austraLasia
1487
PNG adds new
dimension to Delegation life
PORT MORESBY:
13th March 2006 -- Not content to work in 3D, the PNG-SI Delegation is
adopting 4D in a novel approach to the 'catch-up' process of future planning:
drawing up an integrated delegation plan, formation directory, province
directory.... though 'catch-up' is not quite fair. It is only in quite recent
times that Solomon Islands was added into the Salesian Melanesian mix; that the
Delegation has really seen itself as moving to the point where it could
legitimately petition the next and inevitable step - Vice Province. All
this is the background to the so-called 4D process for the Extraordinary
Assembly of Confreres planned for July: Discover, Dream, Design, Destiny.
That's 4D
PNG is no stranger to jungles, and you could
believe, for a moment that you were amidst a jungle of acronyms at first glance
on the 'Journey Together - Discussion Papers' provided by the Assembly Chairman,
Fr Alfred Maravilla. The process, after all, involves AI, SAID and 4-D to
arrive at IDP and SEPP at an EAC. But we already know - or should - what
SEPP is, and IDP is a rather sensible English rendition of the animal Italian
calls POI or Piano Organico Ispettoriale, Integrated Delegation Plan, for
PNG. And there is nothing artificial about the intelligence behind the AI
approach, for indeed it means 'Appreciative Inquiry', a positive approach to
change focusing on probing the Delegation's best attributes and practices.
AI pays attention to what is working well, to qualities of leadership. It
is something that not only fits in with the 'does not give way to
discouragement' line of C. 17, but centres on fundamental values of life,
community and relations - everything a Melanesian heart
desires!
The 'discussion papers' run to 55 pages, the
early pages describing the AI approach, the overall 4D design that should result
in the Delegation's forward planning, and SAID. SAID is where it is really all
done! The confreres in each community 'Share, Appreciate, Inquire and
Discuss' in the process of sharing their own story, exploring life experiences
as a community, identifying the core sources of life (principles) over a range
of set topics.
If it all sounds almost too
optimistic, then note that Fr Maravilla draws the confreres' attention to
precisely this. If the process works well, then they have to confront what
was not life-giving in the past, or now, and see what needs to be done.
Vision and Mission, Fraternal life, Animation and Government, the Evangelical
counsels in a Melanesian context x 3, Salesian Family, Vocation promotion to
Salesian life - Brothers and Priests, Initial formation, Ongoing formation,
Formation of laity, Youth, Education and evangelisation, Review of apostolates,
Communion with the local church...after 15 solid topics of the kind it will be
time to say "yupela wet pastaim!", or "just hang on a tick (and get it all
together)".
There is little doubt that the preparation for
this Assembly has been extremely thorough. We look forward to hearing of
the Assembly itself in July, which will actually be in three parts: an assembly
of all confreres from the Delegation, the celebration of Delegation Day, and the
EAC or Extraordinary Assembly of Confreres which is in fact a Chapter,
juridically speaking. We look forward to hearing more of
it.
______________________________
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