ROME - ITALY - MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATION: The International Council on Communication held its first meeting in Rome from December 3 to 6. All members were present: Ms. Celine Quinio (USA-TORONTO), Brother Alexander González (RELAL), Mr. Eli Austa (RELEM), Brother Marius Boya (RELAF), and Mr. Michael Rapatan (PARC), as well as Brother Jorge Gallardo, General Councillor, and Brother José A. Warletta, Coordinating Secretary for the Service of Communication. After reviewing the proposed objectives and lines of actions relative to Communication (Circular 456), the participants spoke about their own circumstances of communication in the various Regions of the Institute and they studied some topics such as the system of communication in the Institute (publications, web site...), the creation of networks to promote the various Secretariats, the corporate image of the Institute, and ways to help those in charge of communication in various sectors.

On Thursday, December 4, they met with Brother Superior and the General Council. At that meeting they summarized some key points on communication which the International Council worked on in the days following. Some conclusions were reached which the members agreed to apply in their respective Regions.

Communication plays a critical role in achieving the directions set forth by the recent General Chapter and ensuring the future of the Lasallian mission. To realize this, the International Council for Communication or ICC sees the importance of fostering a vibrant culture of communication (as expressed in the objectives of the Communications Service in Circular 456) that brings together all levels and sectors of the Institute. In this culture of communication, the various members  of the Lasallian family engage in continuous dialogue about fulfilling the vital aspects of the Lasallian mission – the education of the most needy and disadvantaged youth of society, the witness to the values of the Gospel, and  the pursuit of building a just social order.

To facilitate this dialogue, a wide variety of communication and media technologies will be used to establish different social networks; i.e., social groups which serve as forums for the dialogues and exchanges of ideas, experiences and perspectives. The task of constructing these social networks will consist of addressing the lines of actions as stated in Circular 456 grouped in the following dimensions:

Institutional identity (lines of action nos. 8 and 12),    

• soliciting views and opinions from the sectors in each region about the current forms and usages of the institutional image and related guidelines and the plan of having an international corporate image to be used by all Lasallian entities; this activity will be facilitated by each ICC member  in collaboration with other Communication Coordinators in the region; a progress report on the  findings of this discussion will be reported to the ICC and a final report is given during ICC’s next meeting
• commissioning a group to conduct a formal research on the experiences of nonprofit organizations and other religious congregations in their adoption of an international institutional identity, compare these findings with the actual comments, suggestions and views expressed by the  regional consultations and recommend options for action;
• develop a Communication Plan which relates the purposes of communication with the mission of the Institute; an outline of the process of drawing up the plan and the plan’s components will be provided by Ms. Celine Quinio

organizational structure/system (nos. 1, 2, 7, and 10),

• establish contact with the different Communication Coordinators in one’s region
• organize an active regional network to ensure the dynamic flow of communication among the different levels of the Institute
• identify a creative multimedia specialist who will assist the Communication Service
• reinforce the translation service

Editorial (nos. 3, 4, 5, and 9)

• develop an Institute Style Manual to ensure consistency in the usage of certain terms and use of graphics in different publications
• inform the Communication Coordinators and provide them with concrete examples on the new Intercom format
• provide an advisory role in the design of a new Institute Website to include a customized Content Management System, an improved search engine and the means to enable the establishment of different forums for the various Secretariats

professional development (nos. 6 and 11).

• suggest and prepare different templates which Communication Coordinators can use in their work
• plan training seminars-workshops at the regional or sub-regional levels to upgrade the competencies of the Communication Coordinators
• encourage our practice of using online communication technologies

^{(Brother José A. Warletta, Coordinating Secretary for the Service of Communication)}

ROMANIA - DE LA SALLE BROTHERS ON SPANISH TELEVISION: On Sunday, December 7, Channel 2 of the Spanish Television Network (TVE) broadcast a program entitled "Romania - So Far Away, So Close By," in which the De La Salle Brothers' ministries in Romania were highlighted.

The poorest region in Romania is that of Moldavia which has the greatest number of immigrants in the entire country. The television program showed the Brothers' work with orphans and young people with no future in the cities of Iasi and Pildesti. The team from the Spanish Television Network was in Romania during the recent torrential rains which caused rivers to overflow.

The phenomenon of immigration was the underlying theme throughout this report. High prices and low salaries are the cause of the tremendous emigration of the country in recent years. Three million have left to seek a good life outside of Romania, and one-fourth of them have come to Spain. The money sent by the emigrants last year to Romania exceeded 7 billion Euros. Emigration is helping to rebuild the country and to get families back on their feet financially so much so that it is the principal source of currency.

The historic capital of Moldavia, Iasi, has about 400,000 inhabitants whose principal religion is Orthodox. There are barely 12,000 Catholics there. The Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Brothers) have been in Romania for over 100 years. During the difficult Communist era, 10 Brothers were imprisoned and 9 were placed under "house arrest," which meant that they were not allowed to travel more than two kilometers away.

In Iasi, the De La Salle Brothers have a house for adolescents who are orphaned or who have been abandoned by their parents. In the small town of Pildesti (4,000 inhabitants) they have a professional training school for young farmers with specialties in dressmaking, plumbing and carpentry.

Those who were not able to see this report live in TVE 2 can watch at it on the following web site: www.pueblodedios.tv

More information on the De La Salle Brothers in Romania is available at: www.lasalle.ro
^{(www.lasalle.es)}

BOBO DIOLUASSO – BURKINA FASO – TAKING THE HABIT: On Friday November 21st , our novice, Louis Mjalli received the habit of a Brother of the Christian Schools at the Inter-African Novitiate of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, from the hands of Br. Visitor, Georges Absi, who had gone there for the occasion, and the Director of Novices, Br.Valère Adonsou.

The Eucharistic celebration, rich in liturgical music adapted to the occasion, began with a word of welcome from a novice, followed by a word of introduction from the Director of the Novitiate, Br.Valère Adonsou.

After the Gospel, the novices heard an exhortation from Br.Visitor before being called up by Br. Valère.

Apart from Br.Louis MJALLI from the Middle East District, the group included Bros.  Etienne SAWADOGO, Pierre BAKO  and Aimé SANOU from the District of West Africa as well as Gislhain WAKOUM from the District of Douala and Emmanuel NGUENDAHIMANA, Jean Nepomuscène HITAYEZU and JeanPaul RUBERANZIZA from the Delegation of Rwanda.
^{(www.lasalle-po.org)}

ST. LOUIS – USA - HUETHER 2008 INVIGORATES LASALLIAN EDUCATORS: This year's Huether Lasallian Conference gave Lasallian educators a powerful surge of the Lasallian mission as hundreds gathered in St. Louis, Missouri, from November 20-22, to discuss "Global Learning and Social Responsibility through Lasallian Education."

In his opening remarks, Superior General Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría, FSC, set the stage for the three-day dialogue with his powerful message on . "Globalization is not only a phenomenon of integration into markets but also of knowledge," he said. "The dilemma of tomorrow will not be so much between the haves and the have-nots, but rather between those who know and those who do not know. The key to the future is education...we have an enormous potential in our hands." The participation of members of the global Lasallian family in Kenya, Mexico, Palestine, and the Philippines who joined the assembly in prayer via live synchronous video conferencing was a significant highlight of the event.

In his keynote address, Rev. Drew Christiansen, SJ, editor-in-chief of America magazine, spoke about the four lessons of justice education: 1) conative formation--stimulates the students' striving in excellence, potential for self-giving and their disposition for risk-taking; 2) organizational skills--encourages students to develop their organizational capacities; 3) networking--reinforces students' networking skills; and 4) close knowledge of the original texts--develops teachers' command of the primary documents of Catholic social teaching.
Dr. Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of Interfaith Youth Core, addressed religious diversity and the need to develop interfaith leadership among our students as a means to building religious pluralism which is essential to peace. He spoke of faith formation in a world of diversity, citing service as the best way to start interfaith work.

Rev. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, MM, current president of the UN General Assembly, underscored the role of Lasallian educators as natural and strategic partners in millenieum goals. "You must concentrate your efforts to move students from the logic of ‘you and I' to ‘we and ours'," he said. "Solidarity and social responsibility must be the guiding principles of all human activity." Christian education plays a significant role in the process of enlarging the hearts of the young to give all the love needed to save the world.

Break-out Session presenters shared their invaluable experience on a wide-range of topics about global learning and social justice which participants could bring back to the classroom.
Now on its 35th year, the Huether Lasallian Conference has become the cornerstone of Lasallian educational formation, bringing together the largest gathering of educators from 100 Lasallian institutions in the United States to explore emerging educational issues and themes related to formation for mission and Lasallian spirituality. This annual gathering is sponsored by the Regional Office of the Brothers of the Christian Schools which is based in Washington, DC.
^{(www.lasallian.info)}

LOURDES – FRANCE – CONFERENCE OF THE RELIGIOUS OF FRANCE: The Assembly of the Major Superiors of the Religious Orders of France which has taken place in Lourdes every two years since 2000, took on a very special importance this year.

The Major Superiors of the Institutes of male Religious and of the female Apostolic Congregations decided to set up a single Conference: the CORREF (Conference of Male and Female Religious of France).

The collaboration which has been lived for a long time between male and female Religious, wishes, by this Conference, to reaffirm the significant presence of the religious life in the Church and in society.

The new President is Br.Nicolas Capelle of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He is assisted by a bureau made up of two Vice-Presidents, Chantal Parmentier, Sister of the Most Holy Saviour, and Florence de la Villéon, Sister of the Sacred Heart and by a Treasurer, Antoine Cousin, of Le Chemin Neuf (The New Way/Path).

Together they are responsible for making this Conference live, in unity and in  diversity.
The CORREF Internet Site is still being developed; a part of it which has already been set up can be seen at: www.viereligieuse.fr
^{(www-lasalle-fec.org)}

ALEXANDRIA – EGYPT – 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST.MARK’S COLLEGE: The festivities marking the 80th anniversary of St.Mark’s College in Alexandria, began on Thursday November 27th under the auspices of Br.Visitor, Georges Absi.

They included historical exhibitions, work done by pupils, a dinner involving a gathering of past pupils, a sports day and a solemn Mass.

We recall that the schools of the Brothers have been present in Alexandria since 1847 (St.Catherine’s). There were as many as 9 among the 37 founded in Egypt – depending on the period – with almost 300 Brothers.

At present there are some 6,000 pupils between the two establishments in Alexandria (St.Mark’s and St. Gabriel’s School) and the four colleges in Cairo. In Bayadaya (Upper Egypt) the Brothers run a very active educational and pastoral mission.

Nine Brothers work in the Egyptian Sector, coordinated by Br.Régis Claude Robbe. Three of them are in Alexandria: Brothers Didier Albo, Fabien Destuynder and Raul Rouelle.

Here is the program as announced by the Director Waguih Hanna, on the Collège Saint Marc site: www.saint-marc.ws
^{(www.lasalle-po.org)}

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