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16/5/2008 - Colombia – Living in a peaceful city
Photo for the article -COLOMBIA – LIVING IN A PEACEFUL CITY
(ANS – Medellín) – From 21 to 25 April the Salesian House of Ciudad Don Bosco (Don Bosco City) in Medellín held a ‘Week of Living Peacefully Together’. The idea was to encourage and train members of the educational and pastoral community in a greater commitment to building up a climate of equality, respect, tolerance, reconciliation and forgiveness, and seeking peaceful solutions to problems so as to promote mutual support.

The week opened with a workshop to raise awareness and reflect on the ‘Dynamics of living together in the institute’, aimed at coordinators and educators in the centre. There followed an introduction and the showing of Tony Kaye’s film, ‘American History X’. This was explored further in the next three days in a forum-workshop on ‘Dynamics of living together’, analysing the themes of exclusion and intolerance.

The ‘Week of Living Peacefully Together’ ended with a ‘Day of Vaccination against Violence’ and the signing of a ‘pact’, in which young people and educators committed themselves to live the values discovered and appreciated during the week and to seek peaceful solutions to everyday problems. A special feature of the day was a visit from Juan Pablo Tobón, who plays for Envigado, a Colombian professional soccer team. He spoke to the young people about the importance of being tolerant and knowing how to forgive in order to live in peace.

Ciudad Don Bosco is a Salesian institute where children and young people at risk can continue their studies and learn a useful trade to help them integrate successfully into society.

Published 16/5/2008