Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SIGNIS ALC). Students of the Laudato Si’ post-graduate programme held their first documentary screening called “EcoFilm Laudato Sí” as part of their final project of the teacher training.
The initiative was made possible with the support of Ana Bélgica Güichardo, founding member of SIGNIS in the Dominican Republic, former president of SIGNIS ALC and director of the School of Communication of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM).
The event showcased the documentary Herederos de nada (Heirs of nothing) by filmmaker and PUCMM graduate Isabella Bretón on the reality of life in the rubbish dumps of Greater Santo Domingo which was followed by a discussion on ecological awareness.
Ana Bélgica Güichardo took part in the debate and reflected on the value of Pope Francis’ message and the care for the environment:
“We have a commitment to rescue and care for our world and, above all, to take actions that will lead us on the path to the conservation of our planet Earth,” she said. “Little by little, we have to create awareness, and we must make known the reality of the landfills of our country. We have to understand the dynamics and the state of vulnerability that exists there. Therefore, we must participate in activities like this that promote ecological awareness”.
The post-graduate programme in spirituality and pastoral communication with an ecological perspective is the fruit of a collaboration between SIGNIS ALC, SIGNIS Venezuela, the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB) and the Institute for Religious Theology (ITER), with the mission to train students with ecological awareness, so that they, in turn, are multipliers of the care of our common home: the Earth.
