wfn.org | Scholarships to Help Young Communicators attend RCC 2010 in Chicago

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

RCCongress 2010 announces scholarships to attend global interfaith gathering of religion communicators

NEW YORK?Organizers of a once-a-decade conference of faith communications practitioners today announced a fund to help young religion communicators and students attend the world?s largest interfaith gathering of religion scheduled for April 7-10, 2010 in Chicago.

The event, Religion Communication Congress 2010
(www.rccongress2010.org), will bring together more than 1,000 religion communicators to explore the theme Embracing Change: Communicating Faith in Today?s World.

Under the financial assistance program, called the Global Partners Fund, eligible individuals are invited to apply for grants of up to $3,000 to help cover the cost of registration, travel, food, and lodging for the event.

Fund Coordinator Father Derek Simons SVD says, 
?The grants are for applicants aged 40 and under, from countries other than the U.S. and Canada, who are working in the field of faith and religion communication or studying with the objective of moving into this field. The fund also is open to overseas applicants who are working or studying here in North America but who eventually want to carry on that work in countries outside of the United States and Canada.?

The four-day congress will feature panel discussions, roundtables, performances and skills-building workshops. The focus will be on changes in technology, society and perceptions of religions that affect the way religion communicators tell their faith  stories.

The fund grew out of concern that young people from around the world might be unable to participate because of the expense involved.

That, explains Simons, is why congress organizers are ?asking everyone to share this information with people who can encourage deserving young colleagues or students to seek a grant from the Global Partners Fund.? (www.rccongress2010.org/globalpartners)

Their presence, he adds, will yield benefits not just for them but also for others with whom they interact.

?The greatest gift at RCCongress 2010 is that bridges might be built between all these young people from around the world who are answering the call to communicate faiths that are so varied in different cultures and traditions.?

Participants in the upcoming event?the fifth congress in succession since 1970?will include communicators at every level of experience, in all forms of faith and religion communications, from print to broadcast to Internet. Twelve hundred people attended the last congress, held in Chicago in 2000.

At that gathering 14 young communicators from all corners of the globe were assisted by the Global Partners Fund.

?Ultimately we all want to see the face of God, Simons says.

?That?s the purpose of us communicating religion?so that light and grace might be shared. We want these young people to join us in Chicago at RCCongress 2010 so that they will have an opportunity to share with all of us their dreams for effectively communicating faith in a world where so much is changing so rapidly.?

Full details and applications for the Global Partner Fund scholarships are at www.rccongress2010.org/globalpartners. The application deadline is July 15, 2009. Scholarship recipients will be announced on September 15, 2009.

To date, 71 religious denominations and communions, ecumenical agencies and religion communications organizations have signed on as cooperating organizations for the 2010 religion communication congress.
Contact

Fr. Derek Simons, 312-234-9838, simons@racebridges.net

> RCCongress Web Site: www.rccongress2010.org