AMERICA/MEXICO - How to offer cultural attractions to the young and push them away from danger

Ciudad Juarez (Agenzia Fides) – To offer cultural attractions for the young and push them away from very common dangerous situations in Ciudad Juarez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, is the goal of the project "Cultural Corridor Don Bosco", which recently inaugurated Bosco Cinema in one of three oratories of the Salesians in the city, on the border with the United States, where the Salesians have been engaged for over twenty years. Founded as a civil association "Desarrollo Juvenil del Norte," the organization has so far developed various programs to strengthen the activities before the reality of violence and disintegration of social fabric that relate directly to many adolescents and youth of the city. A note from ANS, sent to Fides, highlights the seriousness of the lack of significant places and socio-cultural alternatives. For this reason, the Salesian community wanted to start, including the activities of the oratory, a further service to the benefit of young people: a cinema which hosts numerous activities, among them the educational support for neighboring schools, shows, film festivals, and pure entertainment . Bosco Cinema is added to other initiatives offered by the "Don Bosco Cultural Corridor", a project which includes an art gallery, an open forum for concerts and artistic activities, and a library; all activities organized and administered by the youth of the oratory . At the opening ceremony and blessing of the sites, the first film was screened, followed by an art exhibition where more than 70 works in acrylic were exposed, a theater show, performances by acrobats and some folk dances. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 11/4/2012)