Your 2024 Dream for Ecology!
As a Salesian how can we instill care for our planet? Don Bosco used to take his boys regularly on treks and nature trails. He loved nature and in his early childhood years worked on the farm. Jesus and our blessed Mother spoke to him in his dreams using different animals of nature. We see a deep connection with nature and creation in all his works from care for his poor boys, to taking them on nature treks and spending time outdoors. Don Bosco understood that we are not just part of creation but are one with the Creator and creation.
How can we then go forward with benevolence and without doubt that all created things come from God and must go back to Him for His praise, reverence and service. We must value all the gifts and carry gratitude in our hearts for all God’s creation and the created things we have received from his bounty. This is the attitude we must carry in every Salesian home. We must ask our beloved Blessed Mother to guide our efforts so that we can offer all our labour back to our creator who has bestowed all his blessings upon us.
We are an international collective of young people from Salesian Institutions & Organizations who are passionate about the welfare of our only planet.
Eco Advent 2024
Did you know that it is not winter all across the globe in the month of December and that some countries experience summer? And did you know that certain flowers bloom in the month of December especially in these regions? Follow us on social media @dbgreenalliance throughout the season of Advent as we present to you various natural phenomena occurring in the world in the month of December!
Season of Creation 2024
The theme for this year's Season of Creation is "To Hope and Act with Creation". The symbol that will guide us is "The first fruits of hope," inspired by Romans 8:19- 25. DBGA has put together a few resources which you can use for this Campaign. View our Campaign Note which consists of our posters, social media resource kit for Season of Creation 2024 and much more!
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.
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.
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.
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
Instituto Salesiano, China - Nativity Scene Design
Father John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians, often received divine inspiration in his dreams, leading to great achievements in the field of evangelization. The theme of our school for this academic year is "Appreciate and embrace each other wholeheartedly, and pursue our dream bravely" Therefore, the Nativity scene created this year revolves around the theme of "Everyone Has A Dream" Dreams are the most beautiful part of life, filling our lives with hope and meaning. Guided by God, we use our talents and efforts to achieve our goals. These dreams and actions are the best gifts we can offer to Baby Jesus.
This is the third year our school has participated in designing the Nativity scene, a process that has become a collaborative effort involving all teachers and students. At the beginning of the semester, students took the initiative to collect eco-friendly materials and worked together with teachers on planning and creating the scene. Materials used include milk cartons, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, bottle caps, egg cartons, fruit nets, covers of old exercise books, last year's Christmas tree, and cherished toy capsule shells donated by the students.
We used cardboard for the background wall, the covers of exercise books to create stones, fruit nets on water bottles for decoration, and toy capsule shells to make hanging ornaments. Students wrote their dreams on bottle caps, which were then attached to egg cartons, resembling a mosaic artwork. Additionally, students wrote actions they would take to achieve their dreams on their handprints, symbolizing that dreams can only be realized through practical actions, which were then placed on the Christmas tree. Teachers and students together witnessed the birth of the "Dream" Nativity scene, displaying their excitement.
Creation of the Ceferino Namuncura inclusive native forest in Chile
Watch this video to see the creation of the Ceferino Namuncura inclusive native forest in Centro Educativo Salesianos Talca, Chile. You can read about it here.
The students of this centre have also installed a technical irrigation system in the forest which you can read about here.
Many professionals and students have been part of this project, which they hope to launch in March 2025.
Nurturing Nature: Mega Tree Plantation Drive at Don Bosco College
In line with the growing global emphasis on environmental conservation, Don Bosco Cares for our Common Home (DBCCH) of Don Bosco College (Co-Ed), Yelagiri Hills in Tamil Nadu, India organized a Mega Tree Plantation Drive. This initiative encouraged students, staff, and stakeholders to actively take responsibility for the environment and contribute towards building a sustainable future.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation, with the entire community coming together to plant a variety of tree saplings. These included Teak, Water Apple, Mahogany, and Rosewood, which were strategically planted both within the college campus and in the surrounding areas. In total, 300 saplings were planted during the drive, symbolizing a collective effort to restore and protect nature.
Rede do Bem and Don Bosco Green Alliance collect recyclables
Rede do Bem and Don Bosco Green Alliance Campaign 2nd semester 2024 CEDESP Don Bosco Bom Retiro and Vila Paulistana - Don Bosco Institute, Brazil. In support of the environment and social action, the campaign to collect used plastic bottle caps and cooking/engine oil, as well as aluminum can seals for wheelchairs for NGOs that need this resource for the public served, is a competition for good among those served, with awareness and the right to a prize. After the local collection, the recyclable material is sent to the Bom Retiro headquarters, where the Green Alliance team makes the necessary arrangements.
Currently, in addition to the biannual campaigns with the students, Vila Paulistana is already a reference point for collecting these materials in the neighborhood, and the community always collaborates.
Participation in the Environmental Fair for Water and Biodiversity
On December 3, the Electronics Department of the Salesian Educational Center of Talca installed a technological irrigation system for the trees planted in the Inclusive Native Forest, located in Villa Pinardi, Callejones. This activity was led by Professor Patricio Cáceres.
The work was carried out by 10 students of the Electronics Specialty, and consisted of the implementation of an automated system for the irrigation of the Native Forest, which includes the installation of an electronic controller, which allows the programming of the irrigation schedule, in addition to the installation of the pipes so that the irrigation reaches each of the trees through a drip system. The project was designed by students Bastián Martínez and Benjamín Morales (3°ETP), who during the second semester dedicated themselves to finding the necessary equipment to develop the installation in an automated manner and at a more affordable cost. Bastián pointed out that the experience was gratifying "because of the teamwork with his classmates, for achieving the goal, for contributing to the service of the educational community and, above all, that, through our specialty, we can contribute to the care of the environment," he indicated.
CEST Ecological Brigade: A Commitment to Recycling and the Environment
At the Salesian Educational Centre in Talca, Chile, education is not limited to the classroom, but also extends to the formation of essential values such as environmental responsibility and solidarity. In this framework, the Ecological Brigade has established itself as an exemplary initiative, focused on promoting recycling and environmental protection within the educational community.
Made up of students from 1st to 6th grade, the Ecological Brigade is committed to caring for the environment and dedicates part of its weekly time to promoting responsible habits throughout the school community. Its main mission is to implement concrete actions to promote recycling, thus reducing the institution's environmental impact.
One of the brigade's most important tasks is the collection and sorting of recyclable materials, such as paper, cardboard and plastic. These waste materials are carefully deposited in recycling points strategically located throughout the school. In addition, the brigade's students are in charge of supervising the use of the eco-boxes, installed in each classroom, to ensure that recyclable waste is collected in an orderly and efficient manner.
Blog Articles
As the year comes to a close, many experience a slower work period as schools and colleges break for vacation. This is the time most people are busy arranging Christmas gatherings, travel, and family vacations. Amidst all of this, we must not forget that the season of Advent is a call to spiritual renewal, to deeper love, to fruitful meditation on key figures of our salvation history (the prophets, Mary, John the Baptist).
As we conclude this year’s Season of Creation, we reflect on the vibrant and meaningful activities that brought our community together in celebration, reflection, and action. From September 1st to October 4th, we embraced the theme “To Hope and Act with Creation" Take a glimpse at the activities from the Salesian Family.
Changing a few habits when it comes to food consumption to avoid wastage can make a big difference:
● Schedule a weekly ‘Use It Up’ Day or ‘Use It Up’ Meal to make the most of leftover ingredients.
The world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food in 2022, about 1/5 of all the food that was available to consumers.
● Most food wastage, 60%, occurs in the home.
Partners
