SIGNIS
Formation | World Assembly OCIC and Unda in Rome 2001 |
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Type | International Non-Profit Organisation |
Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
Location |
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Membership |
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Official languages | English, French, Spanish |
Secretary General | Peter Rachada Monthienvichienchai (Thailand) |
President | Helen Osman (USA) |
Vice-President | María José Centurión (Paraguay) |
Vice-President | Paul Samasumo (Zambia) |
Ecclesiastical Assistant | Fr Luis Garcia Orso (Mexico) |
Website | www.signis.net |
SIGNIS (official name: World Catholic Association for Communication)
The word SIGNIS (always in uppercase) is a combination of the words SIGN and IGNIS (Latin for "fire"). It is not an acronym.[2]
The
SIGNIS has consultative status with UNESCO, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, in Geneva and New York City and the Council of Europe.[8]
Mission
SIGNIS is a worldwide network working in media, with the aim of alerting Christians to the importance of human communication in every culture, and encouraging them to speak out in this sector. SIGNIS, which represents Catholic media in all the governmental and nongovernmental organizations and institutions, is committed to lobbying for policies to encourage communications that respect Christian values, justice and human rights; to involving media professionals in the dialogue on questions of professional ethics, and to fostering ecumenical and interfaith cooperation in the media sector.[9]
The Mission of SIGNIS is: "To engage with media professionals and support Catholic Communicators to help transform our cultures in the light of the Gospel by promoting Human Dignity, Justice and Reconciliation."[10]
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
The
As a fruit of the contemporary Catholic Action, UCIP was founded in Belgium in 1927.[14] A year later, the Office Catholique Internationale du Cinéma (OCIC) came into being in The Netherlands,[15] and the Bureau Catholic International de Radiodiffusion (BCIR) in Germany. In 1946, BCIR became the international professional Catholic association for radio and television, Unda.[16]
OCIC, Unda, and UCIP had similar objectives: to bring together Catholics already working as professionals in the media (OCIC in the field of cinema, Unda in radio and television, and UCIP in the press). The interest of Catholics in the press and especially in the new media was understandable. They saw the opportunities offered by the mass media to present their views and opinions on life and the world and so they naturally became involved in promoting education and values.
These professional Catholic lay associations, working in the world of the professional media, wanted to unite their efforts against the
As a result of the merger of the Catholic media organizations OCIC and Unda, SIGNIS was founded in 2001.
Catholics and cinema
Catholics were involved in the new art of cinema from its inception. In November 1895, the Catholic University of Louvain organised a screening of the
Early film producers like
One of the Belgian pioneers was Abbé Abel Brohée, who was active in the Catholic Action Movement and began to bring order to these Catholic initiatives. By the 1920s, he was convinced that it was necessary to inform the public of the moral value of films. His aim was not to limit the action of Catholics to moral quotations. He wanted a presence "on all fronts". That is why, as early as 1921, he joined a group of Catholics who had founded a distribution agency under the name Brabo-Films. He became one of the leading personalities, as president of OCIC in the 1930s, in the field of cinema. OCIC itself was the result of international politics.[24]
In 1919, the League of Nations was established in Geneva with the objective to prevent another world war by promoting a culture of peace and dialogue. This was not only a matter of politicians and diplomats but also and a matter of the cultural world. In 1922, a technical committee for culture, the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation (CICI), was formed, with personalities like Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Gabriela Mistral, and Henri Bergson, to shape the mind of the members of the League of Nations, for example, toward rectifying errors in text books which were alleged to be a mainspring of racial prejudices. Out of this committee came a permanent organisation to study the development of cinema as a tool of education. Only member states and international organisations were admitted to this organization. In 1926, the International Union of Catholic Women's Leagues (UILFC – since 1952, the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations, WUCWO) urged Catholics involved in cinema to build an international Catholic cinema organisation in order to have a say in the international film work of the League of Nations. This led to the founding of OCIC in 1928 with its first secretary general the French canon Joseph Reymond, who also became the secretary of the International Educational Cinematographic Institute (IECI) of the League of Nations.[25] It was a way to counter the influence of those who had a negative attitude towards the Catholic world.
OCIC developed a complex but largely positive approach to this new art. It wanted to offer guidance to audiences and to discover and foster productions which promoted the same values as Christians did. It wanted to inform
While Unda was much more involved in its development with specifically Catholic production for Catholic audiences, OCIC soon realised that film production was beyond the funds and technical abilities of its members. There were some hopes and flirtations with production in the early 1930s,[27] especially in the Netherlands, but the members and leadership of OCIC saw that their work was in collaboration in promoting exhibition, distribution, review, and critical writing on cinema.
During canon Jean Bernard's presidency (1947–1972), the writing and reviews continued but the main development was the establishing of juries at international film festivals, in collaboration with the directors and boards of the festivals, beginning at the
Preservation of film also became a concern. The consequences for OCIC in terms of policy and power was that it could not be described as a 'sacristy' organization. Later, a succinct description of how OCIC saw its scope (as the president, Fr.
From the 1930s on, the Vatican began to have a closer interest in cinema. With the letter of Pius XI in 1936, Vigilanti Cura, the official teaching of the Church on cinema was positive (even though the document began 'With vigilant care'). Amongst the ideas put forward by Pius XI was one that would challenge philosophers and theologians, that cinema teaches the majority of men and women more effectively than abstract reasoning (no.23). Just over twenty years later,
OCIC's periodicals (1937–2001)
In March 1937, the first Newsletter of OCIC was published in Brussels. It was only in French. It was mimeographed and produced in the office and the first issue counted five pages send by post to the members and other stakeholders. Although it was not in German, the newsletter Informations de l'OCIC had also a German title Mitteilungen des Internationales Katholischen Filmbüro. When the war started in Belgium in May 1940, the publication didn't continue. It was picked up in November 1944 by Felix Morlion as "Les Formations de l'OCIC". "Bulletin of the OCIC – Office Catholique International du Cinema – International Catholic Office for Film Affairs – Continuation of the Bulletin" formerly published at 6 rue Traverstière, Brussels". Only a few issues were published and the last came out in 1947 when the situation in Belgium had become normal.
In 1949, the International Film Review (English Edition) and Revue Internationale du Cinéma (French Edition) was launched under the direction of André Ruszkowski and published in Luxemburg. Later, a Spanish edition was published in Madrid Revista Internacional del Cine containing not the same articles as in its French and English edition. A German edition began at Trier in 1951. This important illustrated publication, directed after the departure of Ruszkowski by Pierre d'André and then by the Jesuit Emmanuel Flipo in Paris, reached more than 170 issues. In the first years, it became worldwide an eye opener for the professional film world and film journalists and film historians. It gave a lot of attention to non-American cinema: European, Asian, and Latin American. In 1955, it published a special issue dedicated to filmology, which was at that time, a new way of approaching film analysis. In 1948, the OCIC board members met the founder of filmology in Paris Gilbert Cohen-Séat at the Venice Film Festival. In 1973, through lack of funds, OCIC reverted to its bulletin OCIC Information published in French, Spanish, and English – which had then existed already more than twenty years.
After an issue 0 published in July 1952, OCIC did launch at the end of that year for the second time
In 1979, the new secretary-general Robert Molhant started again a quarterly magazine called first OCIC-Info in different language versions: French, English, and Spanish, illustrated and printed on their own printing machine – offset press in Brussels. First transforming the internal bulletin into an international periodical for internal and external use. In 1988, it changed its name into CINE-MEDIA and gradually it became a trilingual international quarterly magazine. It wanted to show the world OCIC activities – of the General Secretariat and its members – and reflections on cinema in the secular world. The need to have a new internal bulletin was felt and OCIC info did appear once more. It existed till the end of 2001, the moment OCIC merged with Unda into SIGNIS.
General Secretariat – Location
In 1928, OCIC was founded in the Dutch city The Hague (Den Haag). The first secretary general was Rev. Reymond who got the secretariat established in Paris. In 1933, the secretariat moved from Paris to Leuven (Belgium) where the new president Brohée and the new secretariat Bernard were. Two years later, the staff moved to Brussels to the Rue Traversière. This office was occupied from 1940 to 1944 and after the war, it was the new secretary general Yvonne de Hemptinne who integrated the secretariat in her home at the rue de l'Orme, also in Brussels from 1946 to 1996, where it had to be abandoned due to expropriation and the project of the government to demolish the building for a new construction (which was not done until 2018). Between 1996 and 2001, the secretariat found a home in a Catholic school also in Brussels, rue Saphir, where it got a whole wing of four floors and an enormous basement to its disposal.
General Assemblies (World Congress) of OCIC and its international studydays
- 1928: La Haye: Foundation of the International Catholic Office for Cinema
- 1929: Munich: With the BCIR first international Congress, the General Assembly of OCIC
- 1933: Brussels: With the Belgian Centre Catholic d'Action Cinématogrpahique (CCAC), reorganisation of the international organisation with international studydays
- 1938: Vienna: Cancelled because of the international political situation – the Anschluss of Austria by Nazi Germany – because the OCIC was anti-Nazi
- 1947: Brussels: World Congress of OCIC with international study days theme on Catholic Action in Cinema considered in the light of the teachings of the encyclical Vigilanti Cura
- 1950: Rome: International study days on spiritual values in the film profession
- 1951: Luzern: International study days on Christian film critic
- 1952: Madrid: International study days on Film education
- 1953: Malta: International study days on Cinema and the Missions
- 1954: Cologne: International study days on the moral classification of films
- 1955: Dublin: International study days on the distribution and the influence of the moral classification of films
- 1957: Havana: World Congress with International study days on the promotion of good films by film associations
- 1958: Paris: International study days on the promotion of good films for a broad public
- 1960: Vienna: International study days on cinema, youth, and the government
- 1962: Montréal: World Congress with Unda and international studydays on creators of films and television productions
- 1964: Venice: International study days on cinematographic exhibition and its function towards the audience
- 1966: Cuernavaca: International study days at Ivan Illich's center – CIDOC (Centro Intercultural de Documentación), on the apostolat of cinema in the light of the Second Vatican Council
- 1967: Berlin: International study days during the Berlin International Film Festival with Interfilm – the international Protestant organisation for film – on Communication creation, the sacred and cinema, the visualisation of the relations man and women in the film, and the film for and with children
- 1968: Beirut: World Congress of OCIC with International study days on Cinema at the service of evangelisation
- 1971: Gwatt: International and interconfessionnal (with Interfilm) meeting in Switzerland on short films and audiovisual programmes at the service of the Christian message
- 1972: Deauville: World Congress of OCIC with study days on cinema and the human development; the name of OCIC is changed into International Catholic 'Organisation' for Cinema
- 1975: Petrópolis: World Congress of OCIC with international study days on cinema as a communication instrument between human beings.
- 1977: Munich: World Congress with international study days on cinema as a means of human promotion and the encounter between cultures.
- 1980: Manilla: World Congress of OCIC with international study days on cultural and social influence of foreign films
- 1983: Nairobi: World Congress of OCIC with the common OCIC–Unda international study days on communication and human promotion, the challenges today – with common studydays with Unda and the keynote speech by Sean MacBride
- 1987: Quito: World Congress of OCIC with the common Unda–OCIC study days on culture, media and Gospel Values – with a keynote speech by the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi
- 1990: Bangkok: World Congress of OCIC and Unda with study days on the new Media age and its challenge
- 1994: Prague: World Congress of OCIC and Unda with study days on media and human dignity
- 1998: Montréal: World Congress of OCIC and Unda with study days on creativity in the media sphere: spiritual opportunity
- 2001: Rome: World Congress of OCIC and Unda – merging into SIGNIS.
Catholics and radio and television
Catholic radio producers had realized by the mid-1920s that radio had become, like cinema, an important means of spreading ideas, and could therefore influence the views of millions and connect them to Christian values. Already in December 1923, the radio world was waiting for the first international move of the churches to bring religion by means of radio to "humanity". This was put forward because in the Vatican, the Pope was interested to spread the Christian message to all over the earth. The Company of Guglielmo Marconi was already involved in building a radio to transmit the "voice of the Holy Father to almost every land". It became a race against time because the Protestants had the same plans to be present in the world via the new invention which was the radio.[30]
In the US, the first Catholic stations went on the air in 1925 in
European Catholic broadcasters did meet for the first time in May 1927 in Cologne (Germany) while attending an international press exhibition organized by Dr. Konrad Adenauer, the mayor of the city. They decided to gather again a year later to discuss the creating of a permanent international organization for Catholics in radio. This meant not only Catholic radio, but also Catholics working in non-Catholic radio stations. In 1928, they did found the Bureau Catholique International de Radiodiffusion (BCIR) in Cologne during their meeting in June of that year. The name BICR was changed after the war into Unda. The president of BCIR was Fr. Perquin; the director was Msgr. Bernhard Marschall, responsible for the Catholic radio in Germany and of the BCIR General Secretariat in Cologne. At its first International Congress (1929) in Munich, BICR drew attention to the importance of radio for religious, cultural, and social life. It issued a blueprint for action: "Decisions for Catholics and Broadcasting". It also established criteria for membership: "National Committees", representing Catholic individuals and groups professionally or pastorally engaged in broadcasting. In that spirit, BCIR invited Catholics to collaborate with radio companies (private or public) in making religious programmes and to foster Christian values.[33] In 1930, BCIR established formal liaison with the Geneva-based Union Internationale de Radiodiffusion. BCIR was also asked to help in organizing Vatican Radio's first broadcast and to advise them in this new communication domain.
In the 1930s, Catholic broadcasters worldwide had an optimistic view of the development of radio and, later, of the new medium of television. It could transcend frontiers and bring peoples and cultures together. It could be a means of exchanging cultural values, a way of fostering mutual understanding. Radio was thought of as the means par excellence for reconciling peoples, fostering fellowship among nations, and promoting peace. Like OCIC, BCIR also developed different aspects of media education.[34] Due to the arrival of the Nazis into power, the BCIR General Secretariat moved in 1935 from Germany to Amsterdam. Fr. Perquin resigned and Msgr. Marschall became the new president and the Dutch Dominican Fr. John Dito o.p. of the KRO became the new General Secretary.
After
From 26 to 30 April 1954, Unda conducted an International Congress for Radio/TV specialists and professionals from thirty-two countries attended to talk about preaching via radio and television, family and radio and television (with Fr. Angnellus Andrew o.f.m, working for the BBC, and so on. At the end of the meeting, the Unda General Assembly elected Fr. Kors o.p. as president. Two months later, Unda did found the Department of Television, which was a sub-secretariat directed in paris by the Dominican Fr. Raymond Pichard o.p. He started to develop a network of eighty TV specialists in twenty countries and published a monthly International Catholic TV review. In February 1954, Unda organized the first International Catholic Conference for Television in Paris and had as its theme "The Status of Catholic Television and Its Place Within National Broadcasting Systems". Due to the conference, the first Eurovision broadcast could be worked out. With the Eurovision officials at the European Broadcasting Union, the Pope could give a message in Italian, French, German, English, and Dutch on Pentecost Sunday.[36]
Christian Television Weeks
In 1969, the European members of Unda (Unda Europe) and WACC organized the first joint Christian Television Week at Monte-Carlo. Television stations and networks from sixteen countries submitted a total of fifty-two programmes for competition in three categories: drama, entertainment, and news, documentary. Participation took place worldwide. It is done both Unda and WACC, but they take turns as chief organizer; when Unda is responsible, it delegates the job to its European affiliates. The idea is to be an ecumenical forum for fostering TV programmes of high professional standard which reflect the vision of Christianity and values proper to man. Since then the event occurred every two years.
- 1969: Monte Carlo
- 1971: Baden-Baden
- 1973: Salzburg
- 1975: Brighton
- 1977: Montreux
- 1979: Stockholm
- 1981: Amsterdam
- 1983: Dublin
- 1989: Hilversum
- 1995: Buxton
- 1998: Toulouse
Unda's periodicals (1934–2001)
The 1934 publication of the first BCIR Bulletin represents a principal aim of the organisation through its entire history: to collect and diffuse information and documentation on broadcasting Catholics working in the church but above all in the secular world of broadcasting. The organisation (first BCIR and then Unda) published in his monthly bulletin, a quarterly review or both news for and about the members, coverage of major BCIR/Unda events, commentaries on official Church events and pronouncements, topis in broadcasting (matters of professional technical or pastoral interest), and announcements/decisions of the organisation's governing authorities. In its history, the publications were mostly in English and French but sometimes a number of editions were published in German and Spanish. It aimed a readership which were not only its members and church-related institutions but also the professional world, listeners, and viewers.
- BCIR Bulletin (quarterly) published between 1934 and 1945 in French, edited by KRO(Netherlands)
- Unda Bulletin published in 1948 in Fribourg, Switzerland
- International Catholic TV review, (monthly) published in 1952 by Fr. Raymond Pichard
- * Unda-Documentation, a quarterly review launched in December 1976
General Assemblies of BCIR and Unda
- 1928: Cologne: Foundation of the Bureau Catholique International de Radiodiffusion (BCIR)
- 1929: Munich: Together with OCIC.
- 1936: Prague
- 1947: Fribourg: With the installation of the new General Secretariat in Fribourg and with the new name of Unda (wave)
- 1951: Madrid
- 1953: Cologne
- 1955: Vienna: The themes of the Assembly's study sessions were The Priest Before the Microphone, Broadcasting in the Service of Education, and Liturgy and Television.
- 1957: Geneva
- 1960: Monte Carlo
- 1962: Montréal: The theme of the Assembly's study sessions: Broadcasting and !asic Education in Latin America and Africa.
- 1965: Rome: The theme of the Assembly's study sessions: The Christian Conscience and Radio and Television in a World Characterized by Change.
- 1968: Munich
- 1971: New Orleans
- 1974: Dublin: The theme of the Assembly's study sessions: Mass Media as instruments for evangelization and human development
- 1977: Namur: The theme of the Assembly's study sessions: The needs of our society and the response of mass media
- 1980: Manilla: The theme of the Assembly's study sessions: The role of Unda in a World of Media
- 1983: Nairobi: World Congress Unda with the common Unda–OCIC international study days on Communication and human promotion, the challenges today – with common studydays with Unda and the keynote speech by Sean MacBride
- 1987: Quito: World Congress Unda with the common Unda–OCIC international study days on culture, media, and Gospel Values
- 1990: Bangkok: World Congress of Unda with the common Udna–OCIC international study days on the new Media age and its challenge
- 1994: Prague: World Congress of Unda the common Unda–OCIC international study days on media and human dignity
- 1998: Montréal: World Congress of Unda with the common Unda–OCIC international study days on creativity in the media sphere: spiritual opportunity
- 2001: Rome: Concluded with the merger with OCIC into SIGNIS.
Catholics and the press
In the 19th century, Catholic newspapers and magazines were founded in countries across the world. The first Catholic diocesan paper in the US, for example, was
In 1930, the first Universal Congress of Catholic Journalists was organized in Brussels.
After the war, the secretariat of the organisation was transferred to Paris. The fourth congress was held in Paris in May 1954, on the theme: "The Catholic press in the world, its mission, its future", with the participation of 250 journalists from 28 countries. At the UCIP Congress in Vienna in 1957, with four hundred participants from 32 countries, it was stated that one of the aims of the Catholic press was to become a trusted source of information for non-Catholics. In 1963, Pope John XXIII declared in his encyclical Pacem in terris (Peace on Earth) freedom of speech and publication to be a human right.
One of the significant Congresses was the one held in 1965 in New York. It was UCIP's eighth Congress, held together with the 55th annual convention of the CPA, and 800 journalists, including 600 from the United States, discussed the theme: "The truth in the search for freedom." The discussions were about freedom in politics, in art, in the press, and the relation between freedom and authority, freedom and civic rights, and freedom and the international order. Afterwards the name was changed to International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP). At its fiftieth anniversary in 1977, the twelfth World Congress of UCIP was held in Vienna, bringing together 350 participants. It was preceded by a meeting of about fifty delegates from so-called "
On 19 September 2001, a few days after the attack on the World Trade Center towers, more than a thousand participants attended the twentieth UCIP Congress, at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, to discuss the theme: "The Media and the Challenge of Globalization." Congress delegates issued a statement in which they condemned terrorism as well as all acts of violence against innocent victims. They pleaded for dialogue, reconciliation, and peace. The meeting of reporters, editors, and professors of journalism and communication aimed to give "the opportunity to understand and analyze globalization in both its positive and negative effects." Two days before the Congress, the International Meeting of Young Journalists, a branch of UCIP, was held. Despite the reluctance of the Vatican, the UCIP adopted somewhat later new statutes that allow the reception of non-Catholics.[14] Due to administrative mismanagement of the elections of the board of UCIP of 2007 at the 22nd Congress in Sherbrooke, Canada and other issues, the Vatican withdrew recognition of UCIP as a Catholic association.[46][47] Following a formal statement made by the Vatican – "resulting from the serious management crisis the organisation has been experiencing for years" – UCIP (International Catholic Press Union) was no longer able to use the adjective "Catholic".[48]
UCIP's periodicals
In 1952, the first newsletter was sent out from the Paris General Secretariat of UCIP. It was published in French as Bulletin International de l'UICP, and in Spanish. Later editions were also published in German and English. Between 1961 and 1972, a bi-monthly publication called Journalistes Catholiques (65 issues) were published by the UCIP Secretary General, the French Assumptionist Fr. Emile Gabel (1908–1968).
General Assemblies of UCIP
- 1930: Brussels: First World Congress of the Catholic Press
- 1936: Rome: 2nd International Congress of Catholic Journalists
- 1950: Rome: 3rd UICP World Congress
- 1954: Paris: 4th UICP World Congress on The Catholic Press in the world, its mission and its future, May
- 1957: Vienna: 5th UICP World Congress
- 1960: Santander: 6th UICP World Congress
- 1963: Rome: 7th UICP World Congress
- 1965: New York City: 8th UICP World Congress
- 1968: Berlin: 9th UCIP World Congress
- 1971: Luxembourg: 10th UCIP World Congress
- 1974: Buenos Aires: 11th UCIP World Congress
- 1977: Vienna: 12th UCIP World Congress
- 1980: Rome: 13th UCIP World Congress
- 1983: Dublin: 14th UCIP World Congress
- 1986: New Delhi: 15th UCIP World Congress
- 1989: Ruhpolding: 16th UCIP Congress
- 1992: Campos do Jordão: 17th UCIP World Congress
- 1995: Graz: 18th UCIP World Congress
- 1998: Paris: 19th UCIP World Congress on The Press: A Medium for Tomorrow
- 2001: Fribourg: 20th UCIP World Congress on Media and the Challenge of Globalization
- 2004: Bangkok: 21st UCIP World Congress on Media Challenges amidst Cultural and Religions Pluralism for a new Social Order, Justice and Peace
- 2007: Sherbrooke: 24th UCIP World Congress on Media and Religion: Risk or Opportunity?
- 2010: Ouagadougou: UCIP World Congress
Catholics in radio, television, cinema, and press working together
From the 1960s, Unda and OCIC began to hold joint meetings and assemblies and incorporated work on the small and grassroots media that were then being developed.[49] After the Unda-OCIC Congress in Manilla in 1980, the first joint meeting of the boards of Unda and OCIC was held in Washington in 1982 to study mutual relations. A commission, led by the American Fr. John Geaney, CSP, suggested that the two organizations should merge. But at the World Congress in Quito of 1987, the proposal was not accepted: they said yes to intense collaboration, but no to a merger. This decision was a paradox, because a few days earlier, the Latin American branches of the three Catholic organizations for the press, cinema, and radio and TV (UCLAP, OCIC-AL, Unda-AL) had created a joint secretariat to cover all the media, but the rest of the world did not follow them. The 1980s saw the proliferation of video use, soon followed by rapid developments in information technology and the growth of digital media and the Internet.[50]
Between UCIP, Unda, and OCIC, there were always contacts. As the offices of OCIC and (since the 1970s for) Unda were also in Belgium, these contacts were easy and friendly. All three organizations were represented on the board of the
Catholics and media education
SIGNIS recognizes the power of the media and their influence in all aspects of individual, community, and social life.
Catholics and the digital world
From the 1970s on, the
Opportunities created by new technology, by the process of globalization, by deregulation and privatization of the media present new ethical and indeed spiritual challenges to those who work in social communications. These challenges will be met effectively by those who accept that serving the human person, building up a community grounded in solidarity, justice, and love, and speaking the truth about human life and its final fulfillment in God were, are, and will remain at the heart of ethics in the media.
In
From 1980 on, this was a reinforced tendency for OCIC and Unda. In 1981, Br. Ferdinand Poswick,[56] linked with OCIC, launched his project to digitalize the Bible and to bring it in the digital new world for research.[57] The digital evolution, or revolution, had an indirect influence on the birth of SIGNIS. In 1993, the General Secretariat of OCIC with its secretary general Robert Molhant introduced the e-mail, first with the Missionary Service of OCIC in Rome and then with the members worldwide. The organisation entered a new era of communication. In the 1990s, it was clear for Unda, OCIC, and even UCIP that in the digital world, the images and sounds (television, film, music, radio, and journalism) were dissolving the boundaries between traditional media. In 1996, OCIC organised at its 4th World Video and Multimedia Forum in Cologne, Germany, themed to "A symposium on the Computer and its global Empire". The keynote was given by Derrick de Kerckhove. His words on 28 September 1996 in Cologne that the "user of the internet provides the content" were prophetic. Catholic communicators then asked him the question "How will the technology use us?" At that time, he couldn't give a clear answer, but he drew attention to the possible ethical effects on the digital new world.[58] At the OCIC/Unda World Congress in Rome in 2001, at the birth of SIGNIS, a symposium/seminar was given by webmasters. In 2006, SIGNIS staff member Jim McDonnell presented a paper to the ECIC in London,[59] linking media literacy and advocacy issues.[60] In 2008, a cover story on the changing media landscape which is the establishing of the digital world was published in SIGNIS Media. For SIGNIS, there is also the dimension of how the values of the gospel can be present and enhance the digital age at the service for a better world for humankind. At the SIGNIS Quebec World Congress in June 2017, the Board established a digital desk alongside the other desks (cinema, television, radio, media education, and journalism).[61] The theme of the SIGNIS-Africa General Congress and Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in September 2019 was "The African Youth in the Digital World; Promoting Creativity for Integral Development". The theme came up with the conclusion that the digital media should be at the service of integral human development, especially that of the youth in Africa who are the majority of the population in the continent. The SIGNIS-Africa President, Fr. Walter Ihejirika from Nigeria, affirmed that the Congress aimed at creating practical pathways for promoting the welfare of youth and children in the changing digital world. He stressed the need of building SIGNIS-Africa into a strong communication association capable of addressing communication challenges in Africa for purposes of empowering the youth.
Presidents and secretaries general of OCIC, Unda, UCIP, and SIGNIS
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
UCIP secretary-generals and presidents 1927–2011
UCIP secretary-generals for the period 1927–2011: Joseph Ageorges (France, 1927–1940); Hein Houben (The Netherlands; 1935–1940); Jean-Pierre Dubois‐Dumée (France, 1950–1955); Emile Gabel (France, 1955–1968); Pierre Chevalier (France, 1974–1980); Bruno Holtz (Switzerland, 1984–1993); Joseph Chittilappilly (India, 1993–2011)
UCIP presidents for the period 1927–2011: René Delforge (Belgium, 1927–1934); Count Giuseppe Dalla Torre (Italy, 1936–1960); Raimondo Manzini (Italy, 1960–1972); Louis Meerts (Belgium, 1972–1980); Hanns Sassman (Austria, 1980–1986); Günther Mees (Germany, 1992–1998); Theresa Ee Chooi (Malaysia, 1998–2011)
Unda secretary-generals and presidents 1928–2001
Unda secretary-generals for the period 1928–2001: Mgr. Bernhard Marschall (Germany, 1928–1935); P. John Dito (OP, The Netherlands, 1935–1938); M. Paul Andrien Speet (The Netherlands, 1938–1942); M. Joseph Diening (The Netherlands, 1942–1950); M. François Van Hoek (Switzerland, 1950–1952); P. John Dito (OP, The Netherlands, 1952–1953); P. Bonaventura Jansen (OP, The Netherlands, 1953–1954); Fr. Joseph Schneuwly (Switzerland, 1954–1971); Fr. John Stapleton (UK, 1971–1974); Fr. Jean Desautels (SJ, Canada, 1974–1981); Fr. Colm Murphy (Ireland, 1981–1994); Fr. Victor Sunderaj (India, 1994–1998); Fr. Pierre Bélanger (SJ, Canada, 1998–2001)
Unda presidents for the period 1928–2001: P. Lambert Henricus Perquin (OP, The Netherlands, 1928–1935); Mgr. Bernhard Marschall (Germany, 1935–1938); Fr. John Dito (OP, The Netherlands, 1938–1946); Mgr F. Prosperini (Italy, 1946–1948); P. Johannes Benedict Kors (OP, The Netherlands, 1950–1962); Mgr. Jacques Haas (Switzerland, 1962–1968); Fr. Agnellus Andrew (OFM, Scotland, 1968–1980); P. Anthony Scannell (OFM Cap. USA, 1980–1987); Mr. Chainarong Monthienvichienchai (Thailand, 1987–1994); Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski (MHSH, USA, 1994–2001)
OCIC secretary-generals and presidents 1928–2001
OCIC secretary-generals for the period 1928–2001: Rev. Joseph Reymond (France, 1928–1933); Fr. Jean Bernard (Luxembourg, 1935–1947); Fr. Felix Morlion (Belgium, 1944–1945 – provisory secretary-general); Mrs. Yvonne de Hemptinne (Belgium, 1947–1978); M. Robert Molhant (Belgium, 1979–2002).
OCIC presidents for the period 1928–2001: Dr. George Ernst (Germany, 1928–1933); Canon Abel Brohée (Belgium, 1933–1947); Rev. Jean Bernard (Switzerland, 1947–1972); Rev. Lucien Labelle (Canada, 1972–1980); Fr. Ambros Eichenberger (o.p., Switzerland, 1980–1990); Fr. Henk Hoekstra (O. Carm. The Netherlands, 1990–1998); Fr. Peter Malone (MSC, Australia, 1998–2002)
SIGNIS secretary-generals and presidents 2001–
SIGNIS secretary-generals for the period 2001–: M. Robert Molhant (Belgium, 2001–2005); M. Marc Aellen (Switzerland, 2006–2007); Fr. Bernardo Suate (Mozambique, 2007–2008); M. Alvito de Souza (Kenya, 2008–2015).[62] M. Ricardo Yañez (USA/Argentina, 2015–2022); M. Peter Rachada Monthienvichienchai (Thailand, 2022– )
SIGNIS presidents for the period 2001–: Fr. Peter Malone (MSC, Australia, 2001–2005); M. Augie Loorthusamy (Malaysia, 2005–2014). M. Gustavo Andujar (Cuba, 2014–2017), Ms. Helen Osman (USA, 2017–)
Structure and activities of SIGNIS
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
SIGNIS, an international organisation according to
The organization's diverse programmes cover different media/communication fields and for each one, a special department was founded, called a "desk". It consists of a president and a network of regional representatives. Each desk has a secretary who works with the General Secretariat in Brussels. Each secretary is responsible for the coordination and the daily work of the desk. The desks develop the different media/communication fields, promote the work of members in these fields, and help coordinate meetings and training.
The Cinema Desk
With the merger of OCIC with Unda into SIGNIS, the presence in festivals of Catholic members of the organisation not only continued but developed considerably.
The TV Desk
SIGNIS supports the production and distribution of quality television programmes throughout the world, organizing seminars that bring together TV producers, programmers, and channels searching for opportunities for co-production or collaboration. SIGNIS also collaborates with the Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN). It continues and develops the work of Unda in the different TV festivals, which started in the late 1950s in Monte Carlo. In the following years, Unda had juries at other international TV festivals including the Prix Italia and the Rose d'Or in Montreux.[68] In 2017, it gave prizes for the best of television in festivals at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, the Prix Italia, and the Plural+ Festival.[69] Every three years, the SIGNIS European region co-organized a European Television Festival of Religious Programmes with the WACC Europe, hosted by different national public broadcasters. The 2017 edition took place in Paris in June.[70]
In November 2003, SIGNIS held its first workshop for Catholic radio stations in East and South Africa in Cape Town, South Africa. This aimed to encourage networking and collective strategic planning to enable Catholic radio stations on the continent to better face the challenges and opportunities arising in their regions. SIGNIS was asked by these radio stations to concentrate its efforts within the existing ecclesiastical regional structures in Africa. Efforts were to be directed at strengthening local capacities within these existing structures rather than creating separate structures for networking radios in Africa to avoid duplication and unnecessary competition with existing Church structures. At the 2005 SIGNIS World Congress in Lyon, for the first time, a selected international panel of national and international Catholic radio networks as well as some major international Catholic radio stations from all around the world came together in a Consultative Seminar for Catholic radio networks.
International SIGNIS TV desk seminars of Catholic TV producers
The seminar is open to Catholic television stations, channels, institutions, producers, and production centres. The aim is to build a network and to share capacities, enable co-productions, and build a professional community. The first secretary general of SIGNIS, Robert Molhant, did initiate the TV seminars in 2003 with the first meeting in Cape Town.
- 2003: Cape Town (South Africa): In conjunction with the Sithengi television market and the SIGNIS Board meeting.
- 2004: Strasbourg (France): In conjunction with the SIGNIS Board meeting.
- 2005: Prague (Czech Republic)
- 2005: Lyon (France): In conjunction with the SIGNIS World Congress.
- 2006: Madrid (Spain): In conjunction with the World Congress of Catholic Television, an initiative of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (Vatican).
- 2007: Bucharest (Romania): In conjunction with the International Festival on Children's Rights, an initiative of both SIGNIS Romania and UNICEF.
- 2008: Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- 2009: Chiang Mai (Thailand): In conjunction with the SIGNIS World Congress.
- 2010: Luxembourg
- 2011: Costa Rica: With the theme: "New Media, New audiences and the challenges faced by Catholic producers".
- 2013: Nairobi (Kenya): With the theme: "Media for development".
- 2014: Saint Petersburg (Russia): With the theme: "Dialogue of Churches, Dialogue of cultures".
- 2015: Aparecida (Brasil): With the theme: "Knowing Your Audience: Connecting to the Periphery".
- 2016: Taipei (Taiwan): With the theme: "Imaging the Church in Media: Television and Journalism".
- 2018: Dublin (Eire): With the theme: "Beyond Production: Marketing for Maximum Impact".
The Radio Desk
SIGNIS supports the development of community radio and Catholic radio stations, and promotes existing radio networks and associations. Radio is still an important medium. SIGNIS is involved in Catholic and community radios all over the world and especially in Africa. SIGNIS does not intend to establish its own Catholic radio networks. Rather, SIGNIS seeks to reinforce existing networks and encourage interaction between networks to enhance the shared learning experience. SIGNIS policy is one of subsidiarity and promoting professional collaboration. SIGNIS Services Rome provides technical consultation and equipment to radio stations, especially in Africa. It helps with training, logistics, and building networks for its members.[71]
The Journalist Desk
Since 2014, SIGNIS has been actively working to offer a space for former members of UCIP and other Catholic journalist organizations in SIGNIS. In some cases, Catholic journalists are fully integrated into existing SIGNIS national structures (as, for example, in Brazil or Hungary), but the situation varies widely from country to country.[72] Also since then, SIGNIS has aimed to offer a place of exchange and solidarity for those Catholics working in all forms of journalism and publishing. It aims to promote ethical professional journalism in the new multimedia era; to build a global network for Catholic journalists working across different media in different regions; to strengthen solidarity and personal ties among Catholic journalists through regular sharing of stories and information; and to support freedom of expression and the rights of journalists. The first international seminar for Catholic journalists and writers was organized by SIGNIS in Kuala Lumpur. Some twenty Catholic journalists came from Pakistan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Singapore.[73]
The Media Education Desk
In 2007, SIGNIS representatives from Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Latin America, North America, and Europe initiated the SIGNIS Media Education Project (SiGMEP) aimed at setting up a Global Media Education Network and set out a SIGNIS Charter on Media Education.[74] In 2008, regional meetings were held in Asia and Europe to ratify this charter and elaborate regional media education plans. Since 2014, the newly formed "Media Education Desk" refocused its attention to develop and empower young communicators around the world. In order to concretely reach its goal, SIGNIS developed an intensive emersion and exposure communication program for young communicators: the COMMLAB (Communication Laboratory). Since then, participants from Asia, Africa and North America have graduated from COMMLAB.
The Digital Desk
The SIGNIS Desk was founded at the SIGNIS Quebec World Congress in June 2017. SIGNIS explores how best this new technology can be harnessed to serve the common good and enhance the quality of communication for the majority of people. One of SIGNIS' main objectives is to help reduce the digital divide between those countries closely "connected" to the global digital highways and those in the poorer regions of the world which are still struggling to "connect" to their own towns and villages.[59] For this, SIGNIS Services Rome provides an Internet service via satellite that covers all of Africa: the VSAT system.[75]
General Assemblies and World Congresses of SIGNIS
Every four years, the Assembly of Delegates of SIGNIS has to meet face-to-face to elect or re-elect its president, Vice Presidents, and to nominate the Secretary-General. This meeting brings together members of the Association from across the globe. It contains also a series of workshops, seminaries to share experiences, keynote speeches of specialists in different fields of communication, a film program, a board meeting, and other activities.
- 2001: Rome (Italy): World Congress: the merger of OCIC and Unda into the new World Association SIGNIS
- 2005: Lyon (France): World Congress SIGNIS: the theme was Peace through Media.
- 2009: Chiang Mai (Thailand): World Congress SIGNIS: the theme was Media for a Culture of Peace – Children's Rights, Tomorrow's Promise.
- 2013: Beirut (Lebanon): World Congress SIGNIS: foreseen but canceled
- 2014: Rome (Italy): World Congress SIGNIS: the theme was Media for a Culture of Peace: Creating Images with the New Generation.
- 2017: Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada (CPA) as member of SIGNIS. Guests of Honor: Martin Scorsese and Rock Demers.
- 2022: Seoul (South Korea): World Congress SIGNI: foreseen.
SIGNIS' periodicals since 2002
In 2002, SIGNIS started with a multilingual (Spanish/English/French) quarterly magazine called
The second issue of CineMag, presented at the
The third issue of CineMag was presented at the Baku cultural event in September 2019 and at the Religion Today Film Festival in Trento in October 2019 and is dedicated to the inter-religious dialogue.[78]
Members
SIGNIS in Africa and in the Indian Ocean Islands
The members in Africa and in the Indian Ocean Islands are:[79]
SIGNIS in Asia
The members of SIGNIS in Asia are:[79]
SIGNIS in Europe and the Middle East
The members of SIGNIS in Europe and the Middle East are:[79]
SIGNIS in Latin America and the Caribbean
The members in Latin America and the Caribbean are:[79]
SIGNIS in North America
The members in North America are:[79]
Country | member |
---|---|
Canada (English) | ARCCC, Association of Roman Catholic Communicators of Canada |
Canada (French) | Communications et Société |
United States | Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals |
United States | CNS, Catholic News Service |
United States | |
United States | |
United States/Canada | CPA, Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada
|
SIGNIS in the Pacific
The members of the Pacific are:[79]
SIGNIS International Members
The group of International Members are:[79]
SIGNIS Associates
The members "Associates" are:[79]
Country | member |
---|---|
Croatia | Laudato TV |
Ireland | Radharc Films |
Italy | Religion Today Festival |
Liberia | Radio VERITAS |
Spain | Kinema siete, Asociación Cultural |
See also
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