We are an international collective of young people from Salesian Institutions & Organizations who are passionate about the welfare of our only planet.
From September 1 to October 4, 2023, Christian Churches and communities will celebrate the Season of Creation, a period of prayer and reflection as stewards of God's creation.
“Care of creation, our mission”, missions and integral ecology: this is the theme of 2023 Salesian Mission Day, fruit of the collaboration between the Sector for the Missions and the Sector for Youth Ministry.
They have created a booklet in which you will find many interesting insights that will consider the vast theme of integral ecology from different points of view, starting precisely from the Salesian reflection that illustrates the entire path. Each of the contributions, which are a clear example of the richness of the Church, is preceded by a quotation from Pope Francis’ Laudato si’.
2023 - A Year of Eco Action!
The ecological crisis is getting worse daily, and we realise that it is impossible to resolve this global crisis only through science and technology or even through economic means or political powers. It is not simply about climate change mitigation, adaptation, or financial commitments such as the Loss and Damage Fund agreed upon in the latest climate conference, COP27. (Jeyaraj SJ, 2022)
The Letter
A message for our Earth
“We see what is happening, and the worst thing is that we are becoming used to it. This ‘becoming used to’ is a terrible illness.” – Pope Francis.
This documentary focuses on the encyclical letter ‘Laudato Si’ addressed to everyone that the Pope wrote in 2015. Today his message is even more urgent!
This film is presented by YouTube Originals, produced by an Oscar-winning Off The Fence Productions, in partnership with the Laudato Si’ Movement.
Featuring:
Pope Francis;
Cardinal Cantalamessa, the Preacher to the Papal Household;
Cacique Dadá, Leader of the Novo Lugar community of the Borarí people (Voice of the Indigenous)
Arouna Kandé, a climate refugee hailing from the Kolda region of Senegal (Voice of the Poor)
Ridhima Pandey, a young climate activist from Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India (Voice of the Youth)
Greg Asner and Robin Martin, marine biologists from Hawaii, United States of America (Voice of Wildlife)
Lorna Gold, president of Laudato Si’ Movement.
About Us
Don Bosco Green Alliance is an international Green Salesian Movement of people from the Salesian Family institutions, who contribute to global environmental action, thought and policy. Launched in 2018, the alliance is today an active platform where Salesian Family institutions, organisations and individuals exchange ideas and work together on global environmental campaigns all for the ‘Love of Creation.’ Read More...
Priority Areas
Member Activities & Contributions
T Shirt Painting Competition at Don Bosco Lonavla
As part of the Season of Creation, the aspirants at Don Bosco Lonavla, India painted ecological themes on T-shirts. This creative activity helped them to appreciate nature and our role in conserving and living in sync with it.
Sustainable Kitchen - Students get involved in sustainable cooking!
On September 15, Colégio Salesiano Alberto Monteiro De Carvalho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil held the Sustainable Salê Project - an exhibition of work done by the Early Years Primary School teachers (from 1st to 5th grade).
One of the classes worked on "SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN", combining knowledge about healthy food and the reuse of almost all parts of food, such as peels and stalks. The students produced various cakes, jams and a Brazilian sweet called brigadeiro with banana peels. Brazil is one of the world's leading food producers, but it is also one of the countries with the highest rate of food waste. (Source: Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and United Nations Agency (FAO))
The Care Project - Promoting Spaces for Agroecology
New project in the works here at Casa do Puríssimo Coração de Maria in Sao Paulo, Brazil!!!
The Care Project, through partnership with TING Environmental Action and the proponent Mater Dei Cam, has as its main objective to promote spaces for agroecology in the urban environment, participatory, nourishing people with food, experiences and knowledge, in line with environmental preservation and recovery. 🌎🧑🏽 🌾👩🏽 🌾
The educators participating in the project had the opportunity, in this first meeting, to experience a plantation with interspecies, targeting their successor during the period of growth and harvest, in addition to a planting of sensory yards and a spiral yard for herbs and spices. 🌱🥦
The Maker Show - Promoting Sustainability and Recycling
On August 31, Colégio Salesiano Alberto Monteiro De Carvalho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the Maker Show - they worked on innovation, the concept of sustainability and sharing ideas using recyclable materials. The students reproduced various objects to be used in everyday life. The exhibition was held in an atmosphere of collaborative learning, with the integration of the Hands On and Art subjects.
"The Future is Europe": "Volunteers for sustainability" from all over Europe in Venice
The "Volunteers for sustainability" seminar was the fourth and last scheduled activity of the "The Future is Europe" partnership project of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 programme. This project, put forward by Don Bosco Youth-Net, the European network of Salesian youth organisations, has encouraged young people to work together to come up with a vision of volunteering for the coming years, setting long-term goals and helping all partner organisations to develop concrete actions.
The experience, held in Venice from 31 August to 3 September 2023, brought together ten Salesian youth organisations from all over Europe, including the host organisation TGS Eurogroup, an association for social promotion promoted by the Salesian St Mark's Province in Northeastern Italy.
On Thursday, 31 August, 25 young volunteers from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands and Spain were welcomed in Venice at the Domus Civica student house. A first team building session was followed by a moment of sharing and reflection on Sustainable Development Goals, with particular reference to Goal 12, "Responsible consumption and production", designed to guarantee sustainable models of production and consumption, to conclude with a festive evening of cultural exchange.
On the morning of Friday, 1 September, after an exciting Salesian “good morning” inside St Mark's Basilica, seminar participants went to the top floor of the Procuratie Vecchie in St Mark's Square as guests of the The Human Safety Net Foundation for the introductory session of Volunteers for Sustainability": a moment of dialogue and exchange between young volunteers from all over Europe, local institutions and Venetian youth organizations.
Pine Tree Planting at Casa Salesiana Santo Domingo Savio, Chubut, Argentina
Casa Salesiana Santo Domingo Savio at Chubut, Argentina organized a tree planting activity wherein the little ones got their hands on the work planting pine trees in the Don Bosco Chapel. As is mentioned in article 9 of the Law of Honor, “The explorer contemplates, respects, and perfects nature, for being a Common Home and work of God.”
Beach Clean up by Colégio Salesiano at Aracaju, Brazil
World Clean Rivers and Beaches Day was celebrated on Sunday, September 17 in every country in the world. The aim is to raise awareness about the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.
The Aquatic Mammals Foundation carried out the 8th edition of the beach clean-up in Mosqueiro. Class leaders from Colégio Salesiano, Aracaju, Brazil, accompanied by the teaching team and biology teachers, took part in the initiative.
The students collected plastic, glass and other improperly discarded waste from the beach. The clean-up effort was very important to reaffirm the importance of leaving only footprints on the beach and not litter.
The Catholic church is a global family with over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. At World Youth Day, this vast global family was personified not just in numbers but by its love for Mother Church. Although I personally missed out on the 'Days in the Diocese' experience, I gathered stories from my friends about the warm hospitality they received. This made me realise that we belong to a larger family that has a tangible presence.
I can recount the moments when injustice was done to me. Deep down, these experiences make us believe that we will not always be treated with fairness and justice. They get us used to unjust situations and often leave us feeling helpless.
After such experiences, I began to question whether restoration is possible. We can't turn back time to erase those negative experiences; sometimes, the memories linger, altering our perceptions and beliefs about the world.
An intertidal walk is a unique and educational activity that can provide a fun way to learn about the ocean and the intertidal zone, which is the area that is exposed during low tide and covered by water during high tide.
During an intertidal walk, participants can explore the rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, or mudflats and observe the diverse plant and animal life that inhabit these areas. Some common intertidal organisms include crabs, mussels, sea stars, anemones, and seaweeds.
"What are we doing with our lives, and how do we envision our lives?". It is a very broad and open-ended question that allows each of us to express our dreams and aspirations.
As a starting point, let us share our individual goals and dreams for a better future. It could be related to our personal lives, our careers, our community, society, or even the environment.
Partners
EcoJesuit
World Clean Up
Let's Do It! World