11 Oct 2021 Project to develop climate change curriculum in the Philippines
The Philippines has been identified as one of the top 10 countries most at risk from the effects of climate change, and yet millions of marginalized Filipinos who will be...
05 Oct 2021 Global input invited for actions to promote ‘Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age’
The fruits of a September symposium on “Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age” are being shared globally—with an invitation to contribute to an action plan for steps on...
04 Oct 2021 WACC supports program to help improve climate journalism in Uganda
WACC has announced its support for a project in Uganda that will establish a network of specialized climate and environmental reporters for community radio stations who have limited resources and...
29 Sep 2021 Pioneering feminist Kamla Bhasin dies at 75
Kamla Bhasin, a beloved pioneer of the women’s rights movement in South Asia who also wrote poetry, songs and books about feminism and human rights, died in Delhi on Friday,...
28 Sep 2021 Support Afghan Women Journalists – Donate Now
WACC and the *Global Alliance on Media and Gender (GAMAG) today launched a fundraising campaign to support Afghan women journalists within its network who are in urgent need of support...
27 Sep 2021 WACC partners with NGO to promote ‘feminist journalism’ in Argentina
WACC announces its support for “Feminist Journalism for a Better World,” a project that seeks to generate greater awareness in Argentina about the need for inclusive, non-sexist coverage and fair...
21 Sep 2021 Georgia project taps youth in fight against disinformation
WACC announces its support for a project in Georgia that aims to empower disadvantaged youth from 25 secondary schools and universities by helping them acquire and develop digital skills that...
20 Sep 2021 Manifesto for digital justice makes urgent call for ‘transformative movement’
FRENCH SPANISH GERMAN “Digital technologies are transforming our world and the multiple spaces in which we live and move,” the manifesto begins. “These technologies offer us new ways...
20 Sep 2021 Digital communicators weigh a future with ‘profound values at stake’
As a symposium on digital justice drew to a close on 15 September, participants weighed their vision for the future in a landscape fraught with injustice. FRENCH SPANISH ...
15 Sep 2021 Digital regulation must be fair, equitable, ethical
On the last day of the international symposium, Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age, WACC General Secretary Philip Lee pointed to “signs of hope,” including agreement about the...
14 Sep 2021 ‘Reclaim democratic public communication spaces,’ WACC members, partners urge
Posted at 11:55h
in Calls for Action, Communication Rights, Community radio, Digital Rights, News 0 Comments
WACC members and partners are calling for a movement to “reclaim democratic public communication spaces” in both the analogue and digital spheres, which would strengthen marginalized voices, guarantee the right...
14 Sep 2021 Should churches push harder to resist untruths? Yes, say digital justice thinkers
If digital social justice begins with connectivity, perhaps it ends when that connectivity is usurped by oppressive regimes, extremists, fake news and hate speech. A “press club”-style conversation on 13 September...
14 Sep 2021 How digital era changed the notion of public space evokes lively debate at Berlin symposium
Presentation by Hon. Emma Theofelus, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Namibia, at the international symposium on Social Justice in a Digital Age held in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Albin...
14 Sep 2021 Digital public infrastructure is possible, WACC partner tells global symposium
WACC partners from India, Palestine and the Philippines on September 13 shared their experiences of working with communities to address digital issues such as digital literacy, policymaking, and creating public...
13 Sep 2021 ‘Biblical option for the poor’ must guide digital age, says bishop
Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, on September 13 urged Christians around the world to reflect on digitization and its spiritual, ethical, and political implications and...
13 Sep 2021 Broad support essential to protect civil rights in the digital age
Saying that it is not only social coherence but “human dignity itself” that is at stake, Dr. Ellen Ueberschär, President of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, urged civil society organizations, faith-based communities,...
13 Sep 2021 In Pacific islands, inequity casts deep shadow on digital space
Olivia Baro believes achieving true digital justice in the Pacific islands needs some serious work—and that young people can lead the effort. Baro serves as the ecumenical youth enabler for empowerment...
13 Sep 2021 Digital justice with fair access remains a goal, says Ukrainian journalist
Ukrainian journalist and radio host Katya Potapenko says digital justice remains a goal and not a reality. "For me, digital justice is a possibility of fair access to digital platforms...
10 Sep 2021 Digital justice most relevant for those under autocratic rule, says advocate
Digital justice is relevant to everyone in the digital age, yet it is more important to those living under an autocratic government that can use digital technologies for surveillance of...
08 Sep 2021 Historic symposium will examine communication for social justice in a digital age
FRENCH SPANISH An upcoming international symposium, scheduled for 13-15 September, will explore some key questions to help us map a more just digital future, a...
07 Sep 2021 Media and communicators, let’s speak out on ‘Digital instruments — Blessing or Curse?’
FRENCH GERMAN SPANISH As part of the upcoming International Symposium for Communication for Social Justice in the Digital Age, the special session will offer media and communicators...
07 Sep 2021 Burkina Faso project will train citizen reporters to highlight environmental issues
WACC has announced its support for a project in Burkina Faso that will strengthen the resilience and capacities of farming communities to climate hazards and disasters. The project will include creating...
30 Aug 2021 Mexico: Technological self-reliance at the heart of Indigenous radio project
Six Indigenous community radio stations in Oaxaca, Guerrero and Mexico states will soon be equipped with skills and tools that will help them become technologically self-sufficient, as part of a...
25 Aug 2021 Nepal project uses community radio to address Indigenous health inequities
Posted at 09:23h
in Citizen Journalism, Communication Rights, Community radio, Covid-19, Indigenous, News 0 Comments
As the Covid-19 pandemic stretches into its second year, and as new “variants of concern” continue to circulate worldwide, there are heightened concerns that Indigenous communities such as those in...
24 Aug 2021 Women still less likely to be quoted as experts in European news
Women’s voices are “still not more visible” across the European media landscape, and if they do get seen, heard, or read about they are still largely in stories that are...
18 Aug 2021 The tie between digital rights and human dignity: why it’s vital for our time
Philip Lee is general secretary of WACC. In a Q and A first published by the World Council of Churches, he reflects on some of the questions that will be...
17 Aug 2021 GAMAG urges UN member countries to help women journalists in Afghanistan
August 16, 2021 Contact person: GAMAG Chair, Aimée Vega Montiel Email: aimeevegamx@yahoo.com.mx The Global Alliance on Media and Gender (GAMAG) is deeply concerned about the situation of women, media professionals, and women journalists...
10 Aug 2021 Pacific media see strides in representation of women in the news
News media in the Pacific Region saw significant improvements in their representation of women since 2015, with results from the 6th Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) showing a 19% increase...
04 Aug 2021 It’s time to reclaim a ‘credible, inclusive and trustworthy’ public sphere
The latest issue of WACC’s Media Development magazine examines the concept of public sphere, its role in promoting democracy and political accountability, and why principles of human rights and social...
30 Jul 2021 Between criminalisation and violence: Migration as seen by Latin American media
WACC Latin America holds forum on ‘Latin America – a neighbourhood on the move’ On July 23, 2021 communication experts shared their work in defence of the right to migrate from...
28 Jul 2021 WACC intern learns value of communication rights
by Helen Wu Working at WACC and on the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) was a very meaningful and informative experience. I learned about what communication rights meant on a deeper level. I also...
21 Jul 2021 WACC-supported project amplifies Indigenous voices in Ecuadorian Amazon
A WACC-supported project has enhanced the broadcasting capacity of Indigenous radio stations in the Amazon regions of Ecuador and improved the skills of 30 Indigenous citizen reporters who were able...
20 Jul 2021 Get involved in groundbreaking symposium addressing digital transformation
(See Spanish and French translations below) Participate in a public dialogue about digital communication, or submit a case study that sets an example for the world: expressions of interest are invited...
16 Jul 2021 Gender-equal news coverage crucial in post-pandemic recovery, says UN Women Executive Director
Posted at 07:37h
in Communication Rights, Gender, Gender and media: Challenges and opportunities in the post 2015 era, News 0 Comments
Noting that the 6th Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) shows that women “remain shockingly underrepresented” in news content around the world, UN Women Executive Director and UN Under-Secretary-General Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka called...
15 Jul 2021 6th GMMP: No country in the world meets the mark on gender equality in news content
No country or region in the world has achieved gender equality in terms of people portrayed as subjects and sources in news content, said feminist scholar Sarah Macharia, who shared...
14 Jul 2021 6th Global Media Monitoring Project show quantitative gains, qualitative losses
All things remaining equal, it will take at least 67 more years to close the average gender equality gap in traditional news media worldwide. This was one of the key findings...
07 Jul 2021 WACC, La Sandia Digital launch podcast for and by refugees in Mexico
WACC and its partner La Sandía Digital have launched “Emergency Exits,” a new podcast about the lives and experiences of refugees and asylum seekers in Mexico. The podcast, which features the...
06 Jul 2021 Global media monitoring report on gender to be launched 14 July
MEDIA ADVISORY Results of the sixth and largest study on the portrayal and representation of women in the world’s news media will be released online on 14 July 2021 9 am...
04 Jun 2021 WACC Nepal partner, media groups lobby for ‘more inclusive’ communication bills
The Indigenous Community Radio Network (ICRN), an umbrella organization of 21 Indigenous radio stations in Nepal, and other Nepali media organizations have successfully lobbied their national and provincial governments to...
03 Jun 2021 U of T student is WACC’s new summer intern
Helen Wu, a third-year student at the University of Toronto, studying jointly with Sheridan College to pursue Visual Culture & Communication, is WACC Global’s new summer intern. Wu says she chose...
28 May 2021 Asia’s representation of women in the news still below global average
In 2020, women in Asia made up only 21% of people seen, heard, or read about in newspaper, radio, television and digital news, a “marginal improvement” from 10 to 15...
26 May 2021 Promoting ‘hope speech,’ one post at a time
There’s a need to address the social and political impact of repeated exposure to images and narratives that denigrate and discriminate particular groups of people in society, not just on...
25 May 2021 Communication rights on wheels
Is it…a Popemobile? No, more like a Pressmobile created by Grupo Comunicarte, a longtime WACC project partner based in Colombia. As part of a migration project supported by WACC and the...
21 May 2021 WACC issues Call for Projects
The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), a non-governmental organization that builds on communication rights in order to promote social justice, today launched a Call for Projects for its 2021-2022...
20 May 2021 2021 Yearbook features WACC article on digital (in)justice
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation around the world and offered opportunities for increased connectivity. However, it has also exacerbated digital injustice: lack of access for many, lack of...
20 May 2021 International church-based organizations urge Colombian president to stop spiral of violence
The World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Anglican Communion, World Methodist Council, Latin American Episcopal Council and World Association for Christian Communication...
12 May 2021 Experts debate on communicative justice in the digital age
What the MacBride Commission might have to say “about inclusion, exclusion, and social progress in the world taken over by digital technologies of all kinds” is the focus of the...
11 May 2021 WACC receives award for development communication work
The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) was among the recipients of the 1st Lagerway Awards given by the Manila-based Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA) during its 53rd Foundation Day...
07 May 2021 WACC seeks multi-media writer intern for summer 2021
Click to view details about the position and how to apply ...
05 May 2021 Research on gender equality in the news is critical and it needs more funding
Posted at 12:48h
in Gender, Gender and media: Challenges and opportunities in the post 2015 era, GMMP 2020, Journalism, Media and Gender Monitor, News 0 Comments
Sarah Macharia, co-ordinator of WACC’s Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) has underscored the importance of funding gender data building initiatives such as the GMMP and the recently launched Comparing Gender...
30 Apr 2021 Indigenous media suffer from lack of funding, representation
Indigenous media practitioners on April 29 underscored the need to galvanize a movement that would ensure that Indigenous peoples worldwide can exercise their right to “establish their own media and...
29 Apr 2021 WACC launches virtual resource hub for inclusive, ethical migration reporting
The number of people who live in a country other than the one in which they were born is growing. “While many individuals migrate out of choice, many others migrate...
27 Apr 2021 Indigenous Peoples share ecological knowledge in WACC-supported documentaries
“This is broom grass. This is one of the holy plants for bonpo (shamans),” says a Tamang Indigenous bonpo speaking in his own peoples’ language, as he points to a...
23 Apr 2021 WACC strengthens migrants’ community radio network in Colombia
In light of the many health and economic challenges affecting migrants everywhere, WACC is proud to announce its continued support for a network of community radio stations working to meet...
09 Apr 2021 Media narratives shape public attitudes towards migrants, says WACC panel
Migrants are struggling to have their voices heard, whether in Europe – where far-right populist parties are stoking a backlash against migration— or in Asia, Africa and South America, where...
09 Apr 2021 WACC leaders urge faith communicators to champion gender equality in the news
WACC leaders on April 8 urged the 2021 Religion Communicators Convention (RCC) to pick up the findings of the 2020 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) and assess their own communication...
07 Apr 2021 WACC partner launches social media campaign to promote digital literacy in Gaza Strip
Posted at 10:15h
in Communication Rights, Digital Literacy, Digital Rights, Middle East, News, One Year Projects 0 Comments
For three straight days in December 2020, women and girls in the Gaza Strip were given pointers and reminders about safe browsing on digital platforms, including how they can protect...
30 Mar 2021 WACC, WCC to host ‘Communication for Social Justice in the Digital Age’ symposium
“Communication for Social Justice in the Digital Age,” an international symposium jointly hosted by WACC and the World Council of Churches (WCC), will offer a chance to explore new visions...
30 Mar 2021 Narrative on refugee children, adolescents needs reframing
Representing refugee children and adolescents as “empowered individuals rather than hopeless victims” in the news media could help the public see their potential for contributing to society’s success and counteract...
24 Mar 2021 Civil society to World Bank: Ensure human rights in Covid-19 support process
Civil society groups urged the World Bank on March 23 to exercise due diligence in supporting Covid-19 responses, citing how some governments have been using the pandemic as a pretext...
19 Mar 2021 UN member states must address gender representation in the news, says GMMP co-ordinator
The news media are “downplaying women’s leadership during the greatest health crisis of our time,” said Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) global co-ordinator Sarah Macharia during a virtual informal meeting...
16 Mar 2021 Human Rights Award 2020 goes to documentary Radio Silence
Radio Silence (Silencio Radio), directed by Juliana Fanjul (Mexico, 2019), has received the WACC-SIGNIS Human Rights Award 2020.[ Click to read this article in French.] A feature-length documentary (77 min.), it highlights...
08 Mar 2021 Ecuador project contributes to better reception of migrants
[video width="700" height="550" mp4="https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/otranoticia-24-ciudadana-venezolana-en-imbabura-los-venezolanos-podemos-aportar-mucho-en-ecuador-solo-pedimos-trabajo.mp4"][/video] A WACC Global-supported project in Ecuador is contributing to the development of an inclusive and rights-based narrative on migration by producing new radio and web content that...
04 Mar 2021 GMMP Results: Glacial progress towards media gender equality 25 years on
New data from global research with additional analysis of Covid-19 news Twenty-five years after the Fourth UN World Conference on Women (Beijing), the news media remain far from being inclusive spaces...
01 Mar 2021 GMMP co-ordinator is named ‘Gender Equality Champion’
Free Press Unlimited has named Sarah Macharia, co-ordinator of WACC’s Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) as its first Gender Equality Champion for its Media4Women Campaign, which shares the stories of...
23 Feb 2021 See you at the movies?
In the first issue of 2021, WACC’s Media Development magazine explores various aspects of cinema’s future, “recognising that people need art, drama, literature, music, and film in order to help...
17 Feb 2021 ‘Truthful Voices Matter,’ WACC emphasizes in 2020 Annual Report
In its 2020 Annual Report, WACC Global underscores the urgency of its efforts to promote and strengthen communication rights, noting that the Covid-19 pandemic “has made far more apparent the...
11 Feb 2021 WACC Statement on World Radio Day 2021
On World Radio Day (February 13), WACC celebrates the resilience and adaptive capacity of radio as a medium of communication. Each year, WACC is proud to partner with dozens of grassroots...
10 Feb 2021 A hard look at digital justice in the Philippines
WACC partner Computer Professionals Union-Philippines has launched a website that will serve as an online platform for identifying and addressing key digital issues in the country, which has been dubbed...
27 Jan 2021 WACC joins Global Forum for Media Development
WACC Global is now member of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), an international network of about 200 journalism and media development organisations from more than 70 countries, which...
27 Jan 2021 Working for WACC, ‘I felt like I was part of a global community,’ says intern
When she began her stint last September as an international development intern at WACC, Sohailia Saywack said she expected to be “deeply immersed” in the 2020 Global Media Monitoring Project...
18 Dec 2020 Mongolia journalists, students learn how to use their gender ethics compass
Twenty students and 20 young journalists in Mongolia have gained a better understanding of gender equality in reporting after taking part in a WACC-supported project implemented by the Press Institute...
18 Dec 2020 WACC: ‘Uphold migrants’ dignity and humanity’
On December 18, International Migrants Day, WACC calls on governments, civil society, the international community, and other interested actors around the world to work together to promote a rights-based approach...
09 Dec 2020 General Secretary’s message on Human Rights Day 2020
Human Rights Day 2020 Message by Philip Lee, WACC General Secretary Fake news and disinformation, sanctioned by some political leaders and spread by social media, are major threats to democracy today. In...
08 Dec 2020 ‘Get vaccinated against misinformation’ radio campaign by WACC partner yields positive results
About 42, 360 inhabitants of remote Indigenous communities in Guerrero, Mexico are being provided with life-saving information about Covid-19, thanks to WACC-supported radio programs in Mixtec and Spanish produced by...
30 Nov 2020 Media Development’s new issue tackles ‘Communication in a Time of Crisis’
Posted at 09:51h
in Communication Rights, Covid-19, Gender, Media Development, News, Uncategorised 0 Comments
After a challenging year dominated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the latest issue of Media Development, WACC Global’s quarterly journal, examines “Communication in a Time of Crisis.” Articles in the issue...
26 Nov 2020 Gender equality in the news media lags behind rest of society, says new book
The news media “misrepresents reality when it comes to the actual progress of gender equality in the world,” according to a new book which draws on data from the Global...
25 Nov 2020 Indigenous radio: ‘A lot has been achieved, but much remains to be done’
Indigenous community radio stations have been “gaining traction around the world,” but many remain hamstrung by legal, financial, technical and administrative challenges, according to a new study, Are Indigenous Voices...
18 Nov 2020 Register Now: Global launch of study on the state of Indigenous community radio
On Wednesday, November 25, WACC Global, Cultural Survival and Indigenous Media Caucus will launch “Are Indigenous Voices Being Heard?: A Study on the State of Indigenous Community Broadcasting in 19...
13 Nov 2020 Colombia: Community radio play key role in protecting moorlands
WACC Communication for Social Change manager Lorenzo Vargas recently visited two community radio stations in Colombia which are taking part in a WACC-supported project establishing a network of environmental journalists...
10 Nov 2020 Mexico’s digital violence law cites GMMP findings
Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) findings on gender stereotypes in the media were among the references used in a legislation approved November 6 by Mexico’s Senate that would punish digital...
03 Nov 2020 Mexico: Project enables refugees, asylum seekers to be seen and heard
Refugees and asylum-seekers seeking protection in Mexico will soon be producing podcasts about their lives and experiences with help from a WACC-supported project initiated by its local partner, La Sandia...
29 Oct 2020 WACC: Human rights, inclusion must guide Internet governance
Cyber troll armies that propagate fake news. Politicians that hire marketing firms to create fake social media accounts to boost their image or attack opponents and civil society organizations. Military-controlled...
21 Oct 2020 Climate change stories by Kenyan citizen journalists gain traction
October 21, 2020 — Local radio and television stations in Kenya have been giving airtime to stories produced by the Farm Forestry Smallholder Producers Association of Kenya (FF-SPAK), which has partnered with...
16 Oct 2020 ‘Everyone is entitled to a public voice’
Statement by WACC General Secretary Philip Lee on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, October 17, 2020 “Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all” is vital...
16 Oct 2020 WACC hosts event on enabling migrants to be seen and heard
Providing migrants and refugees a platform to share their concerns, challenges, and aspirations not only helps them, but also addresses xenophobia and helps build bridges with host communities, WACC partners told...
15 Oct 2020 Mé Phaa Indigenous women find their voice through radio
October 15, 2020 — Women from the Mé Phaa Indigenous community of San Miguel El Progreso, Mexico, have learned more about how they can address gender inequality through a series of workshops on community radio, leadership, and visual arts, as well...
13 Oct 2020 Critical thinking and critical clicking needed to respond to online hate speech, webinar told
A new report and resource kit to address hateful content online has been published by WACC Europe, the European region of the World Association for Christian Communication. Titled “Breaking Down the...
08 Oct 2020 Webinar to focus on how to deal with hate speech online
What can be done to counter hate speech on the internet and in social media at time when online intolerance is widespread, and threatens democratic debate in societies? A webinar on...
30 Sep 2020 Global Media Monitoring Project takes place amidst Covid-19 pandemic
Posted at 11:16h
in Communication Rights, Gender, Gender and media: Challenges and opportunities in the post 2015 era, News 0 Comments
Toronto — The Covid-19 pandemic did not put a damper on the 2020 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), Tuesday, Sept. 29, attracting thousands of volunteers from 145 countries worldwide. GMMP 2020 is the...
30 Sep 2020 GMMP 2020: In Pictures
Click here to show photos of volunteers who took part in the 2020 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP). GMMP 2020 is the sixth in a series of extensive gender and media...
29 Sep 2020 WACC to host session at ‘Displacement and Dialogue’ virtual conference
WACC Global will be hosting a session on Enabling migrants to be seen and heard in host communities, Friday, October 16, 3-4 p.m. (CEST), as part of a virtual conference...
27 Sep 2020 The charitable benefit of public interest journalism
With billions of advertising revenue moving from news agencies to Facebook, Google, and other online platforms, the crisis question for media diversity is how to find new ways to support...
22 Sep 2020 ‘We must counter hate speech against migrants and refugees’
Thirteen global and regional religious organizations and church-backed groups, including the European Region of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC Europe), have urged the European Union to provide immediate...
20 Sep 2020 Statement by WACC’s General Secretary on International Day of Peace, September 21
Learning to respect and trust If peace is a measure of a society’s ability to absorb shocks without falling or relapsing into conflict, then it must be based on trust, equality,...
15 Sep 2020 Colombia sees increase in xenophobia against migrants
Months-long Covid-19 lockdowns in Colombia have resulted in “an increase in xenophobia and rejection of the migrant,” according to WACC Global partners who are providing Venezuelan migrants and host communities with access to relevant information and communication...
15 Sep 2020 In memoriam: William F. Fore (1928-2020)
William F. Fore, who has died aged 92, was President of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) from 1982 to 1990. Graduating from Occidental College, he received his BD degree from Yale...
08 Sep 2020 WACC welcomes 2020 intern
Sohailia Saywack, a recent graduate of Western University’s MA sociology program and current Master of Global Affairs candidate at the University of Toronto, has joined WACC as an international development intern. “WACC Global’s mission of...
03 Sep 2020 Workshops on ‘communication for the defense of mother earth’ begin in Colombia
A “Father Fire” around a tulpa (an Indigenous gathering) greeted communicators and members of Colombia’s Asociación de Cabildos Indigenas de Norte del Cauca (ACIN, Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern...