Recently my colleague CM Paul posted a piece on Salesian
formation on his Wordpress blog (see. http://cmpaul.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/formation-in-mission-from-woes-to-wows/). He had told me
earlier that the piece was awaiting clearance from BIS gatekeepers. I notice it has finally appeared on BIS.
Meanwhile Paul’s post on Wordpress quickly
got a conversation going on the state of Salesian formation in India
And I said to myself: This conversation
should be happening on BIS and not on Wordpress. What a pity!
It is happening on Wordpress because BIS
does not provide a forum for a conversation. I had called attention to this on
BIS some time ago. Paul too had done the same. I had then heard fears expressed
of the potential for misuse. Misplaced fears, really!
If you glance through the number of
comments on Paul’s Wordpress post, you won’t find a single post that is
objectionable. The posts show great maturity and raise relevant points. And I
think all the posts are from Salesians! Isn’t it strange that the Salesians are
having a conversation on a crucial Salesian issue on Wordpress rather than on
BIS!
Why can’t BIS Speak Up have a similar
facility for a conversation to be set in motion? In not doing so, BIS is doing
itself a disservice. It is missing out on the conversation and other sites are benefiting
in turn.
I have stopped posting on Speak Up for some
time now precisely because there is no scope for a conversation. I feel that
the energy and time involved in writing a Speak Up is not worth the effort as
it does not lead to any conversation.
I would request the policy makers at the
BIS helm to provide such space for conversation at least as an experimental
basis. May be start by providing opportunity for registered members, than the
readers at large. Let’s see what happens.
