By María Teresa Aveggio, Programme Manager

After the boycott of the Internet on 18 January 2012 as a protest against proposed copyright legislation that would put the Internet’s open architecture in serious danger (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/17/f-sopa-canada.html) and online services like Wikipedia and Reddit along with some 115,000 other websites went dark , a new initiative has emerged in defence of the Internet: the Declaration of Internet Freedom (http://www.internetdeclaration.org/ )a short manifesto for a free and open Internet. The Declaration is the initiative of many of the people and organizations that helped make the protest a resounding success. Its goal is to energise the millions of people who fought back against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_IP_Act ) in an effort to ensure that the powers that be were unable to destroy the Web as the wide open space which it has been until now. Read more...

Gender aware journalism: a more ethical perspective

By Maria Teresa Aveggio, Programme Manager

“The fact that students of Communication will have the possibility of discussing themes such as the importance of non-sexist language in the media is an important step since it opens new horizons and ways of understanding journalism”. With these words WACC’s general Secretary, Rev Dr Karin Achetelstetter expressed her reaction to the news that the School of Communication of the National University of Entre Ríos has invited Argentina’s Network of Journalists for a Non Sexist Communication (Red PAR) to organise a six-month seminar on Subjective Construction of Gender in the Media. Read more...

By María TeresaAveggio, Programme Manager

Violence is rarely the result of just one cause and this is true of the situation in Colombia

The northern city of Barranquilla has been especially affected by urban violence generated on the one hand by society’s profound inequality and on the other by half a century of armed conflict. The situation is made worse by a culture of political corruption and non-participation of citizens that has created a fertile ground for more violence. Using Community Radio in Building Collective Citizenship, a joint community radio project between local young people residents in two neighbourhoods in Barranquilla, Las Malvinas and El Bosque, and the Broadcasting Association Vokaribe was created by a group of young communicators and activists. Read more...

A project by the Ecumenical Commission for Human Development Pakistan

By James Rehmat, Head of Programs, ECHD

The Ecumenical Commission for Human Development in Pakistan developed a project to bring together Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh leaders in Lahore to reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. The Project was supported by WACC. The project’s intervention strategies included capacity building on HIV and AIDS; facilitating inter-faith dialogue; community interactive theatre; inter-faith summit for youth and religious leaders. Over 500 youth, religious leaders, people living with HIV and AIDS, media, government and civil society representatives were trained on HIV, AIDS, stigma and discrimination. They were equipped with various skills to successfully play leadership roles on HIV stigma reduction in grassroots communities. Read more...

“Indigenous voices tell compelling stories of how they are combating centuries of injustice and discrimination.”

By María Teresa Aveggio, Programme Manager

A new law (4479) proposed by Guatemala’s Lider party intends to reform the country’s criminal code in order to sanction the imprisonment of individual actors and representatives of radio stations that do not have legal authority to broadcast. This move came on 10July 2012, just one month before UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the vital role of media in empowering the world’s indigenous people by challenging stereotypes, forging indigenous peoples’ identities, communicating with the non-Indigenous world and influencing the social and political agendas. Many of the existing community radio stations in Guatemala serve the needs of Indigenous people, who constitute around 40.5% of the total population. They would be severely penalized by the proposed new law which would change them from legal entities into illegal ones. Read more...

By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC

Theme: God of life: lead us to justice, peace and reconciliation with creation

WACC-Asia Region will mark its annual communication Sunday, 2 September 2012, on the theme "God of life: lead us to justice, peace and reconciliation with creation." The Regional Executive Committee has prepared a Resource Booklet to guide churches and Christian institutions in celebrating the theme. The booklet provides liturgical resources as well as stories and ideas that can be used in the context of celebrating communication in worship.  Read more...