This working group was established in September 2024 with the aim of creating a permanent forum for joint planning across Italy, set up also to respond in a coordinated manner to the challenges and opportunities of the so-called ‘Mattei Plan’, in which the Salesian Congregation is represented on the steering committee. Its original membership includes the following bodies: the National Centre for Salesian Works (CNOS), the Salesians of Italy’s sector for Formation and Professional Development (CNOS-FAP), “Salesians for Social”, “Don Bosco Valdocco Missions”, “VIS – International Volunteering for Development”, the Salesian Central Office, “Don Bosco Tech Europe” and “Don Bosco Tech Africa”.

A delegation comprising Fr Elio Cesari, Fr Francesco Preite, Fr Luca Barone, Michela Vallarino and Piero Fabris has arrived in the Belgian capital to represent the Salesian community over the coming days.

The underlying purpose of the visit was to bring the Salesian voice, values and educational experience directly to the heart of the European institutions. The packed schedule was masterfully organised and coordinated by Sara Sechi, Executive Secretary of the Congregation’s representative body at the European institutions, “Don Bosco International” (DBI), which served as the key organisational point of contact.

During their stay, the delegation held meetings of the highest institutional calibre: they met with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto; the Director of the Directorate-General (DG) for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), Mario Nava; and MEPs Nicola Zingaretti, Cristina Guarda and Giusi Princi. There were also technical and diplomatic meetings with representatives of the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), the Permanent Representation of Italy, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) and the Apostolic Nuncio to the EU, Monsignor Bernardito Cleopas Auza.

Among the topics discussed with the various representatives, the issues of Youth Guarantee, migration policies, labour corridors, the sharing and dissemination of the policy document on human mobility, and the Mediterranean Pact were particularly significant.

A very significant moment of the mission was the participation, on 7 May, in the event at the European Parliament on the mental health of minors in all their living environments, promoted by MEP András Tivadar Kulja. In this prestigious setting, the delegation presented the Italian best practice ‘Bridge2Autonomy’, an innovative project aimed at building a bridge between school and adult life for students with cognitive disabilities, promoting their inclusion through the new role of the ‘Inclusion Tutor’.

Source: Don Bosco Italia