(ANS - Rome) - "Head, Heart, Hands are considered in a holistic way. Ours is an anthropology and pedagogy of integral promotion where we do not always start from the head to reach the heart and from there to the hands, because it is a woven whole." These are the words spoken by Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians and UPS Grand Chancellor, in the homily of the opening Mass of the new 2019/2020 Academic Year of the Salesian Pontifical University, (UPS), the 80th since its foundation.

(ANS - Valparaíso) – On 11 October, hundreds of people gathered in Valparaiso's municipal theater to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Salesian presence in the city. In these many years, Valparaíso, the land of Don Bosco's missionary dream, has become a new Valdocco, "home, courtyard, school and parish" for thousands of young people and especially for the most needy.

(ANS – Helsinki) – Next week, from October 14 to 18, the fourth edition of the “European Vocational Skills Week” will take place in Helsinki. Don Bosco International (DBI) joins the event with two representatives in order to contribute with the experience of the Salesians of Don Bosco, who have been active in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) of young people for over 150 years in 13 European countries. This year, for the first time, DBI was able to facilitate the candidature of a partner of Salesian VET in the competition organized by the European Alliance for Apprenticeship, of which DBI is an active member. The result of this candidature within the “Small and Medium Enterprises” category was a positive one.

(ANS - Rome) - The reality of schools in Europe and the Middle East, rich in cultural and pedagogical diversity, challenges the Salesians to a continuous and ongoing renewal of their identity and their proposals. The Salesian educational-pastoral project in Europe and the Middle East contains a set of values and practices that develop in an environment that is like an "educational mosaic" of diversity. With this objective in mind, the Directors of the Salesian schools of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) met on 2 and 3 October at the FMA Generalate in Rome for the 25th meeting of the Europe and Middle East School Commission.

(ANS - Balazar) - On 21 September, the 4th Congress of Salesian Cooperators was held in the Spirituality Center in Balazar. According to the Project of Apostolic Life, "the Congress must be annual and will have a particular impact on the pastoral evaluation of the year and on the planning of the new pastoral year that begins". This year the Congress took place in the context of the 75th anniversary of the promise of Blessed Alessandrina Maria da Costa as Salesian Cooperator. The Congress was the occasion for the blessing of the Balazar center as a Spirituality Center, for the blessing of the "Center of the Cooperators" and for the promises of 17 new candidates.

(ANS - Quito) - On September 17, the VIII Conference of IUS America began in the Aula Magna Fra Bartolomeo de las Casas, Salesian Polytechnic University (UPS) - Quito campus, an event whose purpose is to strengthen the joint path of the continent's IUS in the light of the agreements and guidelines of the VII IUS General Assembly held in Rome in 2016.

(ANS - Ayagualo) - Currently 1.8 billion people are between 10 and 24 years old. "This is the largest generation of young people that has ever existed in the world, so the empowerment of youth and their involvement in the solutions of the future are fundamental," said Jayathma Wickramanayake, a young Sri Lankan who serves as an envoy of the UN Secretary General for Youth. The Salesian zone of ​​Central America works with an average of nine thousand young people at social risk and planning and organizing projects that benefit this group of vulnerable young people is a necessary and fundamental option these days.

(ANS - Rome) - From 10 to 14 September, at the "Pius XI" Institute in Rome, the first world meeting of Delegates for the Salesian Family took place. Promoted by the Secretariat for the Salesian Family, it was attended by 36 delegates from 33 Provinces: 5 from Africa-Madagascar, 5 from Central and North Europe, 10 from the Mediterranean, 8 from Interamerica and 8 from America South Cone. In addition to this event, addressed to the Delegates who speak neo-Latin languages, the Secretariat for the Salesian Family also organized a similar meeting reserved for English-speaking Delegates, scheduled from 17 to 22 September.

(ANS – Sunyani) – The Salesians of Don Bosco Anglophone West Africa province through its instrument, “Don Bosco Youth Network” and the Salesian NGO “VIS – Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo”, are promoting Green Economy and Sustainable Agriculture. As part of a project for Local Economic Empowerment for Women, Youth and Vulnerable groups (LEEWYV), Don Bosco Youth Network of AFW Province organized a formation session of trainers in Bio-Entomology to boost its campaign and promotion of organic agriculture as part of its commitment in Don Bosco Green Alliance.