279, August 2008
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In this issue: Investigative journalist, Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, a daily TV/radio news show airing on more than 700 stations worldwide, is to receive WACC’s Communication for Peace Award. Also in this issue:
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Cover photo: Amy Goodman ( Photo by Michael Keel). |
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News |
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Amy Goodman to receive Communication for Peace Award WACC has announced that investigative journalist Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, a daily TV/radio news show airing on more than 700 stations worldwide, is to receive its Communication for Peace Award. The ceremony will take place at WACC’s international conference - ‘Communication is peace: Building viable communities’ - in Cape Town, South Africa, 6 - 0 October 2008. Read more... |
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WACC-Pacific region members meet in Papua New Guinea From the 23rd to the 28th of June, members of the Regional Executive Committee of WACC-Pacific Region (WACC-PAC) met, for the first time in Madang, Papua New Guinea (PNG). PNG is one of the biggest countries in the Pacific Islands. Unfortunately due to visa problems, WACC-PAC President, Bill Falekaono, was not able to attend the meeting. Rev. Hariesa Faitala, WACC-PAC Vice-President and General Secretary of the Evangelical Church in Niue (Ekalesia Niue), chaired the meeting. Read more... |
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Programme stories |
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Strengthening the voices of indigenous people in Bolivia By Philip Lee, WACC Deputy-Director of Programmes. In the city of Trinity, Bolivia, the Cabildo Indigenal (Native Council) is a non-governmental group that brings together indigenous communities in order to develop social, cultural and religious activities that strengthen the identity of the Mojeña people in the region. In 2007 it organised a project to tackle the gradual marginalization of indigenous people from social, political and economic decision-making and to create a space for them to express themselves and to communicate more effectively. Read more... |
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DFID partners with WACC in fight against HIV/AIDS stigma Beginning July 1st WACC and the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) are embarking on a 3-year project supported by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). This is a significant accomplishment in WACC’s response to HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. The initiative emerged as a result of close consultations between WACC and CCG during a staff visit to Ghana in 2005. That visit included consultations with CCG’s partners in Ghana, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), and the Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA). Read more... |
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Searchable directory for Arab women issued A searchable directory for Arab women experts in various development themes is now available on line at www.ammannet.net/look/woman. The Arabic/English directory comes as the fulfillment of a commitment made in Amman in 2006 for gender-balanced news media. Journalists and reporters attribute their reliance on men to provide expert commentary on different themes to a lack of knowledge on where to find women able to discuss at a professional level on these themes. Read more... |
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Congress |
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Congress 2008 keynote speaker has message about communication rights as seen through the lens of aboriginal peoples By Kristine Greenaway, Coordinator, Congress 2008 Doreen Spence is a tireless campaigner for human rights in aboriginal communities worldwide. As a member of the Cree people in north-western Canada, she has had first-hand experience of intolerance and abuse at the hands of non-aboriginal people. Yet she has emerged as a highly-respected proponent of understanding and reconciliation in Canada and on the world stage.Her wisdom and skills as a healer of broken people and communities have earned her a Nobel nomination and numerous international awards. Read more... |
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ICTs for Peace By Carole St. Laurent, ICT Consultant, fluidIT solutions The theme of WACC’s 2008 Congress is “Communication is Peace: Building Viable Communities.” If communication is peace, then information and communication technologies (ICTs) are valuable tools that enable communication. How can we use these tools – particularly audio, visual, and online communications - to promote and sustain peace? Read more... |
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Haiti: How can the media contribute to peace? By Gotson Pierre, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, June 2008 In Haiti, today, it is no longer a question of informing or communicating in a context of civil or military dictatorship, of armed confrontation or open conflict. Instead, a situation of peace reigns, made fragile by dithering on the political calendar, institutional weaknesses, insecurity, impunity and mass poverty. Since 2006 Haiti has entered into a period of peace, or at least of minor turbulence, following the last presidential elections which enabled René Préval to come back to power. Read more... |
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Pictorial news |
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WACC Partner meets with staff Jutta Hildebrandt from Church Development Service (Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst - EED) – (http://www.eed.de/en/en.eed/en.eed.eed/index.html ) a long time partner of WACC, met with staff at the Secretariat’s headquarters in Toronto, August 11-12. The meeting focused on WACC’s programmes areas. WACC supports communication and media projects in over 100 countries around the world. For more information on WACC’s programmes visit: http://waccglobal.org/wacc/programmes |
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Book launch - "Strong Religion, Zealous Media" by Dr. Pradip Ninan Thomas The official launch of " Strong Religion, Zealous Media" by Dr. Pradip Ninan Thomas, the first in depth analysis of the growth of conservative forms of Christianity in the protestant traditions of India, was marked by a panel discussion. Panellists included:Dr Kartar Singh (Deputy Director, British Council, Chennai), Dr V I Mathan (ex-director of the Christian Medical College, Vellore), Dr Jacob Abraham (expert in Science and Faith and a leading neurologist) and Rev. Dr. Samuel Meshack (Principal, Gurukul Theological Seminary, and Chairperson, WACC Asia) |
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Promote justice in East-Timor, says WACC Member A long- time WACC member, Dr. Helen M Hill, Australian, has called on WACC and other international communication and media agencies to promote a report on violations of human rights in Timor-Leste (East Timor), released by the country’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR). “The perpetrators of the violence which lasted for 24 years should be brought to justice,” said Dr. Hill during a visit to WACC’s headquarters in Toronto, August 12. For more information about the report visit: http://www.cavr-timorleste.org/ |
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WACC-PAC meets in Papua New Guinea. Members of the Regional Executive Committee of WACC-Pacific Region (WACC-PAC) during the meeting held in June 23-28 in Madang, Papua New Guinea. |