By Keith Knight, President, WACC- North America
 The theme for Congress 2008, Communication is Peace, seems almost shocking. After all, the logo of the sponsoring organization, the World Association for Christian Communication, proudly proclaims Taking Sides, a tagline that implies taking a stand in the face of conflict and being prepared to accept its consequences. Communication is peace, on the other hand, implies bridge-building, working for consensus, understanding and even validating the other person’s perspective.
A river of thoughts come to mind when one declares that communication is peace. We are accustomed to the notion of two nations holding peace talks: communicating with each other in attempts to establish a ceasefire and, eventually, peace. The Congress theme, however, is unconditional. Communication is peace.
The genius of this theme is that it has so many different faces. It may seem absurd to speak about communication and peace in the same breath in Iraq, Palestine, Israel, North Korea, Indonesia. Even the way we communicate differs greatly from nation to nation, culture to culture, continent to continent.
Congress 2008, which is expected to attract 350 communicators from around the world, offers a unique opportunity to ask journalists from Guatemala, Sudan, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Canada, or Taiwan to define truth within their political context; speak to clergy in churches right across WACC’s eight regions about whether their communication skills bring about peace within their congregations or communities; challenge university professors around the world to talk about how communication is peace in the classroom and on the campus; or encourage communication directors of NGOs to talk about their communication strategies and how they all lead to peace.
There is a subtheme at Congress 2008: Building Viable Communities. When honest, transparent communication happens within our organizations and institutions, we build viable communities. Transformation takes place through proper communication. When communication and peace are in synch, community rights exist, media and gender justice exists, governments are willing to let go of their power, there is just access for all to the tools of technology. In short, viable communities have been built.
Is this utopia? Will we ever be able to declare in our lifetime that ‘communication is peace’?
The WACC website quotes from the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” That is where we need to start. In many respects, Congress ’08 is a gathering of peacemakers. It is a gathering of a varied group of people from around the world who are engaged in communication in its varied forms: governments, churches, organizations, academic institutions, individuals.
If Congress is to be truly successful, it needs to be a place where indeed ‘communication is peace’. A place where keynote speakers, workshop leaders and other presenters tell their stories of peace. Where honesty prevails and where viable communities are built.
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Keith Knight is president of WACC North America and has devoted more than 30 years to print and web-based communication.
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