gex presentation

1. Young Past Pupil - GEX1.1 Young Past Pupils: What does it mean today?

� It’s obvius that Past ≠ Young

� Young Action Associative Life

� Being subject and agent of Youth Ministry at the same time!

� Four types of Past Pupils (according to Rector Mayor in 2009)

1. Those who think is a fact of life (only nice memories)

2. Those who think is a grace (are proud of it and proclaim it)

3. Those who accept the mission (committed with their task)

4. Those who turn it into a “life-project” (an axis in their lifes)

1. Young Past Pupil - GEX1.1 Young Past Pupils: What does it mean today?

� Pupil = School … so Past Pupil = only Former Students?

� The answer is NO. First «Exallievi of Don Bosco came fromOratorio

House

(standing for School

Social Projects)

Patio

(standing for Chapel

Oratorio/Youth (standing for

Centre) parrishes)

1. Young Past Pupil - GEX1.2 Advantages and inconvenients of being young in Past Pupils

So GEX is a section of Exallievi, therefore we are an INTERGENERATIONAL association!

Inconvenients

� Condescension of senior leaders towards us

� Lack of Experiencie (from our side)

� Dealing with many senior citizens (retired Past Pupils)

� Excesive “legalism” within our Associations

Advantages

� Big amounts of illusion

� We speak language of young people (ass we belong to Youth)

� Association might become as an intergenerational learning space

� Association might become a place for lavour market insertion

1.3 Role of Gex inside the Alumni Association

GEx: we are the relay of the current leaders of Past Pupils movement… as in cycling squad in which cyclist turn in the lead.

1. Young Past Pupil - GEX

Any Association is like a bike: it needs constant pedaling(animation), done by the President and its board, if not itcontinues walking by inertia, slows down and finally…

¡¡¡¡dies!!!


This means a series of steps:� Being member of Association Council� Propose concrete initiatives in our Local Union


� Propose concrete initiatives in our Local Union� Get in charge of the most youthful aspects of the Associations

� Communication – Social Networks� Gex Activities� Promotional activities with Pupils� Activities in cooperation with other Pastoral sectors

Everything with a clear aim:

¡Guaranteeing the continuity of the Association!

2. From theory to practice: concrete actions

We can define three fields of action, for our projects of promotion of young people:

� Local Level� Local Level

� Provincial/National Level

� International Level

LOCAL LEVEL

� Inside the Salesian Work

� As leaders in our Associations

� As volunteers in Oratorios and Youth Centres (or other Sdb NGO)

� As volunteers or cooperators in Salesian Parrishes


� As members of Youth Ministry teams in Schools

� Outside the Salesian Work

� As cooperators in Parrishes (disseminating our Salesian charisma)

� As commited professionals (RM Speech in World Assembley)

� As “social agents” (opened to our city and neighbourhood)


Local Association: the ideal place for new initiatives

There are 3 main reasons:

1. Initiatives whose field of action and exectuion is small (with 1. Initiatives whose field of action and exectuion is small (with this we limit the possibilities of making mistakes and its effects)

2. Mentoring of “Senior” leaders (Accompagnamento) (in the local field this support is guaranteed and we can get other supports)

3. Feel like at home in a Salesian Work(this is “half true”)


NATIONAL LEVEL(2 main lines of action)

� Present projects at regional/national/international in topics which affect directly young people

� Labour market insertion and vocational training.� Labour market insertion and vocational training.

� School Support (profiting Preventive System)

� Promotion of healthy habits (fight against consumism)

� Coordinate campaing of advocacy to change the mind of stakeholders involved in Youth Sector. We need two basic things:

� A concrete purpose

� People supporting us (proud of their stage in a Salesian School)

2.From theory to practice: concrete actions

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL(EUROPEAN)

� Complex due to the big field of action

� Topics that worry European institutions:

� Youth empowerment

� Create European awareness (active citizenship)� Create European awareness (active citizenship)

� Promote Youth Mobility

� What to do it?

� Training Leaders (Socio-political schools)

� Business Platforms

� Import «typical» DBYN activities such as:

� Youth Initiatives

� Youth Exchanges - Meetings


Participation in Salesian International Networks

Participation in Salesian networks

� Created with an specific purpose within Youth Promotion

1. Don Bosco Youth Net (DBYN)

Field: Youth Work networkField: Youth Work network

2. Salesian Youth Movement (MGS/SYM) Field: Spiritual Salesian Offer

3. Don Bosco Internacional (DBI)

Field: Salesian Lobbying in Civil Institutions

4. Don Bosco Network (DBN)

Field: Development NGO network

3. Examples of Youth Activities� International Level

� Eurogex (Lisbon 2006, Málaga 2010, Oswiecim 2014)� School of Leaders (2007-2009, Lisbon-Lyon-Catania)� School of Leaders II (2011-2013 Liege-Venice-Slovakia)

� National Level� National Youth Meeting – ENJ (Spain)� National Youth Meeting – ENJ (Spain)

� It’s been celebrated without interruption since 2005� A topic of Reflection (Preventive System, Youth Ministry for/from

GEX, Sports, Music, Theatre…)� Moments for prayer, assembley, culture, party and sharing experiences

� Forum Nazionale (Italy)� In 2011 took place in Venice on social commitment of Past Pupils� In 2010 the topic was Social Communication Systems

� Lovers Pilgrimage (Slovakia)� Week-end Don Bosco (France): family activity of Salesian

Family

National Youth Meetings (Spain)

Lovers’ Pilgrimage (Slovakia)

3. Examples of Youth Activities� Local Level

� Cultural – Formation activities

� Meetings, training courses, lectures, debate groups…

� Theatre Groups

� Musical Groups, Bands, Choirs� Musical Groups, Bands, Choirs

� Educational Support projects (with school kids)

� Religiuos activities

� Proccessions and other spiritual activities developed in the Work

� Youth Prayers and Spiritual Retirements

� Leisure activities

� Sport Platforms&Clubs, teams, tournaments…

� Thematic Parties – Stands in Traditional

� Carnival activities

3. Examples of Youth Activities

A way to work: National Youth Board

• It’s a working system for GEX already existing in Spain and ItalyItaly• It permits to work from different places• It enhances to combine the abilities of different GEX• It allows you to reach a bigger number of Youth • It does NOT require a big amount of time (it is difficult to convince young people to dedicate big periods to Associations

3. Examples of Youth Activities

NEXT ACTIVITY: EUROGEX

• Date: 1-4 May 2014• Date: 1-4 May 2014• Venue: Oswiecim, Poland• Topic: Human Rights and commitment of Past Pupils and Salesian Family• Together with National SDB Delegates and Presidents• Cost: 140 € (unfortunately no Grant!)• Coordinator of the event: Ewelyna Matjyasic

4. Conclusions

� Uptaking GEX members is:

� An urgency to guarantee the continuity of our Association

� Allows intergenerational contact between all the active members in the Association (GEX and “adults”)members in the Association (GEX and “adults”)

� The best way to get it is offering activities which promote human-Christian growth complementing the existing offer in the Salesian Work

(DO NOT DUPLICATE activites!!! IT’s NON-SENSE)

� It’s an ideal way to complete other existing platforms and Youth Ministry activities, movements or Associations.

4. Conclusions� The best conclusion will be to think if you can join the

Past Pupils movement or start a Local Union of Past Pupils using DBYN style:

� Create new projects of PROMOTION for Youth profiting the good contacts of older members of Salesian Family

� Commit other youth in managing activities� Commit other youth in managing activities

� Encourage the growth of Salesian Family in your Province

� To work NOW WITH PUPILS!!! IT’S URGENT

IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO PRESENT THE ASSOCIATION, YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL THE USE AND SENSE OF BELONGING TO PAST PUPILS

Today more than ever you need to be “Good Christians and Honest Citizens”

Thank you very much for your attention

gex presentation

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