This meeting marked a milestone in the coordinated work between academia, Salesian Youth Ministry and Salesian social works, demonstrating how the generation of knowledge can be put at the service of educative and pastoral processes in the field, in line with the Salesian mission and charism. The event was attended by authorities from the Provincial Council of Ecuador, the RASS, authorities and teachers from the UPS, and the CINAJ research group.
During the presentation, Fr Juan Cárdenas, rector of the UPS, pointed out that the guide is the result of the research project on Youth, violence and the culture of peace, participation and social skills of young people in vulnerable contexts, promoted through a joint effort between the UPS and the RASS office. He indicated that the document is not merely a conceptual or speculative inquiry, but rather reflects the voices of the subjects of the Salesian Project Ecuador and other areas. He also emphasised that this material is part of the Salesian educational model, especially from the perspective of amorevolezza or loving-kindness. ‘We are being consistent in continuing to bring our educational model into dialogue with these new realities, with these new approaches, with these new needs.’
Fr Rafael Bejarano, General Councillor for Youth Ministry, spoke next, highlighting the sacrament of Salesian presence as an experience of welcome that generates relationships of trust between young people and the adults responsible for them. This path, he explained, allows the personality of young people to be strengthened through various strategies and institutions, promoting alliances between the young person and the educator, between the educator and the family, between the young person and the company, between the Salesian institution and international cooperation for development, and between young people and society, with the aim of transforming a culture marked by darkness and bad news into a culture of life and resurrection.
Claudia Portela, a member of the RASS management team, highlighted the importance of generating synergies with institutions such as UPS in Ecuador and the Salesian Project Ecuador. She pointed out that the guide is a significant support for educators working in social projects, with the aim of making them safe spaces for children and adolescents. She added that, regardless of where they are on the continent, the possibility of reading, adapting and applying the guide to different contexts will allow educators to understand reality, analyse it, reflect on it and take concrete initiatives that contribute to the restoration of the rights of the recipients.
The activities then continued in the Cándido Rada Auditorium, where Fr Rafael Bejarano explored the fundamental principles of the Oratory Criterion, inviting participants to renew their commitment to a pastoral approach that is close, welcoming and meaningful to young people.
Cristian Calderón,
UPS Communications
Source: Salesianos.org.ec
