Matters India Reporter
Mumbai, August 16, 2025: The Don Bosco Research Centre (DBRC), Mumbai, inaugurated its newly revamped website, signaling a renewed commitment to research, advocacy, and service within the Salesian mission, August 13, 2025.
The modest yet meaningful ceremony was presided over by Provincial Fr Savio Silveira, joined by Provincial Designate Fr Ashley Miranda, Vice Provincial Fr Robert Pen, Provincial Economer Fr Gregory D’Almeida, Provincial Councillors Frs Michael Bansode, Barnabe D’Souza, Blany Pinto, Flovi D’Souza, and Provincial Secretary Fr Vinod Mascarenhas.
Welcoming the gathering, newly appointed DBRC Director Fr Dr Peter Gonsalves underscored the transformative power of research. “Research is the foundation of informed decision-making, innovation, and social progress,” he said. “Without it, policies risk being shaped by assumptions or stereotypes. Honest research provides concrete evidence that enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of our projects.”
Fr Gonsalves paid tribute to the pioneering work of his predecessors, particularly Fr Barnabe D’Souza, who since 1998 has led extensive research on children at risk—producing training materials for educators and publishing with leading academic houses such as SAGE. He emphasized that such research plays a vital role in identifying and addressing systemic issues like poverty, abuse, and displacement.
He also highlighted DBRC’s expanding research spectrum, acknowledging the contributions of Fr Ajoy and his team in educational psychology since 2015. Their studies on the socio-economic conditions of migrant construction workers’ children have helped shape more inclusive educational practices. Fr Gonsalves further noted the importance of Salesian history research, led by Fr Valerian, as a living source of inspiration for the mission, quoting Martin Luther King Jr.: “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
A distinguished scholar and peace educator, Dr Gonsalves brings to DBRC a rich legacy of academic and social research. Former Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, he has authored seminal works on Gandhian communication, peace education, and Don Bosco’s pedagogical method. His trilogy on Gandhi’s sartorial symbolism—Clothing for Liberation, Khadi: Gandhi’s Mega Symbol of Subversion, and Half-Naked Fakir—has been widely acclaimed for its interdisciplinary depth and cultural insight. He has also served as a consultor to the Vatican Dicastery for Communications and is recognized internationally for his contributions to media education and nonviolent advocacy.
The new website, now integrated under the Province domain sdbinb.in, seeks to unify the Salesian identity and make DBRC’s work more accessible to a wider audience. Fr Gonsalves expressed gratitude to Fr Cleophas Braganza for maintaining the earlier site and to Fr Silveira for entrusting him with the Centre’s leadership.
Launching the site, Fr Silveira reflected on the evolving Salesian role in education. “We are often seen as administrators of schools, but not as educationists who create new pathways. DBRC’s focus on reflection and research moves us towards that vision,” he said, commending the expansion of the research team to four specialists.
With the ceremonial “magic button” pressed, the new DBRC website went live—a digital gateway dedicated to fostering dignity, advancing education, and protecting the most vulnerable.