Subject: austraLasia #400

Date: Wednesday, 9 August 2000 5:35 PM

With this edition of austraLasia, we turn 400!

FIRST INTERNATIONAL GATHERING OF SALESIAN YOUTH MOVEMENT

FORUM SYM 2000

Press Release n. 4

Sr. Antonia Colombo meets the young of the SYM:

You are the greatest treasure of the Salesian Family

I am happy to be in your midst, you who represent the different cultures

where Don Boscos dream is realized. Thus, Sr. Antonia Colombo, Superior

General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, greeted some 200 young

people of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) gathered for FORUM 2000 until

August 13 at Colle Don Bosco  (Asti, Italy).

A colorful assembly greeted Sr. Antonia.  These days, in fact, youth

representatives, from countries in continuous ethnic conflicts, from areas

almost forgotten by all, gather together to share the riches, the challenges

and the journey which they are undertaking in different parts of the world.

A dialogue, based on mutual trust and sympathy, was easily established

between the young and Sr. Antonia:  ìI have met many of you in my visits

around the world she affirmed and in everyone I appreciated the desire

to live life to the fullest, to commit oneself to the pursuit of peace and

justice.

Sr. Antonia sensed seriousness from the youth of the SYM:  Many times

she continues you pose questions which help us to be more ourselves, more

determined.  I found you ever more aware of the difficulties and of the

possibilities which the world of today offers.  The phenomenon of

globalization for one, with all its negative aspects, has also its positive

points:  it invites us to networking, to unite our forces, to face the great

world problems in front of which we all find ourselves inadequate, with the

hope that comes from faith in Christ and from the possibility of

establishing a network of communion worldwide.  The presence of men and

women, of boys and girls not simply for coeducation, but in order to bring

ones specific contribution and experiences, is a new proposal which the

world awaits from us.

Before leaving the Assembly, Sr. Antonia addressed herself to the adult

animators, to the religious men and women present:  The young challenges us

to be more radical, to be more convinced and less fearful in making

challenging proposals for the formation of men and women into responsible

citizens.  Let us not fail them.

The encounter with Sr. Antonia Colombo finally, sustained the efforts of the

young who today worked on identifying some guidelines,  perspective at the

continental levels, in order to meet the challenges of the questions of the

young, the new forms of poverty highlighted in the situational analysis done

yesterday.

The Synthesis Group, composed of youth from the different continents,

pointed out  the formation of the educators and of the young as two of the

priority steps in giving response to the disorientation and confusion of the

new generation.

Journeying with the young, being present there where the youth aggregate,

going beyond the gates of our schools and youth centers in order to reach

out to them are concrete actions of a coherent witnessing which involves the

family in the educative journey and collaborates with the different entities

present in the territory at the ecclesial and civil level.

Colle Don Bosco (Italy), August 8, 2000