WACC Congress 2008

Communicating peace through people’s stories

WACC-Europe seminar on “Communication is peace”

(Paralimni/Agia Napa, Cyprus, 2-6 April 2008)

piet

Communicating peace requires stories about people. This was a key conclusion drawn by participants in the seminar “Communication is peace” that met 2-6 April 2008 in Paralimni and Agia Napa, Cyprus. The event was organised by the European region of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), in cooperation with WACC-Middle East. The telling of personal stories is a compelling means of engaging an audience in the lives, needs and dreams of real people.

Desmond Tutu continues to confront injustice and preach peace

By Dave Wanless, WACC-Africa region

Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, who will give the opening address at WACC’s Congress 2008 on 6 October in Cape Town, is one of the moral icons of our era. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, he is currently serving as one of the group of respected ‘Elders’ which includes former presidents Jimmy Carter of the United States, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique and Mary Robinson of Ireland along with Graca Machel, the wife of Nelson Mandela, and Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin group of companies. Their task is to mediate peace in situations of conflict around the world.

Gunfire will not silence Christian communicator’s call for peace

By Dennis Smith, former president of WACC-Latin America

Denis

Gunfire awakened us at 1:35 this morning. 12 rounds? 15? I was too disoriented to keep track. No screams, no sirens, but we were left wondering who had fired those rounds and why. We live in a middle-middle class neighborhood in Guatemala City - one of the most violent cities in Latin America. Violence has many roots: the persistent legacy of 36 years of civil war; centuries of racism; a polarized economy controlled by a tiny, wealthy elite; endemic violence against women and children.

Getting to the heart of peace-building

Rev. Dr. S. Wesley Ariarajah, Professor of Theology, at Drew University, School of Theology

Wesley

It is significant that WACC’s Congress 2008 in Cape Town has chosen ‘Communication is Peace: Building Viable Communities’ as the theme of its gathering. It is common to speak of ‘Communication for Peace’ or ‘for Peace-Building’. But the bold assertion, ‘Communication is Peace’ is a welcome emphasis that gets to the heart of some of the deepest issues that plague our efforts at seeking, building, maintaining, and fostering peace.

Journalists can learn to make peace

By Rebekah Chevalier, WACC-North America Regional Vice-Chair

Rebekah

When you watch or read a news story about a violent incident or a war, are you getting the complete picture? Is there additional background material that would help explain why the conflict is happening or other sources that would provide another dimension to the story? These questions will be the focus of a series of workshops for journalists and peace advocates on “peace journalism” that will be offered during Congress 2008.

Communication is Peace: A Shocking Theme

By Keith Knight, President, WACC- North America

Keith

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.

Reality and peace

By Frank Kürschner-Pelkmann, Freelance journalist, based in Germany

Frank

A distorted picture of reality is very often a decisive factor on the road from peace to conflict and war. For that reason propaganda has very often been used to distort the worldview of people in order to prepare the next war. The distinction between “us” and “them” is used as a foundation stone for a black and white description of life in a community, in a country or between countries.

Building bridges to reconciliation and peace

By Philip Lee, Deputy Director of Programmes, WACC

‘One thing is clear: that between the life of the townsmen and that bridge, there existed a centuries-old bond. Their fates were so intertwined that they could not be imagined separately. Therefore the story of the foundation and destiny of the bridge is at the same time the story of the life of the town and its people, from generation to generation’ (Ivo Andri?).