The festival strives to embrace, encourage and empower every young person to become the voice of hope and solidarity.

"You, young people, are the architects of the future, signs of hope. And we have great hope in all of you. With you, we want to dream and build a better tomorrow," said Salesians head, Fr Angel Fernandex Artime to potential paricipants.

"With your creativity, you can truly help to change the world. I invite you, come and participate in this festival of short films. This is your festival, come and let us move the world with hope," he said.

Conceived in December 2020 and premiering last week, the first annual Don Bosco Global Film Festival received 1,686 short film submissions from 116 countries.

Chosen by an international jury, the best films were streamed last week in 135 different countries.

The film festival sought short film submissions from filmmakers aged 15 to 30. The films could be in any genre within five categories: One-Minute Short Films, 10-Minute Short Films, One-Minute Animated Shorts, 10-Minute Shorts and Music Videos.

Entrants competed for the top spots in all five categories, which awarded prizes amounting to 100,000 euros. A diverse jury of professional filmmakers from around the world was lined up to judge the films.

In addition, films were awarded cash prizes in categories such as global bests, continental bests and category bests - such as narrative, screenplay, sound design and editing.

In addition, there were individual awards for best actor and actress, best writer and best director.

The festival was organized by the Salesians of Don Bosco, whose aim was to create "a world-class film festival platform to showcase ... young creative filmmaking talents."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Salesian Institutions of Higher Education

Samoa's Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture closed Avele College in Apia on Friday for the protection and security of its students.

The St Joseph's Day sports at St Joseph's College were cancelled to send a message to students that the behaviour at the brawl is unacceptable.

The director of Catholic education in Samoa, Aeau Chris Hazelman, met Don Bosco's principal and other senior officers of the schools to devise a way forward.

On Wednesday, Samoan police arrested three students and more arrests were made on Thursday.

This followed further brawling at the bus terminal behind the burnt flea market at Savalalo.

Mr Hazelman issued an apology to the whole Samoan nation.

Speaking on behalf of the Catholic schools involved, he said there is no excuse for the students' behaviour.

"We have decided to let the law carry its course and we will support the police in their investigation," he said.

Police reported that students with links to the violence used social media sites like Facebook to post videos and pictures.

Mr Hazelman asked parents to more closely monitor social media activity by their children.

Late last year, police in Samoa were called on to intervene after ongoing fights between school students at the Tafusi Markets.

Three years ago, an increasing number of brawls and student fights prompted the Samoan Ministry of Education to push Bible studies in public schools as a counter measure.

Sources

• Radio New Zealand
• Radio New Zealand
• Radio New Zealand
• Samoa Observer
• Image: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi said the College has contributed well to developing the students' confidence, skills and capability in areas like Samoan dancing.

He said it had provided champion rowers in the annual long boats - fautasi races that has had tourists' interest in Samoan culture.

The College was established in 1981 as a vocationally oriented training centre that aims to give students work-related skills useful for both employment and for improving living conditions in the villages.

Don Bosco Technical Centre offers a "second chance" to about 270 young men, many of whom have struggled to successfully complete or continue in mainstream schooling.

The Samoan government has a partnership with Don Bosco to improve their classroom work, skills and knowledge on technical subjects.

Source

• Talamua
• Salesians.org
• donboscosamoa
• Image: Salesiannews.org.au

Director of Catholic Education, Aeau Chris Hazelman, said the students were involved in some misconduct in the previous week and had been sent home by the principal, Sr Monica Vaipuna. And the Principal is reportedly sticking to her guns.

She did not accept the traditional presentation and instead reaffirmed to the students "they were under suspension for a week."

Samoan culture has strict ways of showing respect to one another, and the ifoga (pronounced ee-FONG-ah) is perhaps the best example of atoning for one's wrongdoing. The ifoga is a ritual apology where the offending party demonstrates remorse by begging for forgiveness.

Before dawn, the guilty party arrives at the home of the person whom he has offended and kneels outside the home. An important part of the ifoga is the fine mat, or 'ie toga, considered of the highest value in Samoan culture, 'Ie toga (ee-ah TONG-ah) are woven with pandanus leaves and take months, if not years, to complete. Fine mats represent the wealth of the weavers' community and are presented as gifts. 'Ie toga are so labor-intensive that they will never be used on the floor. Once those receiving ifoga have forgiven the guilty party, they accept the 'ie toga as a symbol of the atonement and forgiveness. Regardless of any legal action taken by a court, the ifoga remains an essential part of Samoan culture as a demonstration of sincere remorse and respect.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Seacology Blog
• Image: Tai Awatea

Prefects at Don Bosco, a Catholic technical institution, finished a six-day suspension on Friday after an assault on a fellow student last week for which they all claimed responsibility.

Nearly all of the school's Year Four, 35 students, walked out in protest at the punishment handed to the prefects and they too were given suspensions of six days.

Aeau Chris Hazelman says the link between bullying and inter-school brawls in public places was identified several years ago and is why bullies are dealt with more harshly now.

He says class leaders in Catholic schools are told that under no circumstances are they to lay a hand on students and suspension or expulsion are the penalities for bullying.

Don Bosco Technical Centre is a Catholic technical school offering technical education and vocation training for 350 young men aged 16 - 20 years . The Centre, which is situated on the outskirts of Apia, the capital of Samoa, caters for students who have not previously experienced educational success, providing the opportunity for them to learn a trade through ‘hands-on' experience.

Source

• Radio New Zealand International
• Salesians of Don Bosco
• Image: Screenshot from YouTube