WACC-Pacific has affirmed the United Nations General Assembly vote on 17 May 2013 to add French Polynesia to its list of territories that should be decolonized. The vote upholds the right of the islands’ inhabitants to self-determination and independence, but it has reignited a controversy that has more to do with geopolitics and economic advantages than human rights. Version française

Mme Linda Tematua, of the Maohi Protestant Church and a member of WACC-Pacific’s Regional Executive Committee, said, “This is wonderful news for the Maohi people.” During a visit to French Polynesia last year, WACC's General Secretary, Rev. Dr Karin Achtelstetter, observed that, “Communication rights are a major concern for WACC members in the region, especially the right to information in relation to the legacy of France’s nuclear testing, its environmental and health effects, and the important area of linguistic rights.”

French Polynesia now joins 16 other territories on the decolonisation list, including the British-ruled Falkland Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Some see the UN decision as largely symbolic, although it was passed by consensus in the 193-member Assembly.

WACC Director Paul de Silva will be one of seven Canadians receiving Innoversity Creative Summit Awards on May 28 in Toronto, recognizing work that makes the media more inclusive and innovative and embraces the increasing cultural diversity of Canada. Lieutenant Governor of Ontario the Honourable David Onley will deliver the opening address at the ceremony, to be held at the Toronto Reference Library at 6:15 p.m.

De Silva has performed several creative roles in Canadian TV, from writer, director, producer to executive producer and vice president, to academic researcher and has championed diversity and inclusion in every one of them, read the awards citation. He’s also performed many different voluntary roles at the Innoversity Creative Summit.

The Presenting Sponsor for the two-day Creative Summit 2013 is Bell Media. Shaw Media is the Platinum Sponsor.

“Diversity and inclusion are not just essential principles for any fair and just society, they are also an essential guide to managing a successful business and a rewarding life,” said Paul Lewis, President of Bell Media’s Discovery Channel, longstanding Chair of Innoversity’s Steering Committee and one of this year’s recipients of Innoversity’s Angel Awards.  “I’m thrilled to accept this award that’s both so professionally relevant and deeply personal.”

Slawko Klymkiw, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Film Centre, will receive the Outstanding Leadership Achievement Award for his contributions to the Canadian media in leadership roles at the CFC, and as a broadcaster. A champion of an inclusive media, Mr. Klymkiw has mentored and recruited individuals from under-represented groups, launched inclusive Canadian television programs and headed a training and development organization whose graduate list, initiatives and accomplishments are remarkably inclusive.

WACC Europe has joined a campaign to protect European media pluralism, initiated by about 100 civil society organisations, media, and professional bodies throughout Europe. The decision to support the European Initiative for Media Pluralism was taken at the meeting of the WACC Europe steering committee, meeting in Paris from 19 to 20 April. WACC Europe is one of the eight regions of the World Association for Christian Communication.

The Media Pluralism campaign has launched a petition urging the European Commission to draft  legislation both to avoid concentration of ownership in the media and advertising sectors, and to guarantee the independence of supervisory bodies from political power. The legislation should define the concept of conflict of interests to avoid media moguls occupying high political office. The petition also asks for clearer European monitoring systems on the independence of the media in member states.

One million signatures are now needed in order to start a legislative process at EU level. The first signatory of the European Initiative for Media Pluralism was Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament.

The question of authors’ copyright should be taken up by the churches, said a participant in a debate organized by the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC). “I don’t understand copyright in the Christian world” because it doesn’t jibe with the spirit of freedom, said Fábio Botelho Josgrilberg, Provost for Postgraduate Studies and Research of the Methodist University of São Paulo (UMESP), Brazil. “We are contaminated by the concept of ownership” that reigns in the capitalist system, he added.

He was speaking at a public debate on “The Right to Communicate in Latin America” organized by WACC Latin America. It took place on 5 April and was attended by 40 participants, 20 of them connected virtually.

The UMESP professor reminded participants of those educational resources that facilitate the spread of knowledge through the use of open licenses. Authors’ copyright continues to exist, he said, but what is wanted is flexibility of usage, which should also serve the churches.

When composing a hymn, in theological reflections, in the production of knowledge, if the believer believes that God empowers human beings, “we ought to pay royalties to God,” he argued.

Together with university professor Márcio Oliveiro, Botelho Josgrilberg took part in the debate via an electronic link with the Escola Superior de Teologia (Higher School of Theology) based in São Leopoldo, the city that saw the annual meeting of the Executive Committee of WACC Latin America, 4-6 April 2013.

Prometheus Radio Project, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit, announced that it will host a webinar on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. (EDT) that will outline the basics of starting or supporting a community radio station. This October, nonprofits, labor unions, and community groups will have a one-time chance to apply for free FM radio licenses in cities and towns across the U.S. "It's the biggest chance in decades for communities of color, women, and workers to own the airwaves," said Jeff Rousset, National Organizer at Prometheus, in the announcement.

Prometheus said the webinar will answer these questions:

-- How could community radio support your organization's work?

-- What's involved in applying for a license?

-- How do other people-powered radio stations make a difference?

"We'll share the history and impact of low power FM radio, nuts and bolts of the FCC application process, success stories, and free tools to help you get started. There will be time for questions and answers," Rousset said.

"In a time of increased media consolidation that drowns out diverse voices, the community radio initiative presents a tremendous opportunity to highlight local issues in cities and towns across the country. After a successful ten-year struggle led by Prometheus and other grassroots groups the Local Community Radio Act was finally signed into law in 2011 to open up the airwaves," he said.

Registration is free for "Get on the Air!" Click here.

If you can't attend the webinar but would like to access the archives, click here.

The WACC North America Executive Committee is holding its annual face-to-face meeting following the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) convention in Indianapolis, April 7 -9, announced WACC North America president Sheila George. The committee will be discussing critical issues such as membership outreach and checking in on progress on activities to help further WACC's strategic plan. It will report back following the meeting in an update on plans for the WACC North America region.

WACC gender and media specialist Dr. Sarah Macharia offered advice to writers and editors on how to avoid common pitfalls in international reporting at a workshopl at the RCC gathering.

Her workshop, Expanding Global Voices, was offered on April 4 at the joint convention of RCC and Associated Church Press.

For more information, click here.

WACC's Latin America region has issued an invitation to a dialogue to be held April 5 in Sãa Leopoldo, Brazil on “The Right to Communicate in Latin America.” The aim is to analyse today’s challenge of the right to communicate from the perspective of WACC-Latin America, the advances and successes of recent years and what steps should be taken in future. The event will be held at 1700 hours at the EST Faculties, Building G, Rua Amadeo Rossi, 467, Barrio Morro do Eslpelho – 93030-000 Sãa Leopoldo/RS, Brazil.

Participants, via Skype, will be Fabio Josgrilberg, Professor  Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, Márcio de Oliveira, member, WACC Latin America. Participating in person will be José Luis Aguirre, President, WACC-LA (Bolivia); Vilma Peña V., Vice President WACC-LA (Costa Rica); Marcela Gabioud, Secretary WACC-LA (Argentina); Carlos León, Vocal WACC-LA (El Salvador).

Members and friends of WACC-Latin America who wish to see the broadcast can access it here.

Information and contact details:

Eloy Teckemeier, Treasurer WACC-LA / San Leopoldo RS Brazil - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Claudia Berzaín Battioni, Technical Secretary WACC-LA, La Paz – Bolivia - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

In many countries community radio is at the heart of empowering ordinary people to voice their concerns and needs. Properly organized, it meets the basic criterion of communication by the people, for the people, and about the people. On 15 March 2013 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held a hearing in Washington, D.C. during its 147th Period of Sessions concerning the freedom of expression of Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala.

The IACHR was listening to evidence about the "Situation of the Right to Freedom of Expression of the Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala". Alma Temaj, a Mam Maya leader in the Mujb’ab’ Lyol  radio association (Meeting of Expressions) in Guatemala, and four other representatives of Guatemala’s community radio movement, took part.

They had the opportunity to address what Temaj described as the “monoculturalism, discrimination, and racism” inherent in the Guatemalan state’s restriction of Indigenous communities’ access to radio frequencies.

Catalina Botero, IACHR Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, criticized the Guatemalan government, saying that it "has not bothered to understand what exactly community radios are, so it conflates them with illegal radios."

In her opinion, "The State sees a community radio as any radio without a license. It includes in the community radio category, for example, small commercial radios without licenses that compete illegally with private radios but that are not community radios! Or it includes other types of radios-religious ones, for example-that are not community radios either! They are another kind of broadcasting. So, as the State does not define community radio, it does not regulate it."

The Creative Centre for Communication and Development (CCCD) in Zimbabwe reports in its latest newsletter that it enabled 18 disadvantaged women and girls to tell their stories through the use of digital media. Based in Bulawayo, the centre noted in its January-March newsletter that "women's voices in the public domain in Zimbabwe are constrained because of excessive male dominance in all aspects of life including the media. Women's opinions and concerns are expressed in the media through the eyes of men and this has contributed to the trivialisation of women's issues." However, for women and girls in the Bulawayo North district, the situation changed. CCCD, supported in recent years by WACC, facilitated a 21-day training programme for the 18 participants.

According to the newsletter, the January 21-March 6 course goal was to produce relevant content for women, by women, in a language they can understand and in formats they can easily access for the purpose of advocacy aimed at advancing their rights.

The technology skills transfer programme empowered women and girls to tell personal stories using a computer, Free and Open Source Software, an audio recorder and digital camera.

The training took place in a conducive environment where each woman chose to share her personal story of hope, pain, survival or courage. Of the 18 women and girls, eight chose to share their digital stories publicly. The stories ranged from abuse, HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancies, forced marriages, unemployment to alcohol abuse.

Sharing these personal stories was therapeutic for the women and girls. By end of the training, they regarded each other as a pillar of support, CCCD said.

The Middle Eastern regional office of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) has inaugurated a Facebook page in Arabic to carry news and conversations about work in communication rights. To access the page, click here. Recent posts on the page included news of a meeting between WACC General Secretary Karin Achtelstetter and Egyptian feminist writer and activist Nawal el Saadawi to discuss communication rights. Saadawi is preparing for an international conference on "Creativity, Women and Dissent" that takes place in Cairo in March 2013.

WACC Middle East officers include Regional Chair Margrit Saroufim Mina, Vice-Chair Jack Khazmo, Secretary Onsi Anis Younan and Treasurer Naji Daoud. To access WACC's Middle Eastern pages, click here.

The London-based advocacy group Article 19, whose vision and principles are supported by the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), has posted an article citing a survey that finds access to the Internet for women in Brazil is still limited. In addition, women need to make more inroads into computer technology jobs. For women, says Article 19, the Internet represents new opportunities and also new challenges to claim and fulfil their rights. It is also an important space for women's empowerment. The Internet grants access to information, enables mobilisation and visibility, and helps create new forms of expression and participation in public life.

Excerpts from the article follow and it can be accessed here.

In Brazil, the Internet allows meetings and agitations that were not possible before. In 2013 in Caxias do Sul, a case of alleged rape led to women using social media to protest against sexual violence, a phenomenon that has not happened before on such a wide scale.

However, the Internet has also facilitated other forms of violence against women such as online harassment, cyberstalking, invasion of privacy, viral videos of rape and victims reliving the trauma of the assault every time they see images and videos online about it.

These forms of violence mediated by technology cause psychological and emotional harm and reinforce the damage already done. They also create obstacles to participation in public life.

The Program Support Network of Women of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) conducted a study that compiles cases and examines the phenomenon in Brazil.

An Ecumenical Communicators Conference and Workshop on the theme “Indigenous Rights – Communication Rights” will take place in Toronto, 19 March 2013.

A joint programme organised by KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiative, WACC Global and WACC North America offers workshops, speakers and plentiful discussion.

The meeting takes place at the General Council Offices of The United Church of Canada (3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300) from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.

The programme includes presentations by Russell Diabo, Publisher and Editor of First Nations Strategic Bulletin; Kristen Gilchrist – PhD Candidate in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University, Ottawa; Philip Lee, WACC Deputy Director of Programmes; Lori Ransom, Senior Advisor, Church Relations, Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and Sarah Macharia, WACC Programme Manager for Media and Gender Justice.

Further information from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (CCC).

Ahead of the 2013 session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which will be convened in March in New York, FemLINKPacific is taking its theme -- ending violence against women and girls -- to women in rural centers in Fiji. FemLINK is making the connections through its Rural Community Media Network with assistance from Australia-based International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) and the European Union. Meeting from 4 to 15 March, the CSW's official theme is "Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls."

In Fiji, 24 rural women leaders recently met around FemLINKPacific's tape recorders at the Tavua Gold Foundation to respond to the theme. The meeting followed the recent "16 Days of Community Radio" campaign.

FemLINKPacific, established in 2000, seeks to address the communication imbalances caused by traditional decision-making structures that impede women's effective participation, especially from the rural population and the poor. FemLINKPacific is a WACC corporate member.

The rapid pace of change in religion communication -- dubbed "Communicating at the Speed of Life" -- will be the theme for the 84th annual Religion Communicators Council annual convention to be held April 4-6 in Indianapolis. The opening plenary's theme is "Faith-based Peace Building in the Social Media Age," with Jewish, Christian and Muslim representatives participating. The plenary keynote speaker will be Daniel Sieberg, marketing/media outreach manager and spokesperson at Google. He is also the author of "The Digital Diet: the four-step plan to break your tech addiction and regain balance in your life."

Workshops include "Marketing Your Organization," "Real-Time Coverage on Social Media," "Social Media and the Odyssey Network," "New Media for Non-profits," "Grants 101: Finding Them, Getting Them, and Keeping Them Coming" and "Multi-Media Storytelling."

The DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards will be presented. The awards have been given annually since 1967 to active RCC members who demonstrate excellence in religion communication and public relations.

The Wilbur Awards also will be presented, recognizing excellence in secular media presentations of religious issues, values and themes. The award is named for Marvin C. Wilbur, a pioneer in religion public relations and a longtime council leader.

The convention will be at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel. Deadline for the special convention room rate is March 5. Early bird registration fee (through March 6) is $395 per person. Further information is at http://www.religioncommunicators.org/convention