Ecological Event at Salesian Technical School, Tainan, Taiwan

Following is a report of an ecological event held by Salesian Technical School, Tainan, Taiwan - 

On the day of 2024.04.03, a total of 32 teachers and students from Hong Kong Catholic Sisters Siu Ming Secondary School, led by Sister Ong, visited the school for the "Taiwan Conservation Spirituality Experience Tour".

The principal of our school, Chen Suzhen, and the auxiliary director, Father Ruan Guoxuan, led the Salesian Youth Association students to receive the distinguished guests. The principals have always encouraged the students of the two schools. We are both schools under the Salesian Order. We are like a big family and have a brotherhood and sisterhood. We hope that through exchanges of different cultures and educational backgrounds, we can bring more enlightenment to today's "Environmental Education Journey". Give each other different experiences and learning.

The purpose of this trip is to respond to the call of the Encyclical Laudato Si' issued by Pope Francis in 2015 and the "Laudato Si' Action Platform" started in May 2021, inviting us to use a holistic ecological approach. Ethos, committed in different ways to actions that move our groups towards fully sustainable development.

It also responds to the theme of the 2024 Salesian Mission Day: "Care for God's Creation: Our Mission", creating a platform for exchanges and giving students from the two schools the opportunity to have dialogue on environmental conservation.

At the beginning of the event, Sister Ong introduced Pope Francis' "Laudato Si'" and the Laudato Si’ action platform. The sister guided the teachers and students present to be good "ecological citizens": through education and learning, to change our Lifestyle and responsibility for environmental protection. For example: avoid using plastic and paper, reduce water use, sort garbage, care for other living things…

Then Li Shu, the head of the physical health team of our school, introduced the current situation of environmental protection in Taiwan and Salesian Industry and Commerce, and introduced Taiwan’s measures to keep garbage out of the ground and resource recycling. Students from our school were also invited to demonstrate garbage recycling and classification. It also explains in practical actions how everyone in Taiwan can practice environmental protection and love the earth in their daily lives, such as: carrying environmentally friendly tableware with them, using environmentally friendly bags instead of plastic bags and paper bags to reduce excessive packaging of goods…

Then, students from both schools worked together in groups to discuss and report on two environmental issues: 1. Is it difficult to implement resource recycling where you live? Why? 2. What am I willing to do in order to protect our common home? At the beginning of the discussion, our Salesian students took the initiative to lead our team members in a dialogue. In the process, we understood and accepted the differences between different cultures, learned each other's strengths, and improved our shortcomings. Through the excitement of dialogue and reports, Improve each other!

Our school is a member of Don Bosco Green Alliance.