Organising Hope
The Programme Document stems from “Organising Hope”, a participatory process that spanned the entire country, actively involving members, educators and young people from different regions. It was not merely a consultative process, but a true exercise in associative democracy, capable of generating vision, responsibility and shared decisions. From the North-West, with Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, together with Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna at the meetings in Turin and Milan, to the North-East in Mestre; from central Italy to the South, with the discussion in Bari, finally reaching Sicily: a journey that transformed listening to the regions into political direction, giving voice to experiences and translating them into priorities and commitments for the entire network.
As Don Tonino Bello once said, “It is not enough to hope; we must organise hope”: this is the foundation of a document that is not merely a plan, but a concrete vision.
The Programme Document 2026–2029 is a compass for the entire Network: it guides decisions, defines educational and social priorities, and strengthens our ability to make an impact in local communities. It addresses the major challenges — educational poverty, vulnerability, early school leaving, and the risk of deviance — but above all, it captures the faces of the young people we meet every day.
Alongside the institutional proceedings, the Assembly will also host a new edition of the Salesians for Social Youth Forum, a space created to give a voice to young people from all over Italy. It is here that the Assembly finds its most vibrant spirit: young people are not only listened to, but become active protagonists in shaping perspectives and plans for the future.
Fr Francesco Preite, national president of Salesians for Social, sums up the essence of this journey as follows: ‘This Document is not the product of armchair theorising, but of life in our local communities: of listening, of dialogue, of the shared desire to truly be there for the young people entrusted to us.’ He adds: “The Assembly in Naples will be a moment of synthesis and renewal: an opportunity to recognise ourselves as a Network and to continue to organise hope, transforming it into concrete opportunities for those who have had less in life.”
Naples is a symbolic city, where fragility coexists with an extraordinary energy of redemption. It is the place to come together, to synthesise and to relaunch the Network’s journey.
Taking part in the Assembly is a step that concerns everyone: members, member organisations and supporting friends. Being present means bringing the voice of the local communities and helping to build the future together, continuing to believe in young people — especially the most vulnerable — and in their potential.
Info and programme here: https://www.salesianiperilsociale.it/assemblea-nazionale-2026
For information and registration, please email segreteria@salesianiperilsociale.it or call 06.4940522
