271, Oct 2007

IN THIS ISSUE: HIV/AIDS Crusader is appointed Congress 2008 Bible study leader. Phumzile Zondi-Mabizela was diagnosed as HIV+ in 1999 and has since worked with many local, national and international organizations which are committed to the empowerment of people living with HIV and AIDS.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Regional highlights, pictorial news and programme updates:

HIV and AIDS street rallies held in Chad.
First ever Arabic kit to protect children against sexual abuse is developed.
WACC Executive committee meets in Guatemala.
North America region elects new executive committee.

Cover photo by Keith Knight, President, WACC-North America region.

(Mother and child at a Mayan village, in Guatemala. WACC’s Executive Committee visited the Mayan fortress and heard about Mayan spirituality from local groups during their annual meeting in Antiqua, Guatemala, 29 September to 1 October 2007).

HIV and AIDS rights advocate appointed conference Bible study leader

Cape Town, South Africa - The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) is pleased to announce that Ms Phumzile Zondi-Mabizela will serve as the leader of daily Bible study and prayers sessions for Congress 2008, the world communication conference scheduled for October 6-10, 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa.The event is expected to attract 350 communicators from faith-based and civil society organizations worldwide.

Communicators to promote peace

Cape Town, South Africa - Over 350 communicators and peace advocates in today’s globalised, conflict-ravaged world will gather in Cape Town, South Africa October 6-10 2008, to explore how communication can contribute to building a more peaceful world.

People from around the world will discuss the theme of Communication and peace: building viable communities, at a global meeting organised by the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC). Read more...

HIV/AIDS street rallies held in Chad

Moundou, Chad - As the deadly HIV and AIDS pandemic continues to rampage Africa and the world at large, activists in Chad, one of Africa's war-torn countries, recently held awareness rallies in the streets of Moundou. Clad in T-shirts emblazoned with the message : “Protégeons-nous, protégeons les autres contre le SIDA” (Let us Protect ourselves by protecting others against AIDS), the activists conducted open sessions where Chadians across the city freely discussed the scourge with doctors, social workers and other experts.Read more...

("Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission" )

WACC Executive committee meets in Guatemala

Antigua, Guatemala - WACC’s Executive Committee met in Antigua Guatemala, former capital of this Central American country. It took place 29 September to 1 October 2007. Under WACC’s new governance structure, the Board of Directors meets once every three years. The Executive Committee, made up of WACC’s Officers plus one representative of each region, meets annually in between.

WACC - North America region appoints new officers

Chicago, USA - WACC - North America members have elected new Executive Committee officers and reconfirmed others during their Annual General Meeting held in Chicago last month.

Keith Knight continues as the regional president till 2009 while Dr. Glory Dharmaraj finished her term as vice-president and WACC Board director. She was replaced by Rebekah Chevalier as vice- president.

Arabic kit developed to prevent child abuse

Beirut, Lebanon - The first ever awareness kit, in Arabic language, aimed at educating children to protect themselves against sexual abuse has been developed by a Lebanese human rights group. The kit was produced by KAFA, a human rights organization, also a member of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).

Fijian communicators struggle for gender equality

Suva, Fiji - As the global discourse on unequal representation of women in the media rages on, gender and media communicators met in Fiji, the island nation in the South Pacific, October 23-25, to learn advocacy skills to lobby for more gender-sensitivenews media.

"The stereotyped and unequal representation of women in the media remains one of the major impediments to the achievement of gender equality", said media expert Nebojsa Radic while training participants at the three-day workshop held in the Island's capital, Suva. Read more...

Pictorial news

Toronto, Canada - The Managing Editor of Ecumenical News International (ENI), Stephen Brown, (2nd left), during a recent visit to WACC's headquarters in Toronto, Canada where he held consultative meetings with WACC's staff on congress 2008 to be held in Cape Town, South Africa October 6-10.

WACC's staff: (left to right: Teresia Mutuku, Communications Officer and Web Manager, Randy Naylor, General Secretary, Kristine Greenaway, Congress Manager, Julienne Munyaneza, Programme Manager for HIV and Ecumenical Relations and Sarah Macharia, Programme Manager for Media and Gender Justice. (Photo by Edgar Bernal-Martinez, WACC)

Buenos Aires, Argentina - Some of the participants in the September 2007 regional consultation meeting organised by WACC in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to discuss and assess the support provided through its Development Initiative Programme with partners. WACC was represented at the meeting by the Deputy General Secretary and Director of Programmes, Lavinia Mohr and Programme Manager for Partnerships and Projects, Maria Teresa Aguirre. ( photo by Alma Montoya, Vice-Chair- WACC-Latin America region)