The Congress "Good Citizens and the Preventive System: The Future of Prevention", which was held in the university's branch in Quito on October 26, 27 and 28, evoked topics of analysis and reflection for Salesian pedagogy, manifested through experiences in the modern preventive system. Don Bosco left an important legacy with a pedagogical proposal that condenses his mission in his memory, forging good Christians and honest citizens.

Over time, Salesians have made a commitment to the mission of Don Bosco, aware that the real protagonists are youngsters, that the pedagogical relationship with educators is a complex task. In this context, pedagogues, psychologists, sociologist anthropologists and historians from Europe and Latin America attended the Congress to contribute to this educational work that today is intensified to achieve a multidisciplinary system.

The event was attended by approximately three hundred participants, making it an opportunity for people from diverse contexts to meet and  have academic and experiential reflection based on three current aspects: citizenship and society; Education and the preventive system; youth and society.

Father Jorge Molina, in his opening address, welcomed all the participants by inviting them to reflect on Salesian education. "Don Bosco has wanted to be with young people. Education is an experience of life and love of educators, which includes a human and spiritual dimension with preventive capabilities." He also urged people to study, engage, dialogue and implement the foundations and good practices of the preventive system within their own context.

During the conference, the speakers had the task of redefining preventivity in relation to new citizenships, starting from the fact that preventivity is capable of accompanying and encouraging life projects, experiencing changes and challenges that the Salesian educational proposal implies.

Topics such as: What citizenship, for what society? - Debates and contemporary perspectives on citizenship - What, for what and why to prevent? How to do it? - Youth: subject, medium and end: social pedagogy as a Salesian pedagogy for today, were protagonists of the conferences and discussion panels, where concrete proposals for action were proposed for the application of Don Bosco's preventive system.

Claudius Ceccon, Brazilian architect, founder, along with Paulo Freire, of the Popular Image Creation Center (CECIP for its acronym in Spanish), is dedicated to strengthening citizenship through education and communication. He said that the learning processes based on the pedagogy of Paulo Freire are similar to the methodology of Don Bosco: "Young people are educated through dialogue, empathy and authentic curiosity." He also stressed that humor reveals what is hidden and considered this quality as the soul of the oppressed and a valuable tool in education.

In work tables people told experiences and gave contributions to the good practices for the preventive system towards the construction of an educational model for the future. 

• Table 1: Liliana Mayer, Astrid Dupret and Javier Collado with the topic "What citizen for what society?"

• Table 2: María Elena Ortiz, Alberto Pirni, Pedro Núnez and José Juncosa with the topic "The future of preventivity"

• Table 3: Melina Vázquez, Alexandra Agudelo and René Unda Lara with the topic "Young people, subject, middle and end".

The participants dramatized the reflections of the work tables in order to express their criteria about the orientation of the educational system through a modern preventive system, combining academia with the strengthening of values and principles where the student becomes the protagonist of his/her own life.

Finally, UPS president Father Javier Herran presented the paper "Citizenship and Preventive System", through which he proposes a pedagogy of presence among young people, subject to educational action and protagonists of their transformation. "In this society the Salesian educational proposal preserves its capacity to educate from an authentically Christian perspective, a citizen who is aware of his social, professional and political responsibilities, capable of committing himself to justice and promoting the common good, with a special sensitivity and concern for the weaker and marginalized youth", he said.

The event ended with the presentation of a video that summarizes the experiences and reflections produced in the Congress. "The preventive system of education with young people is primarily to monitor, guide, advise and correct," said the Head Research Juan Pablo Salgado, who in his final speech recalled that the congress served to recreate the courtyard in the which Don Bosco educated the young.

The event was organized by Universidad Politecnica Salesiana and the Salesian Inspectorate of Ecuador, with the cooperation of Audiovisuales Don Bosco.
 

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Inicia el Congreso "Buenos ciudadanos y Sistema Preventivo" con la presencia de 300 asistentes

Videos :

Inauguración del Congreso: "Buenos ciudadanos y sistema preventivo. El futuro de la preventividad"

Primer día del Congreso: "Buenos ciudadanos y sistema preventivo. El futuro de la preventividad"

Segundo día del Congreso: "Buenos ciudadanos y sistema preventivo. El futuro de la preventividad"