CG25

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General Chapter 25
The Salesian Community Today
A look at Communication
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Communication
Ritual
Symbolic exchange
Enculturation
Coming together
More than a question of technology, of means or
of products, its a human question, of
interpersonal relationships in particular social,
historical and cultural contexts
Reciprocity
Sharing
Building a meaningul sharing
Communion
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A committed journey

• On the one hand the context of rapid change,
  technical development eliminating geogrpahical
  frontiers, and which creates new space/cyberspace
  and forms of communication the information era

• On the other hand, more communication doesnt
  always correspond to this progress in the sense
  of dialogue, closeness, communion and peace
  between persons and peoples

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GC25 Chapter of communication

• The Chapter proposal urges the Salesian community
  and the Congregation to create and develop
  communicative ecosystems

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Building such a community of meaning requires
institutional awareness

• Everyone coherently involved in mission
• Adhesion to the same beliefs and values
• Carrying ourt a shared project
• Creating channels of conversation and dialogue
  with social players

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1 Community ImageGospel witness

• Opportunity
• The young expect a fraternal witness of life
  which is a response to their deep need for
  communication.

• Community repsonse
• Inspired relationships in the spirituality of the
  PS
• Visibility of the primacy of God
• Evangelical Counsels as an alternative way of
  lfie to be communicated.

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In Practice...

• Ensure the grace of unity through community
  discernment
• Revive the primacy of God in the community and
  sharing of spiritual experience

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2 Interpersonal relationships in the community

• Opportunity
• The Salesians are aware of the difficulty of
  interpersonal communication, from an insufficient
  sharing of life and mission.

• Response
• Personal project of Salesian life
• Community life Project

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In practice....

• Educating to a capacity for relationships and
  sharing life.
• Organizing life and communitarian action, to
  improve communication and personal relationships.

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3 Communicative presencewith young people and
the surrounds

• Opportunity
• A desire to meet young people and to give rise to
  many apostolic forces with which to share the
  charism of Don Bosco

• Response
• The community makes Salesian presence visible as
  a capacity for acceptance and communion, as a
  commitment to education and evangelization, as a
  proposal of vocational accompaniment.

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In Practice...

• Rethink our presence amongst the young.
• Creating surroundings with a strong spiritual
  load (ecosystem)
• Education and evangelization with appropriate
  methodologies (language).
• Put in place a methodology of accompaniment and
  vocational proposal

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4 Communication in society new requirements
of the mission

• Opportunity
• Mass communication and development in information
  means are vehicles for innovative models and a
  fresh mentality.
• Social communication as a vital new space for
  young people to gather.

• Response
• Defense and promotion of young people give
  voice to those who have none
• Commitment to educommunication

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In Practice...

• Promoting a presence and action open to social,
  political and ecclesial reality.

• Action in defense and promotion of all young
  people in the world, especially hte poorest and
  most needy.

• Being open to forms of education and
  evangelization that recognize the value of social
  communication as a vital new space for young
  people to gather.

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5 Communication in institutional relationships
local and province

• Opportunity
• Need for a new way of organizing our apostolic
  work and the life of the Salesian community

• Response
• Identification of conditions that make possible a
  community which communicates while carrying out
  the mission

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In Practice....

• Rethink relationships between the work and the
  Salesian community.
• Promote relationships which are more fraternal
  than functional.
• Capacity for dialogue and sharing in the EPC.
• Develop and evaluate the Province Organic Plan.

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5 Communications in institutional relationships
world

• Opportunity
• Desire for greater contact, closeness and
  dialogue between Centre and provinces.
• Need to overcome closed mentality in Provinces
  and be open to a common vision of things.

• Response
• Attention to different local situations
• Need to think and act globally

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In Practice....

• Working together with Conferences and groups of
  Provinces, to plan networked projects.
• Ensure communication in the various
  interventions flow of give-and-take, language of
  letters-circulars,
• dialogue and closeness.
• Constitution of councillor for social
  communication.

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6 Communication in the community

• Opportunity
• Listening to the signs of the times, young
  people, who call us to constant formation.
• The need and the difficulty of communication.

• Response
• Value of daily life
• Involvement of all the confreres in the processes
  of tackling things, of dialogue, research,
  planning.
• Ability to work in a team with laity too..

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In Practice...

• Timely communication and importance of new Ratio.
• Annual Provincial Plan for Ongoing Formation,
  with special attention to the affective area and
  the capacity for interpersonal relationships.
• Valuing community day and various community
  gatherings.
• The Rector as one who promotes a communicative
  ecosystem.

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We believe That the practice of the Preventive
System, As an inspiration and means for living
and working together, Reinforces our
relationships with God, Brings to maturity our
relationships with one another and unites in a
unique experience, Salesians, young people and
the laity in a family climate of dialogue and
trust.
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We believe That our community By living the
family spirit By being attentive to surrounding
needs, In union with all the Salesian
Family, Becomes for the young and For each one of
us An example of life full of humanity and
grace, A shining example of love, A school of
spirituality, A vocational proposal And a
foretelling of communion.