Essential need for human communication

To communicate is essential to Christian ministry. If we look into the early Church as reflected in the Acts of the Apostles we find that at that early stage everybody was a communicator of her/his faith. “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” it says in Acts 8,4 referring to the persecution in Jerusalem (cf. also Acts 11,19-21!). Even when exiled, persecuted and driven away they communicated and shared their faith and conviction to people around them. In fact they saw it as a special calling and grace to become this way missionaries of the early faith community. It was the Holy Spirit who guided and ‘inspired’ them beyond any technical means. “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip…” (8, 26); “Encouraged by the Holy Spirit” the church grew in Judea, Galilee and Samaria (9, 31); “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul…” (13, 2) “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia…” (16, 6) This should not be different in the communication of the Church today! Therefore a proper communication education has to start on this personal and spiritual level. It has to start with the Holy Spirit!

Here we might also look in a special way into the ways and means of Jesus’ communication. How did the master himself communicate? He is not the “perfect Communicator” because he was successful in the modern sense of the word. He did not convert the Pharisees and the scribes but
he communicated the love and care of the Father and His Kingdom. He became the perfect communicator because he lived and practiced the basics of any human and Christian communication! He communicated in word and deed. The circumstances of his life, his birth in the manger, his death on the cross are a communication of God’s love and his humility to become
one of us. It is “giving of self in love” which is at the essence of Jesus’ communication of any Christian communication as one of the church documents described it (Communio et Progressio, 1971, no. 11).

Jesus’ healing and dealing with people reflects the basics of Christian communication. The healing of the mother in Law of Peter (Mk 1, 31) is just one example: He goes to her, holds her by the hand, and lifts her up i.e. heals her. These are the basics of any human and Christian communication which have to be developed already from the early stages in the seminary as an essential habit of a minister:

 Go to a person
 Place yourself into her/his situation (‘shoes’), and
 Lift her/him up, help and heal in the power of God/Christ.

If all our ministries and even our own lives and dealings with each other would be based on these
three steps our own communities and the world probably would be different! This shows also that seminary education in communication is not first and foremost a technical task but rather a concern for a deep spirituality and faith. It might be good at this stage also to remind ourselves that there is a great difference between training and formation which comes into play here. Training is concerned about skills whereas formation leads to an inner disposition. What we need first and foremost is a proper formation which is not only reflected in a curriculum but rather in the spiritual formation and the personal relationship and experience of the Lord. It really means to put on the body and soul of Christ in relating with others, in our own “giving of self in love” (C+P 11). It is not measured first and foremost in the ‘Doing’ but rather in the ‘Being’. Communication education in the seminary must start on the level of formation and develop from
there. Placed into an overview one might see the different levels and concerns in the following
way:

· Education > Knowledge
· Training > Skills: ‘Doing’
· Formation > inner disposition: ‘Being’

Proper communication education starts on the level of formation which is not only taught in words and prescriptions but on the level of deep spirituality and faith and example. This must also be considered as a special concern in Asia because our Asian cultures are based and have their essential identity from their spirituality.

ICT IN EDUCATION 1: MALAYSIA

Aims for Development

8.1 The development plan for ICT in education within the next 10 years aims to intensify the development of ICT infrastructure; expand access to and equity for ICT facilities; expand ICT-based curriculum; improve on the assessment and evaluation systems using ICT; emphasise ICT integration in teaching and learning processes; improve on ICT knowledge and skills among students, teachers and personnel; intensify ICT usage in education management; improve on the management and maintenance of ICT equipment; increase R&D efforts in ICT; and increase cooperation between educational institutions and the community towards expansion of ICT in education.

THE RUFIJI DELTA PRAWNS PROJECT

A foreign investor proposes to start prawn farming in the delta of the Rufiji River, which is the largest river in Tanzania. The project will involve the construction of ponds covering an area of 15,000 ha. This project, has generated a lot of controversy, both in terms of the number of the villagers who would be displaced and the long-term effects of environmental degradation to the area. Some people, opposed to the project, went to the extent of likening it to the tragedy which has befallen the Ogoni people in Nigeria, whose land has been extensively degraded by activities
of the multi-national oil companies.

The Rufiji Delta people themselves are also d ivided on the issue. Th e re are those who support the pro j e c t , citing its economic benefits (including employment ) , and those who oppose it. Those in opposition are supported by a my riad of env i ronmentalists including vocal non-gove rnmental orga n i z ations such as the Env i ro n m e ntal Jo u rnalists Orga n i z ation of Tanzania (JET), the Land Rights Research and Resources Institute (LARRRI) and the Tanzania Gender Netwo rk i n g P rogramme (TGNP) as well as the National Env ironmental Management Council (NEMC), wh i ch conducted an env i ronment impact assessment and advised the gove rnment against the pro j e c t . Despite all the opposition, the government approved the project. Although the project has yet to start, the people of Rufiji have gone to court to protest it. Let me at this juncture point out the ve ry c o m m e n d able job done by the media in Ta n z ania in cre ating awa reness and ge n e rating deb at e on the Indian Ocean Hotel saga and the Rufi j i p rawns pro j e c t , wh i ch is yet to take off. It wa s t h rough the media that people became awa re of the violation of their right to access the beach and the law wh i ch prohibits putting up perm anent stru c t u res on public beaches. The people of Rufiji came to know of the prawns pro j e c t after the media had interc epted some documents rega rding the project and immediat e ly made it public know l e d ge. Though the gove rnment has ap p roved the pro j e c t , most Rufi j i a n s a re not for it.

Broader Approach to Communication

These basic considerations need still a further dimension to show that communication education is not only about Mass Media but needs a much broader approach which includes especially also the cultural dimension. The Second Vatican Council was the first Catholic Church assembly of that level which issued a document on “Social Communication,” Inter Mirifica.

The expression Social Communication was proposed by the preparatory commission for the document in saying that expressions like Mass Media, Media of Diffusion, Audio-visual means and similar would not be sufficient to express what the Church is concerned about. This proposal
was accepted and became the standard expression in the Catholic Church but it was later adapted by secular communication institutions especially in Latin America.

Social Communication refers, beyond mass media, to all means and ways of communication in and of human society. It includes communication through traditional means like storytelling, dance, theater, music etc. as well as the modern means. It covers the whole range of human communication in society and thus creates a special challenge also for the communication education in seminaries.

Future Christian ministers must be open and possibly be trained in the proper application of communication means and methods which are part of our cultures. Many times, especially in rural areas, this communication is still more effective than modern technical means because it includes the direct personal involvement of the communicating parties. Such an awareness and support of traditional communication can also help to mitigate or even integrate possible negative effects of globalization especially on young people.

Christian faith has to be contextualized and inculturated which is not done necessarily with the modern means. This broader approach to communication, however, which gives equal ‘right’ to the basics of human communication and the traditional means of communication leads towards that.

Curriculum for social communication

How could a Curriculum for Communication in seminary education look like?

1. It first has to be stated again, that there is the basic need for communication formation on the
human and spiritual level. This is not done with a course alone but through the whole formation program and an open communicative atmosphere in a seminary. The three basic steps of human and Christian communication, to go, to embrace and immerse and to lift up (cf. Mk 1,31) are not only taught but practiced in daily life. If especially at the beginning of theological studies an introductory course could be given to make the students more aware of the basics of this human/Christian communication it would set the tone for all the following studies and activities in theology. In fact, I am teaching such a course since almost 20 years at the Divine Word School of Theology in Tagaytay, Philippines. Every school year the students of the first year of theology have in the first semester an obligatory course “Introduction to Social Communication” where we talk mainly about human communication, the theological dimension of communication and only in passing about the basics of media and group communication. (This is reflected in the textbook we use: “Communicating in Community,” where the first two chapters are more extensively covered, whereas the others are given only in the basics as far as time allows.)

2. We can not escape the fact, that the modern world is a world of communications. Pope John Paul II calls the world of communication “the first ‘areopagus’ of the modern age which is unifying humanity and turning it into what is known as a ‘global village’. The means of social communication have become so important as to be for many the chief means of information and education, of guidance and inspiration in their behavior as individuals, families and within society at large. In particular the younger generation is growing up in a world conditioned by the mass media.” (Encyclical Redemptoris Missio 1990, 37c) This requires from every theology student more than from others the ability of critically seeing and using the means of communication in daily life. It is the purpose of Media or Communication Education to bring this basic knowledge and develop a critical mind especially in young people. It actually should be an obligatory course and training already on the high school and college level. Such education introduces into the workings of modern media, their structures, means and methods. It shows e.g. the basic elements of a news item, how the different radio and TV programs are produced but also how communication companies are structured and try to exercise power in conquering the mind and taste of people for their purposes…

3. After this basic training there is a need for a special course on pastoral communication especially in the later development of theological studies: how to communicate in Ministry and Mission. How do the modern means of communication influence and determine those people we live with and we are to care for? How can we make good use of these means in our ministry to serve the needs of people better and bring them nearer to the Lord? The people we work with are living in a world determined by the media and even we are consciously or unconsciously part of it ourselves. How can we let the Holy Spirit come into such a situation? The same holds also for those ministries, who serve people from or in other cultures. Our communication has to adjust and be determined by these cultures because it is always the recipient who is the ‘basis’ for our decision making and our communication approach. Jesus starts with the life and concerns of the people. We have to do the same in our time!

In addition to these basic courses and approaches for every seminarian there should be also some offers for more specialized courses, especially for students with greater interest and some communication capabilities of their own. Thus there could be a film-club as a regular activity where seminarians once or twice a month watch a movie, discuss the content, methods in presenting the story and a critical evaluation. Cardinal Roger M. Mahony from Los Angeles has written 1992 a “Pastoral letter for Film Makers, Film Viewers: their challenges and opportunities” (cf. Eilers: Church and Social Communication. Basic Documents. Manila 1997) which could be very helpful for such an activity. Talented seminarians could also themselves practice radio and television productions or become part of such either on their own or in existing companies. Journalistic practices can be developed and taught. When I was a seminarian we had a “Press-group” where we wrote news items and articles for existing newspapers and periodicals; they were printed and published and we were very proud of it. Many of us saw our names printed for the first time…

Today we have new communication and information technologies. How are we going to ‘use’
them in our ministry and how can they help? What’s about E-vangelism, cyber-missionaries or
similar activities and possibilities?

Other fields like Media or Communication Ethics should also not be overlooked. They can be
part of Moral Theology but really would need a broader study in our times.

5. The need for serious research in the field of social communication and theology has also to be mentioned here. When Pope John Paul II talks about the “new areopagus” he also mentions that there is now a “new culture”. This culture “originates not just from whatever content is eventually expressed, but from the very fact that there exist new ways of communicating, with new languages, new techniques and a new psychology.” Such a situation calls for deeper research and study which is very often missing in our Christian communication activities. We very often live and work more according to trial and error than based on serious study and research. This is not only a call on theological faculties or other specialized bodies. Also seminary students should be involved in research and looking deeper into issues. They can be encouraged to write respective papers or even do their thesis on a communication related subject. They can be involved in surveys to discover a certain communication situation. Thus I did two years ago with my students a study on how young people in the areas around the theological school and in some parts of Manila use and see modern media in their lives. Unfortunately we have only very few scientific publications specializing in this field. It is high time that we go deeper to explore the ‘market’ but also to see better the different possibilities for God’s Word in our time.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION: IN TANZANIA

Education and communication on environmental degradation should be aimed at enabling one to come to terms with the fact that, while it is true that nature should be exploited for man’s survival, that exploitation should not be total, or destructive. That man should not get rich at the
expense of nature or by destroying the environment, as this in the long run might lead to mankind’s extinction!

Now, the big question is: Who will be, responsible for steering this education and communication?

In answering this question there are different schools of thought. There are those who believe that this should be spearheaded by the government and NGOs should play a supportive role. The government should take leadership of the campaign where its input is required. At the moment the environmental portfolio in Tanzania is held by the Vice President’s office.

But there are those who think that our gove rnments are not env i ronment sensitive and due to corrupt tendencies wh i ch have been regi s t e red and are still being regi s t e red there is no way politicians (who are in power) are going to arm the people with we apons they k n ow will in the end be used against them. Whence then the education? It is re c o m m e n ded that the lead should be taken by non-gove rnmental bodies such as NGOs, media organ i z at i o n s , f riends of the env i ronment gro u p s all over the country etc.

Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

Communication Planning is an integral part of planning for sustained development. The
development of human society has largely been due to its ability to communicate information and ideas with each other and to use such information and ideas for progress. The Programmes being implemented by the Ministry aim at sustainable holistic development in the rural areas. The success of these Programmes is critically dependent on the participation of the people,
particularly target groups, in the implementation process. To enable people to participate in the
development process, it is necessary that people have adequate knowledge about the nature and
content of these Programmes. Information, Education and Communication, therefore, assumes added significance in the context of the Programmes of the Ministry.

The feedback received on the implementation of Rural Development Programmes in the field indicate that these Programmes are critically dependent on the awareness level about them, transparency in the implementation process at the field level, participation of the people in the development process and accountability. In this context the Ministry has , adopted a 4- Pronged strategy of creating Awareness about the Programmes, ensuring Transparency in the implementation, encouraging People’s Participation in the development process and promoting the concept of Social Audit for ensuring Accountability. All the four elements of the above strategy are complementary to each other and appropriate IEC activities are an essential part of actualizing this strategy.

Information, Education and Communication plays a pivotal role in creating awareness, mobilizing people and making development participatory through advocacy and by transferring knowledge , skills and techniques to the people. It is also critical for bringing about transparency in implementation of the Programmes at the field level and for promoting the concept of accountability and social audit.

Though for the past few years, particularly since 1994-95, the Ministry has been undertaking IEC activities, their impact in terms of creating awareness and participation of people in the development process was not found to be substantial. Therefore, an Advisory Committee on Media comprising eminent journalists and media persons under the chairmanship of Shri P. Murari, former Secretary (I&B) was constituted by the Ministry in August,1998, to review and assess the impact of various media and other activities and to advise the Ministry on appropriate IEC strategy.
The Committee in its report submitted in October,1999, observed that the IEC efforts of the
Ministry need to be stepped up with more intensity and that it is necessary to go beyond undertaking merely media activities.

In pursuance to the 4- pronged strategy adopted by the Ministry and in light of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Media, the IEC activities have been substantially enhanced during 2001-2002 particularly through print, radio and TV.

The IEC efforts aim at creating awareness and disseminating information on the Programmes of the Ministry primarily to the target groups in rural areas, to the opinion makers and also to the public at large. The IEC Division of the Ministry has been entrusted with the responsibility of formulating appropriate IEC strategy in tune with the communication needs of the various Programmes. The IEC activities are to be undertaken through the available modes of communication in order to inform the people with messages and details on Rural Development