By Amany Latif Ebied - Secretary of WACC

		One of my favourite movies is “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde”. In the movie Elle Woods heads to Washington D.C. to pass a bill on animal cosmetic testing. She took it upon herself to have a “voice on behalf of those who couldn’t speak” and to outlaw animal testing. At the end of the movie she narrates a story which has lingered in my mind since then and I would like to share it with you on the occasion of the Easter celebration. While Woods was in one of the finest and most expensive beauty salons, she went through a particular hair process that ended in disaster – from the hair colour, washing shampoo, to the haircut, yet without protesting she paid a lot of money for it. This seemingly small and insignificant incident made Woods aware of her lack of courage to speak up and eventually turned her into an activist.
Amany Latif Ebied - Secretary of WACC

The global network for free expression IFEX (International Freedom of Expression Exchange) reports that the United Nations' top human rights body has abandoned its condemnation of religious "defamation" and instead passed a resolution supporting an individual's right to freedom of belief. Rather than reintroducing the religious defamation resolution, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) presented a new resolution at the last Human Rights Council session that focuses on ending religious discrimination.

Inter-faith and inter-religious dialogue are crucial in a world that wishes to live in peace and to learn from the richness of cultural diversity. Religious tolerance is an important step towards such dialogue and an open, public debate of ideas. This new UN Resolution supports what many civil society organizations and religious groups have long been pleading for.

Frankfurt/Main, Germany: Reconfiguring communication in the ecumenical movement means discovering, seeking and implementing new forms of communication, the General Secretary of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) has told a gathering in Frankfurt, Germany.

Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, WACC General Secretary

"As communicators we have become pilgrims in space - and sometimes in cyberspace - who have embarked on a long journey, by no means complete, from the old concept of uni-dimensional, one-way communication to the current multi-dimensional, multi-way approach that emphasizes reciprocity and equality," said the WACC General Secretary, Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, in her 31 March address.

By WACC Correspondent

Faith Communities can play a key role in strengthening the right to communicate and tackling questions of social justice and peace , General Secretary of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) said on 12 March. Rev. Karin Achtelstetter was speaking at the 5th Commission meeting of the Interfaith Action for Peace (IFAPA) in Mombasa, Kenya, where representatives of the main faith traditions have gathered to discuss peace and the issues that threaten it.

WACC General Secretary, Rev. Karin Achtelstetter speaking at the 5th Commission meeting of the Interfaith Action for Peace (IFAPA) in Mombasa, Kenya. Photo by WACC Correspondent

The online news agency Alterpress has been threatened in the person of its director Gotson Pierre, WACC has learnt in a communiqué from another regional partner, Espacinsular in the Dominican Republic.

Alterpresse is a leading member of Groupe Médialternatif, both working for greater democracy, transparency, and accountability in Haiti. Following the earthquake disaster last year, both groups pledged support for grassroots communication and rebuilding community communications.

It seems that Gotson Pierre has been attacked for outspoken criticism of the political process underway in the country. A presidential candidate has issued threats against him, which is not only unethical and undemocratic, it is an infringement of journalistic freedom and human rights.

WACC calls on the Haitian authorities to protect freedom of expression in Haiti. It joins Espaninsular in asking the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Sans Frontières to intervene in defence of freedom of expression and to protect the life and well-being of one of Haiti's courageous journalists.

See: AlterPresse
Carta de solidaridad Espacinsular

Sulak Sivaraksa, a keynote speaker at WACC's Congress 2001, will receive the 2011 Peace Award of the Tokyo-based Niwano Peace Foundation. Over a lifetime of dedicated service and unflagging commitment, Sulak has given new life to ancient Buddhist teachings about nonviolence and about peace and justice. Recently, he has also advocated environmental concerns and climate justice.

In 2001 Sulak Sivaraksa spoke on the theme of "Culture and reconciliation" during WACC's international Congress held in The Netherlands. He pointed out that there must be a spiritual component to reconciliation and this must take place in the individual, family, community, and nation. "Our common project is to nurture this spiritual transformation in ourselves and our communities so that we can address the urgent needs for political and social reconciliation and be the foundation of a more just society."

WACC calls its networks, members and partners to participate in UNESCO’s "Women Make the News" campaign during International Women’s Day, 8 March  2011

		In commemoration of the International Women’s Day, March 8, the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) is calling on its networks, members and partners from civil society groups, associations of media practitioners and media organisations to participate in UNESCO’s Women make the news campaign. The theme of the campaign, “Media and Information Literacy and Gender”, calls attention to the ‘importance of fostering media and information literate societies as a way to improve the understanding of women and men about gender perspectives in media and information systems’.
Media literacy in action. WACC supported project by Asmita Women's Publishing House, Media and Resource Organisation in Nepal.

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance

Speak out during the UN AIDS review

This year, 2011, governments will be reviewing the progress made in the HIV response over the last ten years. The 2011 UN AIDS Review provides a unique opportunity for people of faith to advocate for a strong and continuing governmental commitment to the HIV response. Active civil society involvement, including faith-based organizations, is critical to ensure an open and honest review and the setting of new, necessary targets to achieve Universal Access. Action needs to be taken now with national governments and civil society to ensure an effective review process.

Remembering Haiti, One year on

By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC and Gisèle Langendries, Administrator for Programmes and Funding, WACC

		One year after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti killing over 250,000 people and paralyzing its communications and information infrastructure, reconstruction of the country is slowly gaining momentum. Professor Ary Regis, President of WACC- Caribbean Region and based in Haiti, reports that communication in general has been re-established and local media have resumed operations. However, he cautioned that re-construction of community media has been slow and hampered by a myriad challenges.
Community media destroyed by earthquake last year (Photo by José Luis Soto, Espacio Insular)

  By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC

		As the New Year 2011 starts off, the WACC General Secretary, the Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, has stated that peace journalism is fundamental for reversing the spiral of violence and conflicts around the world. “As the latest news of conflict and violence reach us at the beginning of 2011, I am encouraged by the commitment of WACC members and partners to reverse the spiral of violence and destruction and to create a spiral of reconciliation and life through projects that aim to help people explain the causes of conflict, to explore potential ways of resolving them, and to build a culture of peace,” she wrote in a New Year’s message for the People’s Reporter, India.
The Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, WACC General Secretary (photo by Richard C. Choe/WACC©)