Cyberspace, is the new playground. That’s where young people gather today. Are the Salesians, the self-proclaimed Missionaries of the Young, able to accompany the young where they now gather?. What’s their presence in cyberspace?
It’s hard to change a mind set and move with the times. Even today, the Salesians in India give priority to running schools and meeting the youngsters on the school playgrounds. If Don Bosco were here today he would be in Cyberspace in a huge way –and not on the school playground. We are missing the boat!
The Salesian have two major WebPages – www.sdb.org and www.donboscoindia.com, the former the official international site and the latter the official South Asian Site. But whom do these serve? The Salesians, of course. What’s the content of these pages? Salesian stuff, of course! In what way do these pages serve young people? Not much! Where’s the content that would attract young people to these pages? Very little indeed! It’s time the Salesians offered a Web that would truly become a playground where the Salesians and the young chat together—walk together. For this Salesians have also to be much more comfortable and adept at using the language and tools of cyberspace, if they are to truly accompany the young today. And have an appreciative, positive attitude toward Cyberspace and its enormous potential for good.
And, if we are to reach the young in Cyberspace, the sites have to be truly interactive, with ample scope for exchanging ideas and making comments freely. From what I have read in regard to this, the Salesians are mighty scared of such interaction capabilities!
But individually some of us Salesians have discovered the power of the personal blog. As our media commentator CM Paul said in a recent email to a former General Councillor, “we are going to have a new revolution free and loud expression of opinions and ideas thru personal BLOGs...That will cover and criss cross all boundaries!”
I can't but quote here a favourite Gospel verse: "Fear is useless. Only trust is needed!"
Welcome to new possibilities!
This is in deed a very long over due piece from PROMETHEUS... You could now call it PHOENIX... The problem today is, no one wants to take risk. Nor encourage critical & independent thinking...
ReplyDeleteWe are scared that truth will hurt and it will go against the virtue of charity... Hence, it is better to continue, the way we are... just don't rock the boat!!!
From 1st April 2011, more stringent measures are imposed to protect www.donboscoindia.com from possible surprises... It is indeed a shame that the gentlemen who make such rules (decisions) don't write (express) nor blog... I got into blogging just to break free from these guys and express myself... when blogs and interactive sites keep mushrooming, we (SDBs) are fencing in... and croaking!
Hence, my prophetic words to the former regional (see above) who advised me to share my BLOG experiments at the death of Fr TOHILL (Hong Kong) and Fr CK GEORGE (Kolkata) with the great Salesian websites! It is not possible for them, as they work on a different (non-interactive) concept!
Yes, Phoenix does seem more appropriate after this long overdue return of Prometheus from hibernation.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have been brought up to value conformity over creativity, adaptation over innovation, control over spontaneity.
And, there are gatekeepers in every sphere of life, who want to control what others think and express, all in the name of a higher purpose and higher values. But what is driving the good intention is actually fear – fear of losing control. And belief that their way of thinking is superior and right and appropriate.
The belief that there are objective values – one correct and appropriate view of things – was upheld by the Dualistic-Mechanistic paradigm which reigned supreme inform 1600 to 1950, the period in which most religious congregations in the Church were founded, and during which most of current catholic doctrine were formulated. All of these were contaminated by the values of that paradigm – objectivity, hierarchy, superiority, domination. But that paradigm is now in the dustbins of science and philosophy. However, the vestiges of that paradigm remain and there are some who would like to resurrect it.
It is time to move on, to march to different drummer! To a different paradigm where values of independent and critical thinking, a free-roaming spirit to be creative and innovative and freedom of expression are appreciated, encouraged and supported.