisory group. It depends very much on the sit-

uation and needs of the Province as to whether there is a

commission and an advisory group, or just a combination of

the two. Some provinces call whatever entity it they have

by other names, but the functions are clear. The Commission

works directly with the Delegate in promoting Social Com-

munication in the Province. Its role is spelt out clearly in

SSCS n- 167 ff. The Advisory group enables him to seek ad-

vice, and is available to study aspects that need further explo-

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3 THE DELEGATE AND HIS TEAMS

ration, helps accompany the processes and so on.

Social Communication Commission.

95 The commission should be in a position to hold frequent

brief meetings. The commission’s work covers various func-

tions. Without being exhaustive, we can offer the following

basic ones:

The commission as a working group.

96 Social Communication planning depends directly on

the Provincial and his Council at Province level, on the Rector

and his Council at local community level. The Social Commu-

nication Commission is a working group in the service of the

provincial and local communities. The commission does not

impose on, stand aside from, or interfere with the project; it

assists by studying the problem/problems arising in the real-

ities of life and action without losing contact with the Salesian

reality. To lose contact with Salesian reality would mean los-

ing its precise function of animation. ‘Being at the service of’

includes providing impetus and pushing on ahead.

Study of the problem of communication in all its forms, and

study of the real problems of the Province and communities

where communications are concerned (therefore problems of

personnel as well as activities): these all form part of the com-

mission’s function.

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3 THE DELEGATE AND HIS TEAMS

The commission as an experimental group

97 The commission backs the Province Delegate and takes

on the task of experimenting with:

• new projects,

• formation courses for young people and adults,

• activities aimed at different areas of Salesian activity (schools,

parishes, oratories, activities with the young-at-risk, as-

sociations, liturgy etc.) in provincial communities,

• renewal and coordination of traditional activities (drama,

community halls, singing, music, etc.)

• links and cooperation with institutions in the local area,

be they ecclesiastical or civil

The commission as a planning group

98 The Provincial and his Council are primarily responsi-

ble for the planning and execution of the social communica-

tion project of the province. They get this done through the

Commission. In fact, the Commission is, and functions as,

a project ofﬁce in the social communication sector. There is

ample room for action here.

99 As a planning group the Commission extends its ser-

vices to the local communities as well. The Educative and

Pastoral Community (EPC) and the different councils of works

run by the community need help in formulating plans and

projects, according to the demands of the area, the commu-

nity, and forces actually present in the ﬁeld.

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3 THE DELEGATE AND HIS TEAMS

The commission as a communications centre

100 The term ‘centre’ recalls a double need which the com-

mission should keep as part of its agenda: The centre is a

frame of reference: in terms of organisation. The centre is

a service: in terms of coordination.

101 the centre is a frame of reference: in terms of organi-

sation. The ﬁrst task the Province Delegate and Commission

must carry out is to organise the Social Communication sec-

tor. This is a sector for Salesian presence and action. To or-

ganise means:

• studying the situation,

• noting resources,

• checking on possibilities,

• planning what is to be done,

• seeing to its evaluation,

• starting off with the new project.

102 Provinces are sufﬁciently accustomed to working to a

plan and organising pastoral ministry. Now they need to be

ready to be part of this dynamic. [delegate, consulta, commis-

sion, local coordinators. . . ]

103 the centre is a service: in terms of coordination. Of-

ten what is lacking is coordination. Provinces are not always

fully aware of what already exists in communication. Not

all the qualiﬁed personnel are valued. Not all the instru-

ments are used to their best capacity. Not all communica-

tion realities are connected (publishing, Salesian Bulletin, lo-

cal bulletins, printing, production centres, youth free time ac-

tivities, libraries, meeting places, various publications and so

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3 THE DELEGATE AND HIS TEAMS

forth). The Commission can offer this much-needed coordi-

nation and build up a uniﬁed and systematic communication.

The Social Communications Advisory Group

104 The delegate and his commission may wish or need to

have an advisory group whose role is akin to that of the World

Advisory Council. It accompanies, evaluates, researches, guides,

studies social communication as it occurs in the Province con-

text. It keeps contact with local communities and the province

centre. It assists in the many technical issues at local commu-

nity level.

The advisory group can be there as a group of experts in

the ﬁeld to help projects succeed, and certainly to advise on

the process. Communities should not be left to themselves.

Accompaniment ensures two essential things: continuity of

projects - when it comes to action, the greater challenge lies in

the ability to execute projects planned by others.

Projects need to be monitored constantly to ensure that they

are moving in the right direction, and in line with changing

situations. The work of accompaniment offers excellent op-

portunities for ongoing formation of teachers, leaders and

other workers. The commission responds to communities’

needs. It keeps contact with local communities and the province

centre. It assists in the many technical issues at local commu-

nity level.

Local Coordinators

105 Just as there is a delegate at Province level, there needs

to be a local coordinator at community level. This is a level of

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3 THE DELEGATE AND HIS TEAMS

activity not regularly developed thus far in Provinces. Details

of the role can be found in SSCS n- 173 ff.

One particular task of the local coordinator is to be in regu-

lar contact with the Province Delegate for social communica-

tion, especially to help ensure that projects at local level can

be seen to ﬁt within the overall SC system which is being pro-

moted by the Province. This is not intended to be a restrictive

comment, but a guiding one.

If the correspondents’ network is to be a reality, it is local

coordinators for SC who will be the backbone in that they are

often in a position to alert either the Province Delegate, or

ANS directly, of initiatives and events.

106 A Database on personnel resources

One of the initial concerns of the Delegate will be to discover

the talents that are around and to encourage their use. Many

young people have both the inclination and the ability to work

in communication. The same is true for a number of confr-

eres. The preparation of personnel and qualiﬁcation for the

sectors of Salesian presence are the primary objectives of the

work of animation and formation on the part of the Province

Delegate.

At the provincial level we have seen that it is more useful

than ever to have a database with the names and qualiﬁca-

tions of those who can help or collaborate in the communica-

tion area. Having some names available could be very useful

for certain situations, for example, when the Salesian commu-

nity

• celebrates some event

• prepares a signiﬁcant occasion for the young or the poor

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3 THE DELEGATE AND HIS TEAMS

in a local area

• has to correct misinformation about Salesians or Sale-

sian Family life and activity.

• launches an initiative for involving others in the devel-

opment ﬁeld, or in education or evangelisation.

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4 STRUCTURES AND

SERVICES

107 The ideas presented here do not mean that all provinces

have to set up all the structures described. There is no need

for discouragement for a province that cannot move ahead

in some of the areas suggested here. . . it doesn’t mean to do

nothing. Each province chooses what is possible amongst the

ideas offered, according to resources and practical means.

Other structures

Information Desk

108 One of the ﬁrst provincial ofﬁces useful for the life and

activity of the province, but also helpful beyond the Salesian

community could be a Salesian Information Desk. This can

be organised simply. It responds to initial questions about the

life and activity of Salesians in the Province, the nation, the

region or the world. It should therefore have basic informa-

tion at hand: number of confreres (in total and per province),

number of communities (in total and per province), mission-

ary presence (how many confreres in the missions, how many

mission areas etc.), new presences, how the various works are

grouped (with information about education, evangelisation,

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4 STRUCTURES AND SERVICES

development), particular activities (street children, refugees,

etc.), experiments that are in place and whatever else helps to

present the Congregation objectively.

109 This ofﬁce or desk can be further enhanced through

essential reference to the Salesian Family: groups, what they

are doing, particular projects And yet further enhancement

through reference to the Salesian Movement: nature of, who

belongs, the life of, organisation. It is in the interests of the

Province Delegate for social communication to already have

ready immediately usable data in the case where information

has to be quickly provided.

Public relations oce

110 Aetatis Novae speaks about public relations thus (n. 31):

Public relations require active communication on

the Church’s part, through both secular and re-

ligious media. Involving readiness to communi-

cate Gospel values and to publicise the ministries

and programmes of the Church, it requires that

the Church do all in its power to ensure that its

own true image reﬂects Christ. A pastoral plan

for social communication should seek: to set up

public relations ofﬁces with sufﬁcient human and

material resources - to make effective communica-

tion between Church and community possible

111 The Province Delegate for Social Communication should

consider the need to be active in communications; not merely

waiting for others to ask for information but offering what we

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4 STRUCTURES AND SERVICES

think should be known about Salesian life and activity; a bal-

ance between visibility and over-exposure. Not to be visible

means not being known. To be over-exposed creates indif-

ference. The need to have contacts with the other province

delegates working in the same Country and Region.

112 The main tasks of this ofﬁce could be to:

• be in contact with those responsible for social commu-

nication;

• present Congregational policy regarding the various prob-

lems or topics being debated and faced in public;

• respond to questions arising from daily life, or from par-

ticular high proﬁle events regarding educational aspects

or referring to young people;

• prepare for Congregational event so they do not remain

at simply the level of external celebration;

• be a place of technical support or reﬂection at times when

the Congregation is expressing its values;

• prepare ofﬁcial communiqués to be sent to whoever needs

to be informed;

• point out the truth of the facts involved;

• offer a key to reading situations which give rise to ques-

tions or problems;

• guide public opinion;

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4 STRUCTURES AND SERVICES

• be present in an accredited, ofﬁcial way on behalf of the

institution, at meetings and conventions, round-table

conferences and debates for all who work in the ﬁeld.

A formal statement of one of the above items usually comes

as a press release. The SC Delegate, in consultation with the

Provincial or person(s) delegated by him for this purpose,

will see to the preparation and release of such statements.

113 Speciﬁcally in reference to possible recipients. In to-

day’s context, for an institution like the Salesians inserted ac-

tively into the life of people from so many and different na-

tions around the world (ﬁrst, second, third or fourth world),

it would be useful to have a structure that can help:

• present the objective reality of the Congregation amongst

other institutions, civil and religious;

• social communications media often looking for news,

positive or negative, about or involving the Congrega-

tion in different Countries,

• by becoming an ofﬁcial spokesperson for the institution

to the wider public, and a recognised ﬁlter for news

transmitted beyond the institution,

• build an appropriate image of the Salesian community

in the world, in view of a better penetration of the social

and ecclesial fabric, and for a more visible and transpar-

ent dialogue with those parts of the public interested in

Salesian experience,

• in knowing, more completely, the reactions around the

world to the many Salesian initiatives:in education, in

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4 STRUCTURES AND SERVICES

ministry, in being a collator and collector of news com-

ing to the institution from outside.

114 The service to be given demands that the one in charge

of this sector be ofﬁcially known and ofﬁcially appointed by

the Provincial and his Council as a reference person.

Oce for promoting the Salesian image

115 Several elements of this have already been presented in

earlier paragraphs. The promotions ofﬁce belongs in spheres

of everyday life and offers original and appropriate view-

points concerning the institution it represents and promotes.

This is the most important, and often the most difﬁcult task.

Often times it is hidden. But to promote the image of a per-

son and an institution we need to capture the image, manage

it and explain its meaning in terms of quality and quantity

through media and press in order to arouse sympathy, atten-

tion, agreement for the person or institution, choices made,

interventions, values.

From one point of view of communication this is called

making news. We need to understand this well in order not

to be presenting images without content!

The times and modalities of image-making are dictated by

real circumstances in the life of people and the Congregation.

We need to be attentive to and adapt to different local situa-

tions.

The image of the Congregation can and should develop

where it is a case of:

• the life of the young,

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4 STRUCTURES AND SERVICES

• the life of ordinary people

• cultural renewal,

• the rights of those without a voice,

Press review oce

116 A press review ofﬁce could sound like a secondary

task. However, it is the prior condition and context for the

two previous tasks of image and public relations.

The service is about:

• gathering together whatever forms part of public opin-

ion positive or negative, in the media regarding aspects

of Salesian life and activity;

• archiving what interests or challenges the Congregation

in different spheres of life and Salesian mission;

• updating constantly the data to hand on to those re-

sponsible for life and development in the Congregation,

concerning reaction from the mass media.

117 The daily work of gathering this sort of information,

for an institution as widely spread and as large as the Salesian

Congregation, cannot be left solely to the Centre in Rome. In-

dividual Provinces are directly concerned. The Province Del-

egate should also have an eye to this area. What is of general

interest, the Province Delegate sends on to ANS.

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Services of particular value to a province and local

communities

118 The House Chronicle:

Art 178 of the Regulations indicates that it is the duty of

the Rector who should ’compile or see to the compiling of the

house chronicle’. That having been said, it is an item of com-

munication which also deserves the attention of the Province

Delegate – perhaps in terms of some helpful recommenda-

tions for compiling the chronicle in communities.

These recommendations could include comments along the

following lines:

• chronicle writing as a form should correspond with the

classic 5 questions – who, what, when, where, how, and

occasionally why!

• include what is valuable in terms of the history of the

community. It is more than a list of who went out or

who came in.

• the style should be narrative.

• context and atmosphere are important for chronicle writ-

ing, so it may be necessary to make reference to na-

tional, state, ecclesial, parochial... circumstances.

• people’s names are to be quoted precisely for later iden-

tiﬁcation.

• value judgements should be left out (’Scripta manent’!).

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• an entire range of other material forms part of the chron-

icle: photos, programmes, invitations, CD and other dig-

ital material....

• it is best to date all items for the sake of posterity.

• an appendix can contain the community timetables.

119 Mortuary letters:

the letter emanating from the community (normally) where

a confrere has died, is an important act of communication and

one which the Delegate for social communication is in a po-

sition to advice communities on in general terms. The advice

given would be along the following lines:

• the style of presentation: needs to be legible, and have

a certain elegance

• for archiving purposes and wider (Congregational) use

it should keep to the dimensions in general use (AGC:

15x21cm)

• a certain balance to be kept from one letter to the other

• the province could advise a certain length, for example.

• reminder to Rectors of their duty to produce such a let-

ter

• as the letter may be the only record of personal data on

a confreres, this data should be as complete as possible

• avoid too much emphasis on the ﬁnal illness: this letter

is more a statement about the life of the confrere

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4 STRUCTURES AND SERVICES

• focus on what has been distinctive about the life of this

confrere in the Congregation

• if quoting directly, then due thought needs to be given

to placing the quote in context

• before publication the letter should be read and com-

mented on by several others to ensure that it has been

well put together.

120 The archives:

chief responsibility for archives at Province level is given to

the Provincial Secretary (R. 159), and the article quoted above

for the chronicle at local level also includes reference to the

house archives. There is, additionally, a more general com-

ment on archives in R 62.

The Elementi Giuridici e Prassi Amministrativa nel Governo

dell’Ispettoria, last published in 2004, and certainly available

also in English and Spanish, is a basic reference also for the

SC Delegate, at least for his general awareness of the issue. It

contains information on ways to preserve documentation and

to set up ﬁling and categorisation.

121 In these days of rapid development in digital tech-

nology, some thought should also be given to conservation of

digital materials: ’text’ in its most general understanding (in-

cludes photographic, audio etc.) is in danger of being lost if it

only exists in digital form. It may in many instances be con-

verted to hard copy, but choices can also be made to ensure

adequate backup of digital material especially if there is no

hard copy available or desirable.

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122 The Delegate for social communication has a role to

play, along with his teams, in advising the provincial and

local communities of issues pertaining to protocol and pro-

cedure for due secrecy of digital material. Many sensitive

documents these days lie on hard disks in provincial ofﬁces

and the like. It is possible, using free software (one exam-

ple amongst others is TrueCrypt) to easily create encrypted

material and virtual disks which can only be traced by the

individuals who hold the username and password.

123 A style manual:

while various examples of style manuals exist in the com-

munications world generally, it could be appropriate for a

Province to have a style manual which brings together many

of the issues contained in this handbook and presents them in

terms of a style manual for use in the province – points made

above concerning the mortuary letter, are one example.

At the General House, there are several examples of this

kind of manual – a Vademecum used by members of the Gen-

eral Council and a Style Manual as such in preparation though

not, at this point, ﬁnally approved. Guides of this kind might

include reference to publishing in the Province (also draw-

ing on documentation from the General Councillor for social

communication on this matter, cf. AGC 390), adoption and

use of a province logo, conventions in use for published ma-

terials or for internet materials.

Some issues of particular interest and concern

124 Open source, the Free Software Movement (FOSS):

One area which has enough global impetus to warrant be-

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4 STRUCTURES AND SERVICES

ing monitored and considered both theoretically and practi-

cally at all levels of the Congregation, is that of Open Source

software and the Free and Open Source Software Movement

(FOSS or F/LOSS when combined). The Pontiﬁcal Council for

Social Communication’s 2002 ’Ethics in Internet’ instruction

spoke of the fact that ’the Internet requires international co-

operation in setting standards and establishing mechanisms

to promote and protect [the common good]....Determined ac-

tion in the private and public sectors is needed to close and

eventually eliminate the digital divide’.

Fr Pascual Chávez, in his Letter in AGC 390 spoke directly

of the matter, commenting that ’Open Source is a way of mov-

ing towards the democratisation of information and culture’.

The issue is a prime one for consideration at Province level by

an advisory group if not by the Commission itself. It becomes

increasingly difﬁcult, especially in some poorer nations and

provinces, to sustain proprietary software, and there are ethi-

cal issues to consider as well. FOSS deserves consideration

as an alternative for reasons pertaining to: legality (avoid-

ing piracy), cost effectiveness, independence from ’lock-in’ to

a single system, the collaborative and community culture it

subscribes to, its ﬂexibility.

125 Educational and institutional challenges:

Fr Pascual Chávez, in his AGC 390 Letter on Social Commu-

nications, lists a range of present day challenges to education

under the headings ’A culture of...’, then a range of challenges

to the Congregation – its communication of the charism, the

challenges of technology, of use of time, of media, of forma-

tion. These too are issues to be taken up at Province and local

level for reﬂection and, where needed, action.

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OTHER PROVINCES

Areas for cooperation and coordination

126 The handbook opens up horizons for the work of Dele-

gates at Province, National, Conference and Regional level in

social communication. Here we limit ourselves however to a

few criteria and areas, and in particular mention the follow-

ing three:

• co-productions,

• copyright,

• exhibition of Salesian products.

Co-productions

127 From the list offered in preceding pages we can see the

possibilities for shared work between those working in the

same area. Present as we are with our initiatives, enterprises

and activities in every continent, we can build up a network

of relationships and achievements. The topic is not an easy

one – there are many problems:

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5 COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROVINCES

• problems of qualiﬁed personnel for this kind of work,

• problems of doctrinal interests and practical choices,

• problems of an organisational nature between partners,

• problems of mutual trust including in the ﬁnance area,

• problems of civil legislation,

• problems of editorial rights. . .

128 Commitment and constancy in pursuing the objective

can overcome the problems.

Provinces and Inter-provincial Conferences have responsi-

bility in this area. The experience of past years is positive

with regard to publishing and radio. One large publisher has

helped others which are less strong and economically frag-

ile to plan together a Salesian presence in Catholic and State

schools.

It is necessary to follow a path that thinks about both the

clarity of relationships and legality of the arrangements. Lead-

ers in a province who want cooperation and a common project

are called upon. The Department plays the part of guarantor

in stipulated agreements.

129 A second area for broad understanding in each province

is that of copyright. Given the common experience of differ-

ent costs of living not every province can count on having

people qualiﬁed to manage a business.

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5 COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROVINCES

Consequently, some provinces have the possibility of offer-

ing studies, research, training aids, educational, pastoral and

evangelisation materials to others.

It would be possible, with bilateral or multilateral agree-

ment, to give the right to reproduce and print materials them-

selves, avoiding the need to import the ﬁnished product at

unsustainable costs from elsewhere. Piracy is something we

should avoid as morally indefensible.

130 We have some experience already in this area. Many

of our publishers (printed materials and audio) with the go-

ahead of their province, open their publications to other na-

tions. It would be good for this practice to grow. Evidence of

one example of teamwork between provinces was in Brazil,

in preparing the Salesian logo.

The Department (DSC) can be a mediator in these kinds of

contacts while leaving the contracting parties to work out the

details of the agreements.

An exhibition of Salesian products

131 The provinces from two Salesian Regions have tried out

the experience of combining forces to mount a book fair for

their continent. The province where the exhibition takes place

take on the task of coordinating the involvement of other in-

terested provinces, setting up the materials to be displayed,

ensuring the necessary publicity for the products, taking even-

tual orders, creating contacts between publishing houses and

buyers.

132 When different countries take turns at mounting the

exhibition, the burden of organisation is then shared between

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5 COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROVINCES

all the provinces. We have plenty of potential in this area.

Being open to new ways of working together will help the

image of Salesian presence.