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.
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
Laudato Si' dreamers for a better world
Port Moresby, PNG, 2 MAY 2024 -- The Laudato Si Camp 2024, with its theme: "Laudato si' dreamers for a better world," was a two-day event held at the Don Bosco Technological Institute (DBTI) Gymnasium and its surrounding premises. Organized and hosted by the FMA sisters, staff, and student leaders of Mary Help of Christians Vocational Education Training (FODE) Centre, the camp aimed to instill environmental awareness and action among its participants.
Over 200 participants from NCD schools and Catholic Parishes came together on the 13th of April. The activities of the first day included valuable presentations by student leaders on the principles of 5S (Sort, set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) and green skills. These presentations equipped the campers with knowledge and strategies to promote cleanliness and environmental sustainability. This was then put into practice in cleaning, organizing, and caring for the environment in different schools. The participants demonstrated exceptional teamwork and dedication, effectively sorting out trash for recycling and leaving a positive impact on the school environments they visited.
Overall, the Laudato Si Camp 2024 fostered a sense of responsibility towards the environment and empowered participants to become agents of positive change in their communities.
Health at School Project - Salesiano Jacarezinho 2024
Colégio Salesiano Alberto Monteiro De Carvalho in Jacarezinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil gives us a report of the Health at School Project - medicine collection point held in their college.
The overall aim of the project is to raise awareness among students and their families about the care of medicines, so that they are made aware of disposal and socio-environmental impacts. When this is done incorrectly, it can cause various socio-environmental impacts, such as:
a) pollution of water resources;
b) soil contamination;
c) damage to people's health and quality of life;
d) imbalances in biodiversity.
According to VWP Sila, 2022, the main causes of the improper disposal of medicines over time have been related to the population's lack of information about the proper final destination of this waste, the lack of supervision, the need for public policies to train staff and resources to make proper disposal possible, as well as an adequate sanitary structure to receive this waste.
World Earth Day at Don Bosco Di Chatillon (Aosta Valley), Italy
This day was created to raise awareness on environmental sustainability issues. Our School, Don Bosco Di Chatillon, Italy, which is part of the global network of Salesian schools "Don Bosco Green Alliance", on the front line to concretely contribute to the formation of a new environmental awareness, offers every year to the children of the schools of our Region (Aosta Valley), a competition dedicated to this theme.
The students who participated this year are: 23 for primary school, 22 for lower secondary school and two for lower secondary school. The younger ones were asked to draw "mountain farming in the Aosta Valley". A project to be carried out with recycled materials on the theme of "the agriculture of the past in the Aosta Valley" was proposed to the middle school children. High school students instead had to send a photo taken in the area on the theme "caring for the environment in Valle d'Aosta".
e-Waste Collection Drive by GreenLine - Mumbai, India
Leading up to Republic Day 2024, GreenLine - Mumbai in collaboration with Threco, The Recycling Company, conducted an electronic waste collection drive at the Don Bosco Matunga campus from 19th to 26th January 2024. E-waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the world contributing to a majority of waste entering our landfills. When e-waste lies mixed with other waste materials in landfills, the chemicals from electronics leach into the land and water causing pollution of the nearby environment which can lead to disastrous consequences to many.
Bearing this in mind, GreenLine hoped that with this collection drive, we raised awareness about sustainable waste management and provided a real solution for people to drop off their e-waste in our bin which was then transported to Threco’s recycling unit in Khopoli. In their Khopoli unit, the e-waste would be separated and recycled to produce useful products and unused items would be treated appropriately before mindful disposal. We received the permission from the authorities on campus to conduct this drive and also requested the support of the Shrine to make announcements to further promote this drive. With the support of several people, we were able to successfully conduct this drive.
BioEnzyme Workshop conducted by GreenLine - Mumbai, India
On February 4, 2024, a workshop on making bioenzyme was conducted at Don Bosco Campus, Matunga, by GreenLine as part of the Green Lifestyle Initiative. The workshop focused on introducing participants to bioenzymes as sustainable alternatives to chemical household cleaning products, aiming to promote a greener future.
Bioenzymes are natural, eco-friendly substances produced through fermentation processes involving organic waste materials. They consist of beneficial bacteria and enzymes that break down organic matter, effectively cleaning and deodorizing surfaces. Unlike chemical cleaners, bioenzymes are non-toxic, biodegradable, and pose no harm to the environment.
Don Bosco School of Theology’s LSCET Course Receives International Recognition
In a significant stride towards environmental stewardship within the global community, the Don Bosco School of Theology (DBST) has garnered international recognition for its Laudato Si’ Certified Environmental Trainer (LSCET) course. This recognition comes as a result of the collaboration between DBST and the Joint Diploma Course in Integral Ecology, facilitated by the Gregorian Pontifical University and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development of the Vatican.
Fr. Francis Gustilo, DBST President and a prominent figure in environmental advocacy, was invited to present the LSCET to participants of the Joint Diploma Course in Integral Ecology on April 18, 2024. The course, attended by over 600 men and women from around the world, is dedicated to advancing the cause of caring for our common home.
The journey towards international recognition began when DBST initially presented the LSCET to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in June 2023, just before the commencement of the first batch of LSCET participants. The endorsement received from the Dicastery underscores the effectiveness and significance of the LSCET program, signaling hope for its broader adoption among individuals seeking to become advocates for environmental sustainability and guardians of the Earth.
Blog Articles
Don Bosco Green Alliance was privileged to be part of the faculty that provided resources for the ongoing course - Joint Diploma on Integral Ecology - which is being held by the Pontifical University in Rome.
The DBGA selected Fr. Francis Gustilo, SDB, President of the Don Bosco School of Theology (DBST), Philippines, a very active member of the DBGA. Fr. Francis gave the participants of the course an inside view of how the DBST has implemented Pope Francis' Laudato Si' in their curriculum and a gist of the institute's vision for the next 10 years.
Today the term “development” is widely used, but often from a philanthropic or ideological perspective. That is why it is important to talk about integral sustainable development from a Catholic perspective. Doing so, on the monthly anniversary of the Salesian Missionary Expedition, is General Councillor for Missions Fr Alfred Maravilla.
Here are some ideas from the World's Largest Lesson Newsletter on how to celebrate Earth Day with students -
Resource of the Month: #MakeSpaceforNature
Ages 8-14
As we celebrate Earth Month, encourage students to understand the wonder of biodiversity and why it’s key to achieving the Global Goals. Explore the beauty of the natural world with students and understand why we need to bend the curve on nature loss.
Young people from all over the world are once again invited to participate in the "Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival" (DBGYFF), the Salesian international youth film festival. The Social Communication Sector of the Salesian Congregation has in fact joyfully announced the third edition of the competition, the final of which is scheduled for 17-18 October 2024 - as usual in a multitude of realities and locations in over 100 countries around the world.
Partners
