wfn.org | WACC - Media Action June/July 2010

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

In this issue: The Rev. Karin Achtelstetter is appointed new General
Secretary of WACC.

> Also in this issue:

General Secretary accepts call to serve congregation.

> GMMP 2010 report to be launched in September.

New press law gives sweeping powers to military regime.

WACC North America sponsors GMMP Roundtable in New York City.

Communication rights of people with disabilities.

Communication at the heart of church work and mission.

> Dangers of environmental reporting.

> **Global News**

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2371:rev-karin-achtels 
tetter-appointed-wacc-general-secretary-.html

Rev. Karin Achtelstetter appointed WACC General Secretary

The Rev. Karin Achtelstetter is the new General Secretary of WACC. In
making the announcement on behalf of the Board, WACC President Dennis
Smith said: â??Rev. Achtelstetter possesses the managerial skills,
knowledge, leadership experience and potential for continued
professional growth needed by WACC at this time.â?? Karin
Achtelstetter is well known in global communication circles as the
current Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Lutheran World Federation,
and as former Coordinator of the Public Information Team & Media
Relations Officer of the World Council of Churches, both based in
Geneva. Achtelstetter has served on both the WACC Europe and WACC
Board of Directions. Read more...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2371:rev-karin-achtelst 
etter-appointed-wacc-general-secretary-.html

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2372:general-secretary 
-accepts-call-to-serve-congregation.html

General Secretary accepts call to serve congregation                    

Randy Naylor, General Secretary of WACC, has been appointed minister
for Parkwoods United Church, in Toronto, as of 1 October 2010. He will
continue with WACC during October, working with the new General
Secretay in a period of planned overlap. Upon his appointment, Naylor
said â??I am absolutely thrilled! Parkwoods has a distinguished record
of faithful, inspired leadership and I am honoured to join their
journey". Read more...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2372:general-secretary- 
accepts-call-to-serve-congregation.html

> **Programme updates**

GMMP 2010 report to be launched in September                    

The Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) report will be launched in
September 2010 accompanied by simultaneous launches of the GMMP
national reports in several countries around the world. Monitors in
over 100 countries took part in the global research last November. A
preliminary report based on a sample 42 countries was presented in New
York, March 2010, on the occasion of the 15 year review of the Beijing
Platform for Action. (See the report here:
http://www.whomakesthenews.org/2010/2010-preliminary-report.html
.

More details on the launch will be announced soon.

> **Regional News**

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2347:men-must-be-part- 
of-fight-to-end-violence-against-women-in-the-arab-world.html

Men must help end violence against women in the Arab world

By Philip Lee, WACC Deputy Director of Programs

Lebanese womenâ??s rights organization, KAFA, together with global
aid agency Oxfam Great Britain, have released groundbreaking
publications that will play a pivotal role in bringing men across the
Arab world into the struggle to end violence against women. Read
more...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2347:men-must-be-part-o 
f-fight-to-end-violence-against-women-in-the-arab-world.html

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2344:new-press-law-giv 
es-sweeping-powers-to-military-regime.html

New press law gives sweeping powers to military regime                  

By Philip Lee, WACC Deputy Director of Programs

New media legislation in Fiji permits government-appointed officials
to arbitrarily seize media equipment and documents, force journalists
to reveal their sources and fine media organisations up to $100,000
Fiji Dollars (around US $53,000), report the Pacific Islands News
Association (PINA), Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF), Reporters Without
Borders (RSF) and other IFEX members. Read More...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2344:new-press-law-give 
s-sweeping-powers-to-military-regime.html

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2343:wacc-north-americ 
a-sponsors-gmmp-roundtable-in-new-york-city.html

WACC North America sponsors GMMP Roundtable in New York City

By Sheila George, President of WACC North America and Rebekah
Chevalier, Vice President

To coincide with the release of the final report of the WACC Global
Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), WACC North America is sponsoring a
roundtable with journalists, journalism school deans and students on
September 20, 2010, 6 - 8 p.m. at St. John's University 's Manhattan
campus, 101 Murray St. Admission to the roundtable, entitled "Who
Makes the News" is free and open to all. Read more...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2343:wacc-north-america 
-sponsors-gmmp-roundtable-in-new-york-city.html

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2333:wacc-member-wins- 
international-journalism-award.html

WACC member wins international journalism award

Andrés Cañizalez, a WACC member and former Treasurer of WACC  Latin
America, has won the Titus Brandsma Award
<http://www.ucip.ch/aw/aae.htm#2

which honours journalists, publishers, professors of communication,
publications or institutes who have suffered threats or persecution
because of their engagement in the media on behalf of an important
human or Christian issue. The award will be conferred by International
Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP) at its World Congress to be held in
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in September 2010. Read more...

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2333:wacc-member-wins- 
international-journalism-award.html

> **Features**

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2341:communication-rig 
hts-of-people-with-disabilities.html

Communication rights of people with disabilities                        

> By Jennifer Moore

Commitment to fair and just representation in the media for all
sectors of society has long been part of WACCâ??s communication
vision. As such WACC has supported a number of practical initiatives
aimed at changing the way disability is portrayed, particularly in the
media. This vision is reiterated in the following article about
communication rights of people with disabilities in Bolivia, which
refers to some of WACCâ??s project partners in the country. Read
more...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2341:communication-righ 
ts-of-people-with-disabilities.html

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2330:communication-at- 
the-heart-of-church-work-and-mission-.html

Communication at the heart of church work and mission

> By Praxedis Bouwman, WACC Vice- President

Communication that is â??top downâ?? is best relegated to a  museum!
There is now an online, mobile global population with access to an
enormous and dizzying array of information to read, listen to, view,
and interact with. Churches and church organisations can only keep up
with this development by seeing communication as central to the
organisation as a whole. Communication needs to be approached as a
holistic strategy, not scaled down as a â??hands-onâ?? service.  Read
more...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2330:communication-at-t 
he-heart-of-church-work-and-mission-.html

<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2331:dangers-of-enviro 
nmental-reporting.html

> Dangers of environmental reporting                      

By Philip Lee, WACC Deputy Director of Programs

WACC is one of many NGOs drawing attention to climate justice and the
problems surrounding environmental reporting. Now, Reporters Without
Borders has released a report confirming a serious increase in attacks
on journalists and bloggers trying cover any kind of environmental
damage. Those investigating industrial pollution or the destruction of
forests are at particular risk. Read more...
<http://www.waccglobal.org/component/content/article/2331:dangers-of-environ 
mental-reporting.html

> **Pictorial news**

> WACC consultants

WACC has appointed Alfonso Gumucio and Dale Hildebrand as evaluation
consultants whose work will be focused on Latin America and Middle
East regions. Gumucio, a Bolivian based in Mexico, is a communication
specialist with experience working in development programmes in
Africa, Asia, South Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Dale Hildebrand is a Canadian based in Toronto who has twenty years
of experience in NGO programme design and evaluation, much of it with
faith-based organisations. His evaluation work will focus on WACC
projects in the Middle East.

> Norwegian Church Aid staff visits WACC

Isaiah Kipyegon Toroitich, the Program Officer for Policy and
Advocacy at Norwegian Church Aid in Kenya recently visited WACC while
on his KAIROS Cross Canada G20 Climate Justice tour to speak about the
disproportionate impact of climate change on Southern countries. For
details about the Tour, visit KAIROS Website:
http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/ecojustice/climate-change-the-g20/

**Follow WACC on Facebook

<http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/WACC-Global/139482639700?ref=ts
:**

** <http://www.facebook.com/pages/WACC-Global/139482639700?ref=ts
**

> **and Twitter <http://twitter.com/waccglobal
> :**

> <http://twitter.com/waccglobal