World Youth Day - from around the region. 'austraLasia' invites brief reports of Salesian inspired activities on this occasion, celebrated this Sunday 13th April throughout the world. Here is the first such report:
GOOD CHRISTIANS - HONEST CITIZENS
SUVA: 12th April -- In what was undoubtedly the Don Bosco Movement's finest hour to date, the DBM core team gathered 150 of the city's young elected/appointed school leaders for a day of leadership training. Other than the fact that young Salesians and their youthful core team helpers were prominently identifiable for their management of the day, little overt reference was made to Don Bosco: the youngsters, mainly 14-15 year olds, hailed from 10 different schools, 3 of which were Marist schools, 6 diocesan and 1 Government (Catholic principal with strong ideas about what would be good for his leaders!).
The leaders explored notions like youthful holiness, attention to daily opportunities, closeness to Christ, working as a team (read 'Church'), and responsible service. They went away with a small card that offered them a 'compass' (growth as person, christian, team member, good choices) and a five-finger guide to sailing their leadership canoe: the five tenets of Salesian youth spirituality in local language!
The DBM now has direct links with all the region's Catholic schools and intends to follow up the leadership gathering with an open invitation to young people to join the movement and make a difference. Certainly at this stage it has the warm backing of the principals and staff of these schools.
