Carpe Diem for May: When little things of life make a big difference

Sr. Celine D’Cunha shares with us the Carpe Diem series for the month of May: “When little things of life make a big difference”.

It has the following contents:

1. Little things can have tremendous consequences
2. Real Greatness – Fidelity to little things
3. Small things that make a big difference
4. Take care of little things and make life worth living

Carpe Diem is published by Don Bosco University. It is a collection of reflections on topics that are relevant to university students. Sr. Celine D’Cunha, FMA, Campus Minister of DBU is responsible for this publication.

To download the text:  Carpe Diem May 2012

“Racconta la solidarietà”: i giovani e il volontariato

Il portale www.cogitoetvolo.it promuove un concorso nazionale

ROMA, giovedì, 17 maggio 2012 (ZENIT.org) – Il portale per teenagers www.cogitoetvolo.it, in collaborazione con la Fondazione Angelo Affinita Onlus e l’Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria (ICU) promuove un concorso nazionale dal titolo Racconta la solidarietà.

Il concorso si rivolge a giovani italiani maggiorenni che non abbiano compiuto 28 anni alla data di scadenza del bando. La partecipazione è gratuita. Ogni concorrente dovrà presentare un lavoro che tenga conto della seguente traccia:

“Camminavo immerso nella mia giornata, mi hai visto, ti ho guardato… e mi hai preso per mano” Essere giovani volontari oggi. Raccontaci storie, volti ed immagini che ti hanno spinto ad impegnarti nel mondo del volontariato. Le motivazioni, le sfide, gli strumenti, il cambiamento in te ed intorno a te.

E’ possibile partecipare con una di queste tre tipologie di elaborati:

Racconto: il racconto deve avere una lunghezza compresa tra le 30.000 e le 40.000 battute (spazi inclusi). Il soggetto può essere di fantasia oppure il resoconto di un’esperienza vissuta.

Saggio: il saggio deve avere una lunghezza compresa tra le 30.000 e le 40.000 battute (spazi inclusi).

Video: il video deve avere una durata compresa tra i 5 e i 10 minuti ed avere una struttura narrativa (non verranno prese in considerazione presentazioni di fotografie con musica).

Gli elaborati dovranno pervenire entro il 31 maggio 2012.

Ciascuno dei quattro migliori lavori (indipendentemente dalla tipologia) verrà premiato con una borsa di studiovolta a coprire il costo, fino a un massimo di 1.000 euro, per la partecipazione a uno dei seguenti progetti di cooperazione promossi dall’Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria (ICU) per l’estate 2012, in co-finanziamento con la Fondazione Angelo Affinita ONLUS:

- Nicaragua Work Camp 2012 – dal 24 luglio al 14 agosto

- Perù, Work Camp 2012 – dal 30 luglio al 16 agosto

- Kenya, Work Camp 2012 – dal 28 luglio al 15 agosto

I vincitori dovranno produrre un report(fotografico, video, narrativo) relativo all’esperienza estiva. I 10 i lavori migliori verranno premiati ed esposti nel corso di un evento finaleoltre ad essere pubblicati sul portale di Cogitoetvolo e sul sito internet della Fondazione Angelo Affinita ONLUS.

Il bando completo è disponibile al seguente indirizzo:
http://cogitoetvolo.it/racconta-la-solidarieta-i-premio-nazionale/

 

Work-family balance benefits families and society at large, says Ban

15 May 2012 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has highlighted the need for work-family balance for the benefit of families and society at large, adding that while flexible working arrangements are becoming more widely available, there is much room for improvement.

“We need to respond to the ever-changing complexities of work and family life,” Mr. Ban said in a message to mark the International Day of Families, observed annually on 15 May. “The aim is to help workers everywhere provide for their families financially and emotionally, while also contributing to the socio-economic development of their societies.”

The UN chief noted that current trends underscore the growing importance of work-family policies. These include greater participation by women in the labour market, and growing urbanization and mobility in search for jobs.

“As families become smaller and generations live apart, extended kin are less available to offer care, and employed parents face rising challenges,” he said.

A number of countries offer generous leave provisions for mothers and fathers, noted Mr. Ban. Many more, however, extend few comprehensive benefits in line with international standards, he added, noting that paternity leave provisions are still rare in the majority of developing countries.

Mr. Ban welcomed the establishment of family-friendly workplaces through parental leave provisions, flexible working arrangements and better childcare, saying that such policies and programmes are critical to enhancing the work-family balance. In addition, these actions can also lead to better working conditions, greater employee health and productivity, and a more concerted focus on gender equality.

“Work-family balance policies demonstrate both a government’s commitment to the well-being of families and the private sector’s commitment to social responsibility,” he said.

At the same time, he highlighted that while flexible working arrangements, including staggered working hours, compressed work schedules or telecommuting, are becoming more widely available, there is much room for improvement everywhere.

“I am committed to this in our own Organization, where we are currently looking at our own arrangements, and seeing what we can do better,” said Mr. Ban.

http://www.un.org

World leaders rediscover message of “Pacem in Terris” encyclical

May 2, 2012. (Romereports.com) Fifty years ago, Pope John XXIII published  an encyclical titled “Pacem in Terris,” meaning “Peace on Earth.” But now, decades later, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences discussed why its message is still relevant.

MARGARET ARCHER
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Professor (UK)
“While we have had economics of liberty, politics of equality, fraternity has been forgotten. It has almost fallen off the agenda.”

The encyclical called on all people to re-asses their economic, political and cultural structures. In fact, the encyclical broke ground, by calling on ‘people of good will,’ regardless of their ideological or religious divisions to promote the common good.

MONS. ROLAND MINNERATH
Archbishop of Dijon (France)
“Human beings are the element, the one principal that develop the foundation for  a true social order.”

Now that the world is facing a wide spread economic crisis, the issue of having a ‘global world authority’ was also discussed.

MARGARET ARCHER
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Professor (UK)
“When people hear the words, literally, the two words, ‘global authority,’ they decode it as ‘world government.’ And no, this is not what we’re talking about. The United Nations might be the best model we’ve got, but it’s not the model for future governments.”

To discuss the issue even further, the Academy of Social Sciences is currently planning a workshop,  to evaluate the concept of governance and so called ‘global solidarity.’

III Forum MGS IC – Loreto 2012

http://www.spaziomgs.it/mgsforum/