From 6 to 10 October 2025, at the Generalate in Rome, a group of about 50 RELEM Directors met for an ASSEDIL-RELEM event, described by the participants as “a very enriching experience, both professionally and personally”.
The organisation, the time for relationships and the teamwork allowed for the exploration of several very interesting topics from the perspective of Lasallian leaders.
Each morning the working sessions began with a prayer in the three languages of the Institute, led by the different Districts.
On Monday 6 October, after a welcome from Brother Santiago Rodríguez, Director of the Generalate, and Ms Marta Martínez, President of ASSEDIL, the formative programme began with an opportunity for participants to get to know one another and learn about the dynamics of both the Region (RELEM) and ASSEDIL. After sharing lunch, a tour around the Generalate allowed participants to see the most significant places, such as the library and the archives of the Institute, as well as the Sanctuary where the relics of the Founder are kept. At the end of the first day, Brother Joël Palud, General Councillor, shared his experience and outlined the challenges for the coming years in the international dimension of the Region. This was followed by the ‘District Fair’ to learn about the realities that enrich and complement the Lasallian environment.
On Tuesday, 7 October, Brother Paco Chiva, Auxiliary Visitor of the Arlep District, in a very pleasant and direct manner, led the reflection on the Lasallian identity of the works in terms of faith, service and fraternity. In the afternoon of the same day, Brother Enrico Muller illustrated the social work of Scampia (Naples) with the contribution of Laura Ballerini and Eleonora Munaretto from the La Salle Foundation team.
The morning of Wednesday, 8 October, was led by Ms Joke Maex, Director of PB VLP (Flemish Lasallian Perspective), who spoke about how Lasallian leadership can be the window that opens towards “the establishment of an explicit community”.
Thursday was the turn of the Arlep District, with Ms Sandra Espadas and Ms Ángela Monzo, who shared the pedagogical and pastoral framework of NCA (acronym for Nuevo Contexto de Aprendizaje – “New Learning Context”).**
In the afternoon, there was a meeting with Mr. Mourad Barsoum, Director of the Office for Vocations and Volunteer Ministry, with the aim of learning more about the international youth volunteer movement. The day concluded with Mr. Gabriel Andrei, treasurer of ASSEDIL, who spoke about the characteristics of Lasallian works, “those distinctive signs that must be present in our educational works and in our Lasallian DNA”. The day and the Roman experience ended with the celebration of the Eucharist, followed by dinner and a meeting with the Brothers’ Community of the House.
Friday 10, the last day of work, was dedicated to small group activities at the end of the week’s training programme, both on a personal level and with regard to the mission of leadership in the centres.
Ms. Sabina Llavero from La Salle Figueres (Girona, Spain) describes her experience in Rome as “very rewarding both professionally and personally. I had the opportunity to meet great professionals and learn about other Lasallian centres in Europe and the Middle East, which enriched my vision of the Institute. These ASSEDIL formative programmes are very relevant for strengthening Lasallian identity, promoting shared leadership and consolidating the educational mission in all the centres of the RELEM Region”. “ASSEDIL”, Sabina continues, “is a space for dialogue, formation and collaboration among school leaders, which allows us to face the challenges of the future, promote fraternity among institutions and ensure pedagogical coherence”.
Her words are followed by those of Ms. Silvia Martí, La Salle Cassà de la Selva (Girona-Spain), who, reiterating the great usefulness of the ASSEDIL-RELEM formative programme for Directors of Lasallian schools, expresses her satisfaction with the presentation of the NCA (Nuevo Contexto de Aprendizaje) to those territories that are not part of the Arlep District. “We reflected on solidarity and Lasallian pedagogy in the current context and shared experiences with school leaders from different countries, promoting the international dimension of the mission”.
“Seeking synergies between districts and sharing the different realities of a Region enriches us and allows us to open up new perspectives to continue giving continuity to the Lasallian mission upon returning to our respective works”, declares Marta Martínez, president of ASSEDIL. “La Salle’s commitment as an institution to the training and support of its educators at different levels of leadership continues to be very much alive, three hundred years after our foundation”.
ASSEDIL (European Association of Directors of Lasallian Institutions) brings together the Directors of educational centres run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (La Salle) in Europe and the Middle East (a Region known as RELEM – Lasallian Europe-Mediterranean Region). The Association offers training programmes and opportunities for Lasallian leaders to deepen their understanding of the identity, charism and current challenges of the Lasallian Educational Mission at the leadership and management level. It also promotes collaboration and the exchange of good practices between the different districts and countries of the RELEM Region.
** This is an innovative pedagogical and pastoral framework developed by the schools of La Salle (Brothers of the Christian Schools), particularly in the Arlep District (Spain and Portugal), but adopted by many Lasallian centres in response to the needs of contemporary schools. The NCA is not just a change in methodology, but a new way of conceiving education and learning.