austraLasia #2584
Developing countries, communications, earthquakes..... a Salesian contribution
PORT-AU-PRINCE: 28th January 2010 -- Let's start out in Haiti, where there is yet another twist to the disaster which unfolded on 12th January. Under the rubble of the Archbishop's quarters (he died amidst that rubble) lie the Archdiocesan communications structures, all now destroyed. Radio and Télé Soleil. The station manager for Radio Soleil is Hubert Mesidor, a young Salesian Brother (wrongly reported in some media as a Salesian priest). As mentioned in the EAO Blog, I was with Hubert some months ago in Quito and jokingly called him a 'delinquent' when after my mentioning that through use of Free Software I had saved the Congregation thousands, he shot back immediately that so had he - with another kind of 'free' software!! Now he is welcome to any kind of software he can lay his hands on, as far as I am concerned. I am just grateful that he is alive. Radio Soleil has played a crucial role in Haiti, as witnessed by the fact that the dictator Duvalier closed it down several times. He went, in due course, while Radio Soleil survived. Will it now rise from the rubble? Certainly. It is estimated that some dozen crucial local radio stations were destroyed in the earthquake, but they have played and will need to be reconstructed to continue to play, a supportive role for Haiti's suffering people. And quite possibly Salesian communications enterprises around the world are amongst those who will help come to their rescue? That's a question not a statement. Audiovisuales Don Bosco, Quito, had already played a role in conjunction with Radio and Télé Soleil prior to the earthquake in raising awareness in Haiti; possibly they are looking at what they can do now.
A prominent Salesian friend and 'fellow traveller' also died in the earthquake - Mrs Zilda Arns, founder of 'Pastoral da criança' in Brazil and champion of children's rights was on a brief mission in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and did not survive. She was the opening speaker at the Chiang Mai SIGNIS Conference last year. Her loss will be sorely felt worldwide.
But let's shift our gaze now to our own Region and congratulate another developing communications exercise which is gaining plaudits. I quote from a letter received in SIHANOUKVILLE:
"I must congratulate the hierarchy of Don Bosco [the reference is to the DB Tech in Sihanoukville] for being so aware of the critical importance in 3rd world countries of quality teaching of Computer & Web based skills today! This is the future of the whole global world and for Cambodians to be left behind, indeed would set them back as much as the Khmer Rouge did. Congratulations are certainly due to you!
It is good to see mechanical & welding skills etc being taught, but they will only offer work at a lower socio economic standard. Exposing as many students as possible to Computer and Web based education and technology, truly offers students a giant leap out of poverty and into the 21st Century and will enable the whole of Cambodia to make huge advances in a far shorter timeframe.
Don Bosco schools are known the world over for their amazing work in bringing current education to many underprivileged students but Sihanouk Ville appears to be leading the front in this critical educational advance".
The comment is from a happy customer of DB's web services. She is from the ODA (Orphans and Disbaled Arts Association( Siem Reap, Cambodia). DB designed their web page for them. She concludes by saying "My congratulations to your wonderful forward-thinking school. It is indeed an educational facility of the future for the lucky Cambodian students to attend your Social Communication Dept. facilities".
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Developing countries, communications, earthquakes..... a Salesian contribution
PORT-AU-PRINCE: 28th January 2010 -- Let's start out in Haiti, where there is yet another twist to the disaster which unfolded on 12th January. Under the rubble of the Archbishop's quarters (he died amidst that rubble) lie the Archdiocesan communications structures, all now destroyed. Radio and Télé Soleil. The station manager for Radio Soleil is Hubert Mesidor, a young Salesian Brother (wrongly reported in some media as a Salesian priest). As mentioned in the EAO Blog, I was with Hubert some months ago in Quito and jokingly called him a 'delinquent' when after my mentioning that through use of Free Software I had saved the Congregation thousands, he shot back immediately that so had he - with another kind of 'free' software!! Now he is welcome to any kind of software he can lay his hands on, as far as I am concerned. I am just grateful that he is alive. Radio Soleil has played a crucial role in Haiti, as witnessed by the fact that the dictator Duvalier closed it down several times. He went, in due course, while Radio Soleil survived. Will it now rise from the rubble? Certainly. It is estimated that some dozen crucial local radio stations were destroyed in the earthquake, but they have played and will need to be reconstructed to continue to play, a supportive role for Haiti's suffering people. And quite possibly Salesian communications enterprises around the world are amongst those who will help come to their rescue? That's a question not a statement. Audiovisuales Don Bosco, Quito, had already played a role in conjunction with Radio and Télé Soleil prior to the earthquake in raising awareness in Haiti; possibly they are looking at what they can do now.
A prominent Salesian friend and 'fellow traveller' also died in the earthquake - Mrs Zilda Arns, founder of 'Pastoral da criança' in Brazil and champion of children's rights was on a brief mission in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and did not survive. She was the opening speaker at the Chiang Mai SIGNIS Conference last year. Her loss will be sorely felt worldwide.
But let's shift our gaze now to our own Region and congratulate another developing communications exercise which is gaining plaudits. I quote from a letter received in SIHANOUKVILLE:
"I must congratulate the hierarchy of Don Bosco [the reference is to the DB Tech in Sihanoukville] for being so aware of the critical importance in 3rd world countries of quality teaching of Computer & Web based skills today! This is the future of the whole global world and for Cambodians to be left behind, indeed would set them back as much as the Khmer Rouge did. Congratulations are certainly due to you!
It is good to see mechanical & welding skills etc being taught, but they will only offer work at a lower socio economic standard. Exposing as many students as possible to Computer and Web based education and technology, truly offers students a giant leap out of poverty and into the 21st Century and will enable the whole of Cambodia to make huge advances in a far shorter timeframe.
Don Bosco schools are known the world over for their amazing work in bringing current education to many underprivileged students but Sihanouk Ville appears to be leading the front in this critical educational advance".
The comment is from a happy customer of DB's web services. She is from the ODA (Orphans and Disbaled Arts Association( Siem Reap, Cambodia). DB designed their web page for them. She concludes by saying "My congratulations to your wonderful forward-thinking school. It is indeed an educational facility of the future for the lucky Cambodian students to attend your Social Communication Dept. facilities".
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
