Adriana Bolaños: “Fraternity means being there for others”

The Lasallian Reflection 12, proposed for the period 2026–2027, focuses on the necessity to build a fraternal world, and it is precisely on the subject of the value of fraternity that we have spoken with Adriana Bolaños in LaSalleOrg Interviews.

Adriana is Mexican; she is a member of the International Council for Association and Lasallian Educational Mission (CIAMEL) and is one of the authors of Lasallian Reflection No. 12, alongside Brother Rafael Cerón.

When asked what fraternity means, Adriana explains that “fraternity is the recognition of the other person. It is seeing each person we encounter for who they are and what they can become. It is always recognising their dignity and standing up for it. It is also a gaze that reaches deep within, from the very core of who the person is, so that we can walk alongside them on their journey (…). Thus, fraternity is being and standing with the other person, for the sake of others”.

In the field of education, Lasallian Reflection addresses the Pedagogy of Fraternity, which, in Adriana’s words, suggests “a style of close relationships that spark a dynamic of growth, and that lead us to seek, for example, to create peaceful environments where people feel seen, heard and taken into account”.

This close and affectionate relationship enables us to foster paths and environments of freedom that help shape people. “The Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission already stated,” comments Adriana, “that they become agents who educate.” And “that is the Pedagogy of Fraternity: that our relationships foster the growth of the other person.”

It is, therefore, about relationships that transcend and generate momentum for growth. And “that opens us up to solidarity,” notes Adriana, as “it opens us up to seeking ways to participate in transforming society; it opens us up to creating networks where we can make a difference”. In this way, “instead of indifference, instead of the throwaway culture, we build community; we build deep relationships where I learn to listen to and see other people, in their different realities. And so, I seek ways to improve the world in which we find ourselves”.

Thus, Lasallian Reflection No. 12 not only reminds us of the centrality of fraternity in the Lasallian educational mission, but also invites us to live it out and to share the wide variety of experiences taking place in the various Lasallian works. “And that is also an invitation we wish to extend through this document,” asserts Adriana, “that you share with us all those experiences lived out in your communities, in the institutions, and in Lasallian works throughout the world, and that you show us examples of the pedagogy of fraternity.”

“I believe the starting point is to establish communities where deep relationships, respect and active listening thrive, where those shared experiences are created which then inspire us to want to enable many more people to experience these safe, harmonious environments, where individuals can flourish, find spaces of security and happiness, and ultimately discover the meaning of their lives,” concludes Adriana Bolaños.