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By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC
A Summer School on “Communication and Religion” jointly organized by WACC, the Institute of Christian Communication of the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremburg, Germany and the Ecumenical Institute Bossey of the World Council of Churches (WCC) concluded with students praising the program for its diversity and depth.
The Summer school, held at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland, 1-14 August 2011, was attended by 17 students from Armenia, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Nevis, Sri Lanka and Ukraine. WACC sponsored a number of the students to attend.
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| Summer school participants at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. |
The program focused on communication and media theories, oral, textual and visual cultures, public theology and religious rights, challenges facing inter-faith dialogue, and media and fundamentalism as well as media ethics. Among teachers were WACC General Secretary, the Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, Deputy Director of Programmes, Philip Lee and WACC-Asia President, Dr. Sam Meshack.
WACC interviewed some of the students who shared the following experiences and impressions about the program:
Christina Gigowski from Germany, a Masters student of media, religion and ethics from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg:
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“The Bossey program fitted perfectly well with my university curriculum. We had a very interesting session on human rights where we heard about violations of human rights in different countries and how the church and the media can respond and proclaim a more just world. We also had an interesting session with Dr. Sam Meshack about Christian mission, an interesting perspective which is unknown in Germany. |
| Christina Gigowski - Germany |
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“It was really interesting to interact with people from different countries and different faiths and also to get to know organizations such as WACC which I did not know before. The program was also great because we connected - we exchanged emails and we are also connected on Facebook and I look forward to keeping in touch with the rest of the students.
“I also want to thank WACC for being part of the organizers. It is really worth organizing such a seminar in the future”
Avanka Fernando from Sri Lanka, a visiting lecturer in the University of Colombo and a consultant for Innovative-E and social researcher in CDRI (Centre for Development Research and Interventions). She is doing a Masters in Philosophy degree in Sociology and also studying Theology:
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“Interacting with other students from different cultures was special because we learnt a lot from each other especially different communication systems in our cultures. We also explored the problems individuals undergo in relation to communication and shared our experiences of local religious ceremonies.
“The lectures were invigorating and presented the key theories of communication, ecumenical and theological reasoning behind communication. Current issues of religious fundamentalism, reporting of poverty and social issues, televangelism, religious ceremonies and media ethics were among the fascinating topics up for discussion. Most interesting was the diversity of approaches in communication and the insights into different cultural contexts and experiences of communication.
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| Avanka Fernando - Sri Lanka |
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“For the assessments, we each had to research a topic related to communication. My topic led me to analyze the importance of interpreting mission in relation to communication. I based my thesis on the WACC Christian Communication principles and analyzed the need for such communication in the Sri Lankan context.
“I learnt that in a society, where communication is characterized by power, political mind games and a lacuna of truth, the idea that communication is the initiative of God is a refreshing thought and leads us to transform the flawed concept of communication so that we may fulfill the mission of God.
“The program experience was indeed memorable and I am grateful to the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, WACC and University of Erlangen, Nuremberg for their collaborative effort and the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women, my funding agency for giving me the opportunity to experience communication and religion.
“As Christian communication in Sri Lanka is still limited to occasions like Christmas and other special services, I was able to understand the potential for communication in mission work. I now see greater visions for Christian communication in Sri Lanka.”
Francis Wong Ka-Chun, a Christian journalist based in Hong Kong. He is pursuing a postgraduate degree in the Journalism and Media Study Centre, the University of Hong Kong, after he completed theology degrees in the Catholic and Protestant theological colleges:
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“I recall one of the professors often emphasizing that ‘the Church is no Church if it is not for the others. And communication is no communication if it is not for mutual-understanding or for social welfare.’
“The seminar helped me re-visualize the role of social communications. I have been working in Christian media for around 14 years and have been engaging myself in the weekly routines of different editorial procedures. What happened in these 14 days reminds me that communication is one of the fundamental rights, and media is not just a commodity. |
Francis Wong Ka-Chun - China
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“Throughout the seminar we were reminded that Communication promotes human rights and fosters mutual-understanding at intrapersonal, interpersonal and community levels.
“The speakers inspired some thoughtful discussions on the floor. It is wonderful that the ideas and structures of communication in Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox traditions were examined at the seminar. Various issues on media systems and media ethics discussed consolidated what I have learnt at the journalism school.
“We also learned a lot from each student’s experiences. Our experiences bonded us together and brought us joys, demonstrating that we shared the same human and communications fibre!”
Kristin Koelbl from Germany, a Masters student of political science, religious education and German language from the University of Regensburg, Germany. She holds a B.A. in protestant theology and political science:
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“It was great to get to meet other students from around the world and the teachers. The most exciting topic we discussed was about human rights and media. Since I am studying political science, it was very interesting to hear how media can play an important role in building democracy and promoting human rights. This was the topic I wrote about for the final exam. It was also very important for me to hear from the other students how media functions in their countries, the media circumstances, contexts and political backgrounds.
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| Kristin Koelbl - Germany |
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“We also learnt a lot about communication rights. I remember the WACC General Secretary told us that communication rights goes beyond the right of expression and includes the right to communicate and to be adequately represented in the media. She specifically talked about how women are represented in media and underlined that there is no equal representation of women in the media. These are things I never thought about. I just read the newspapers, watch TV and listen to radio and never thought about the issue of equality and representation of women. In Germany we think we are such an open country and that human rights are very important to us but now when I look at how women are represented in the media, I see that there is just very little, so this was a very enlightening point for me.
“I was also happy to hear experiences of the student from Armenia because my studies are focused on Eastern Europe. It was interesting to hear her talk about democracy and the media context there – a different idea of democracy from my perspective.
“We also heard about the role of churches in communication especially in African countries. The students from Africa told us that the churches there are very strong and have a lot of influence on the media and government policies. The media there also plays an important role in promoting human values.
“I thank WACC for being part of the organizers of the program and especially for bringing together international students. I also thank Karin, Philip and Sam Meshack for adding an international component to the seminar through the courses they taught us.
”Meti Gemeda from Ethiopia, a Masters Degree student in Political Communication at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. She has BA Degree in Journalism and Communication and worked for the Social Communications office of the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat for 7 years in Addis Ababa Ethiopia in different positions:
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“It is great that WACC participated in organizing this seminar as it was an opportunity for students from different churches and countries to meet and learn from each other. It was also an occasion to reflect and understand the importance of communication as a basic need for which we cannot simply avoid from the everyday life. The seminar gave me a practical exposure on how to understand others’ culture and to live in harmony. Equipping communication personnel of different Churches based on the Christian Values is a timely need and the program has definitely impacted us positively and will influence our work in the dramatically changing communication and information trend of our world. |
| Meti Gemeda - Ethiopia |
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“From ecumenical context and Inter-religious dialogue, the seminar was very useful in particularly in the present situation of my country where little has been achieved in these areas. It helped me to relate my field of study and the Christian ethics with the context and existing demands of my country. I hope I will use what I have learned to contribute to the various initiatives that I will undertake when I return to my country. I also look forward to seeing more involvement of WACC in the Church communication of my country.”
Stephen Hamilton, from Pennsylvania, USA, a lecturer for Christian Communication and English as Foreign Language at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. He holds a BA in Religious Studies and Philosophy and a Master in Theology. He was a teaching staff and one of the organizers of the summer school.
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"Perhaps the first thing that struck me about Bossey was the peaceful atmosphere: the lake, the mountains, the fields, and the beautiful old buildings. It is an atmosphere that encourages study and reflection and meditation. Inside of the building this feeling of tranquility continued thanks to those who kept things running.
I must say that most of the time I didn’t feel like a 'teacher' but more like a student. This was because each teacher brought along with them their own experiences, perspectives, and areas of expertise; and this was one thing that made the summer school particularly enjoyable for me personally. |
My favorite aspect, however, of the summer school was its international character. To have students from all over the world, divided by thousands of miles and confessional diversity yet united in their common faith and desire to learn, was a fascinating and rewarding experience. The students taught me perhaps as much as the teachers, for instance about the relationship between religion and mass media in their respective countries, which is knowledge I will implement in future classes and research projects. Above all, I enjoyed getting to know the students as well as teachers on a personal level during dinners, excursions, and in between class sessions, and it was quite sad to leave them all after two weeks and I hope to stay in touch with many of them in the future."
Priscila Vieira e Souza: a PhD Candidate at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, researching on Communications, Culture and Religion. As a journalist, she voluntary collaborates with the SPEAK Network, a christian organization of young leaders who promote advocacy campaigns. She is also an associated researcher at ISER, coordinating the project "Communication and Human Rights: critical perspectives".
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"The Seminar at Bossey was a rewarding experience. First, the suggested papers we read are helping me prepare the 'students book' that will be used in a training course on Communication and Human Rights, promoted by ISER – The Institute for the study of Religion -, which will be offered to young religious and community leaders in Rio de Janeiro. Second, the international experience of christian communicators from several nations, cultures, and different religious traditions was enlightening. Those perspectives will definitely be useful to address some of the issues I will have to deal with in my PhD research on media and religion, in Brazil. Finally, I will share the resource materials provided at the seminar – especially the ones about Christians principles for communication; communication to promote human rights; and the religious dialogue -, with my colleagues at the Speak Network, where I believe they will be useful for their advocacy and campaign work." |
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The organizers of the Summer School are considering the practical and financial implications of holding a similar course every two years. The teaching staff were pleased with the high level of commitment and achievement of all the students. WACC General Secretary Karin Achtelstetter said, “Their enthusiasm and dedication were remarkable. It was a great privilege to work with them on this important exploration of the links between religious freedom and communication rights.”
For more information see: http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2691:fireworks-at-summer-school-on-communication-and-religion-.html
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