Member States approve the reinforcement of UNESCO’s contribution to World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) goals

With only four years left until the 2015 target date for achieving the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) goals, 195 Member States expressed their overall satisfactions with the achievements and progress made by UNESCO and reconfirmed its important role in bridging the digital and knowledge divides. Since the outset of the WSIS process, UNESCO has been committed to implementing the WSIS outcomes.

The Internet Society meeting in Dakar, Senegal, 25 October 2011, has announced that its Board of Trustees addressed human rights issues related to Internet access. The organization has been a long-time advocate of an open, global, and accessible Internet, and views the Internet as an enabler for the realization of a wide range of human rights.

The Internet Society views the Internet as an essential vehicle for promoting freedom of opinion and expression, including "freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers," as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

WACC has long struggled for greater recognition of communication rights. Recently its own Board of Directors affirmed "the centrality of communication – including mass, community and social media – in strengthening human dignity and in promoting democratic values and social justice."

The Internet Society Board noted that in 2011, in what has become known as the "Arab Spring", the Internet gave voice to people's aspirations. "The Internet played a vital role in generating awareness of and support for the efforts of those seeking to bring about change," said Raul Echeberria, Chairman of the Internet Society's Board of Trustees. "The Internet shaped a new generation who are connected to the world and who are global citizens, unconstrained by borders, time, and distance."

The IS Board also noted that the same technology that benefits billions of people throughout the world has also raised some challenges. Among them, it was observed that certain governments control their citizen's access and use of the global network in order to meet economic, security, or political objectives in an evolving policy landscape. For example, DNS blocking and filtering are among the measures used by some to block access to websites. Other measures used include surveillance technology or suspension of Internet access.

The Internet Society Board cautioned against resorting to technological shortcuts to achieve public policy objectives, as such actions can threaten the good functioning of the global Internet as a single, unified, and global communications network.  While the Board recognized that governments have the responsibility to guarantee law and order for their citizens, it held the view that the right to freedom of expression should also be guaranteed.

"The Internet Society has always been focused on Internet freedom, which is the very embodiment of freedom of expression," added Echeberria. "These actions by some governments to limit access to the Internet are sometimes without due regard to the impact on an individual's ability to exercise their fundamental human rights, and include attempts to control social networks. This can be seen as an infringement of the right to peaceful assembly, as guaranteed by Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

"Limitations to the exercise of human rights should be the exception and not the rule, a principle which applies both to the online and offline world," stated Internet Society President and CEO Lynn St. Amour. "Any restrictions should respect due process and the provisions outlined in international human rights law, such as necessity and proportionality."

The open, decentralized, and global nature of the Internet provides a foundation for unprecedented growth in freedom of expression and access to information and knowledge. "The increasing pressure to limit access to the Internet has escalated the sense of urgency in addressing this situation,"
added St. Amour. "We will continue our efforts in this important policy area and work to bring attention to the impact of Internet freedom on other aspects of human rights."

The Internet Society focuses on Internet policy, technology standards, and future development. Based on its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society works with its members and Chapters around the world to promote the continued evolution and growth of the open Internet through dialogue among companies, governments, and other organizations around the world.

By Philip Lee, Deputy-Director of Programs

23 Directors from around the world, two consultants, and 11 staffers have wrapped up a week-long series of meetings ending in new priorities and directions for WACC’s future life and work.

After year-long consultations with stakeholders, WACC’s Board of Directors adopted a new Strategic Plan 2012-2016. The document presents a vision and direction for the next five years with the potential to catalyze changes well beyond that period.

WACC Board of Directors and staff

By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC

		The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) has yesterday, October 13, announced that Dr. Dennis Smith has been re-elected President of its Board of Directors for the next three years. At the same time, Praxedis Bouwman has been re-elected Vice President and Rev. David M Wanless has been elected Treasurer. The new Secretary of the Board is Rev. Dr. Samuel Wilson Meshack.
Dr. Dennis Smith - President

By Tiziana Conti, Administration and Fundraising Coordinator, WACC-UK

The Board of Directors of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), meeting in Toronto, is undertaking leadership training designed to increase their governance skills and knowledge.

Conducted by Joette Thomas, trainer and consultant from the Craighead Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, the training combines opportunities for reflection, discussion and sharing of ideas. Specific topics covered include accountability, finance, strategy, management and governance, and how to develop regional leadership.

The general feeling about the benefits of such training is very positive, as expressed in the following interviews with some of the directors and the trainer.

Dr. Dennis Smith, WACC President

Dr. Dennis Smith, WACC President

By Philip Lee, WACC Deputy Director Programmes, WACC

WACC’s vision of communication rights combined with its Christian values is highlighted in a Stakeholder Report released yesterday.

WACC stakeholders – members, affiliates, regional associations, executive committees, directors, project partners, funding partners and staff – were consulted as part of a year-long process of strategic planning. The results were discussed on October 11 by WACC’s Board of Directors prior to taking important decisions about the future of WACC.

L-R: Margrit Saroufim Mina- President, WACC Middle East,  Sheila George – President, WACC North America, Daniel Benson - Director from Canada and Dr Samuel Wilson Meshack, president, WACC Asia.

By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) needs to address advocacy about communication rights, and knowledge-sharing about the functioning of communication and media among other key issues in coming years, according to the results of a worldwide series of consultations and online surveys.

More than 500 people took part in over 20 consultations and online surveys with WACC members and partners.

“WACC members are keen to take part in shaping the organization’s future," WACC General Secretary, the Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, said in her report yesterday 10 October to the association's Board of Directors meeting in Toronto.

L-R: Vilma Peña Vargas – Vice President, WACC Latin America, José Luis Aguirre Alvis – President, WACC Latin America and Linda Maea Tematua, member, WACC Pacific Regional Executive Committee.

By Dr. Stephen G Brown, Vice President, WACC-Europe

Toronto, 9 October:  The work of the World Association for Christian Communication is becoming even more important at a time when communication is increasingly reduced to technique at the service of partisan interests and profit, the organization's president told its Board of Directors on the opening day of their 9-14 October meeting in Toronto.

Daniel Benson - Director from Canada and Rev. David M Wanless, President, WACC Africa.

By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC

The Board of Directors of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) is meeting in Toronto, Canada, 9-14 October 2011 to discuss, among other matters, WACC’s Draft Strategic Plan 2012-2016 following a series of regional and global consultations.

Over 15 consultation meetings have been held worldwide with WACC Regional Association members, project partners, Regional Executive members, funding partners, and staff since the strategic planning consultation process began in February 2011.

Board of Directors

By Philip Lee, WACC Deputy Director Programmes

WACC congratulates three women human rights activists and communicators on receiving the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize award. They include Africa’s first female president, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, peace activist Leymah Gbowee, also from Liberia, and democracy activist Tawakkul Karman of Yemen – the first Arab woman to win the prize.

WACC General Secretary, Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, said, “We are excited to learn that the three women who have selflessly struggled to fight for women’s rights and to promote peace have been given this important international sign of recognition.”

By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC

The Board of Directors of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) will hold one of the most significant meetings in its term of office at the WACC office in Toronto, 9-14 October 2011. The Board comprises two Directors elected by each of WACC’s eight Regional Associations: WACC Africa, WACC Asia, WACC Caribbean, WACC Europe, WACC Latin America, WACC Middle East, WACC North America and WACC Pacific.

In these times of austerity, with governments and churches across the Global North cutting their budgets right, left and centre, it’s exceptional to find a church organization anxious to give money away. Today, the World Communion of Reformed Churches is that exception.

The Partnership Fund is one concrete way in which the WCRC shows itself to be a communion, helping member churches to carry out projects in mission or service that otherwise they could not afford.

“Thanks to the generosity of the Protestant Development Agency (EED) in Germany and other donors, we find ourselves in September 2011 with significantly more money to award in grants than we had expected,” explains Douwe Visser, coordinator of the fund. “We want to make up to USD 450,000 available for projects before the end of this year.”

Member churches – either individually or in regional groups – may apply to the Partnership Fund for a grant of up to USD 33,000 and sometimes more. Douwe Visser encourages churches to apply as soon as possible – preferably before the end of October 2011, he says, to give the fund time to process the application.

For further information and details about how to apply, please visit the Partnership Fund section of the WCRC website or see Criteria and Application Form.

WACC/SIGNIS

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and SIGNIS - the World Catholic Association for Communication will seek more regular mutual exchange of information as well as closer cooperation in the future.

This follows a meeting between WACC’s General Secretary Rev. Karin Achtelstetter and SIGNIS General Secretary Alvito de Souza which took place in Aachen (Germany) on Friday, 19 August 2011. The meeting was facilitated by Dr Daniela Frank, Executive Director of the Catholic Media Council (CAMECO).