Salesians for Social: National Network Relaunches Commitment to Social Justice in Naples
Naples, June 10, 2026 – The 2026 national assembly of Salesians for Social, held at the “Don Bosco” Institute in Naples from June 5 to 7, has concluded, marking a renewed commitment to social justice and the support of vulnerable youth. The event, themed “Whoever loves, educates: Educating for social justice,” brought together hundreds of participants from across Italy for a significant period of discussion, discernment, and shared responsibility for the future of the Salesian social mission.
Programmatic Document and Financial Statements Approved
During the assembly, the 2026-2029 Programmatic Document was approved with an overwhelming majority, alongside the 2025 Social Report and the 2025 Financial Statement.
“The national assembly concludes with a result that goes beyond the voting figures. The almost unanimous approval of the documents expresses a shared vision and a strong assumption of responsibility,” stated Don Francesco Preite, National President of Salesians for Social. “From Naples, we restart more united, aware that educating for social justice means building together opportunities, rights, and a future for the most fragile young people. A network that chooses to walk together is a network capable of generating change.”
A Network Choosing to Walk Together
The assembly commenced with a testimony from Alice, a member of the Salesians for Social Youth Forum, who shared her personal growth journey stemming from her Civil Service experience. Her speech highlighted the value of educational communities capable of welcoming, listening to, and empowering young people. The presence of young men and women from the Youth Forum, representing various Italian regions, served as a concrete sign of participation, active citizenship, and shared responsibility. Many of them, after completing their Civil Service, chose to continue their involvement in the network as volunteers, remaining key figures alongside minors and their more vulnerable peers.
Following this, institutional greetings were extended by Don Gianpaolo Roma, Superior of the Southern Italy Province (IME); Don Giuseppe Russo, Territorial President of “Salesians for Social – Southern Italy”; and Don Elio Cesari, Director of the National Center for Salesian Works (CNOS). Don Giorgio de Giorgi, the appointed Provincial of the Special Circumscription of Piedmont and Aosta Valley, also conveyed his greetings to the assembly. Their interventions underscored the value of Salesian education as a concrete response to new social fragilities and a fundamental contribution to building the common good through the promotion of rights, participation, and inclusion of younger generations.
The report by the National President of Salesians for Social strongly reiterated the essence of the assembly’s theme, “Whoever loves, educates: Educating for social justice.” Today, educating means standing with the most vulnerable young people, understanding the causes of inequalities, and contributing to their transformation. The report reaffirmed the identity of Salesians for Social as an APS associative network: a collective entity called to represent territories, coordinate experiences, promote development, and influence social and educational policies. In line with Don Bosco’s Preventive System, the Network is called to increasingly move from being together to acting as one, making education an evangelical, social, and public choice.
In addition to the plenary sessions, ample space was dedicated to discussions among participants through working groups, dialogues, and interventions, allowing for the sharing of experiences, best practices, and future perspectives. Particularly significant was the guided visit to the “Don Bosco” work in Naples, accompanied by Director Don Fabio Bellino, an opportunity to gain firsthand insight into a reality that continues to serve as an educational and social stronghold for the territory.
A Story of Hope from the Sanità District
One of the most impactful moments of the assembly was the visit to the Catacombs of San Gaudioso and the Sanità district, accompanied by a meeting with Don Antonio Loffredo. The experience of the work in Sanità offered a concrete testament to how fragility, marginalization, and degradation can be transformed into opportunities for development, culture, work, and youth protagonism through the direct involvement of communities and new generations.
The concluding Eucharist, presided over by Don Silvio Zanchetta, Superior of the North-East Italy Province (INE) and Delegate for the Conference of Salesian Provincials of Italy (CISI), entrusted the network’s journey to the light of the Gospel and Don Bosco’s educational charism.
Belonging, Sustainability, and Social Justice
In the assembly’s conclusions, Don Preite presented the network with three key words that will guide its path in the coming years: belonging, sustainability, and social justice: “We have chosen to be a network that does not limit itself to managing services, but wants to be an educational presence, a public voice, and a social alliance in favor of the most fragile young people. A network capable of combining Salesian charism, rights, participation, and the common good, within the framework of the Italian Constitution and the challenges of our time.”
Don Bosco’s Dream Continues
The entire assembly was underpinned by a strong reference to Don Bosco’s charism and the Preventive System, reinterpreted today as a proposal for social justice and a concrete response to educational and social inequalities.
From Naples, the associative network restarts with a renewed responsibility: to transform shared words into concrete choices, approved documents into actions, and built alliances into real opportunities for the most vulnerable young people. Because, today as in Don Bosco’s time, educating means generating hope, dignity, and a future.
Source: https://www.infoans.org/sezioni/notizie/item/28313-italia-salesiani-per-il-sociale-da-napoli-riparte-il-cammino-della-rete-nazionale
