Dear Friends,
Greetings to you from Don Bosco Youth Animation, South Asia!
The young people fascinate us in some way or the other. They sweep the world with their creativity, will power and commitment! whether it is in creating social memes, innovative startups or short films, whether it is in excelling in sports, creating mobile apps or for that matter in helping people who have been affected by floods or any other natural disasters, often the young people surprise the world with their energy and enthusiasm!
The young people also come across as a bundle of paradox for many elders. People are often baffled about the way young climb the social order swiftly. Their rise from lower economic status is often phenomenal.
Their grasp of new technology is often a thing beyond the grasp of elders! Their craze for cricket or screen heroes often confuses the society as to who these young people really are! They wonder if the youthfulness has been wasted on young people! As Samuel Ullman says, “Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigour of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life”.
Certainly, each young person has an innate beauty and strength and is God ‘s exclusive handiwork! Some exhibit it naturally but there are many others who still need a bit of sculpting and unearthing! We Salesians of Don Bosco have taken upon ourselves as the mission of our life to educate the young and to save them from all possible dangers which are ready to engulf them. As Don Bosco, the Father and Teacher of the young, we have set aside our personal plans, and taken upon ourselves the plan of forming young people- to be a Father and a friend to every young person we educate.
Why is the formation of a young person is of paramount importance to us? From the time Don Bosco started his work for the young a 160 years ago, he and his Salesians have educated many millions of young people across the globe. Even today in India alone, we educate and train over a million young people every year! The world is renewed and reformed because of the change that takes place within each of the individual young person. They can create or destroy the world and the society around them. The young people need to be educated in various sciences and knowledge but what is more important is that they are taught good values.
Following good values in one’s life is more important today than being educated in a hoard of subjects! Particularly in our Indian Society, we have to educate our young people in these values: Social Justice, duties for healthy democracy, preservation of nature, freedom of speech and expression, gender equity and dignity for women and unity in diversity! As Maya Angelou says, “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”
No Society can be healthy without the humane and intelligent contribution of young people. As Alvin Toffler said, for society to attempt to solve its desperate problems without the full participation of even very young people is imbecile.” The young people can be taught not to live for themselves only but to live for others too! They can be trained to be socially responsible! They can be motivated to be volunteers for the less fortunate.
The young people can be gently led away from selfish life-style to a life of caring for others. Many people in the society do not trust the young people. But only in trust begins the basic formation of young people. Once the young people know that we love them, they reciprocate in very many creative ways. We need to teach them with our values and with our life. Young people catch up their learning fast when they see good examples.
This website is dedicated to the formation of young people. Here in you will find news and views which engage young people. Join us in this venture of educating, engaging and empowering young people!
Dr/Fr. Maria Charles SDB
