International webinar on "COVID-19 and the role of the media" by SIGNIS ASIA

SIGNIS Asia hosted an international webinar on "COVID-19:

"The role of the media and communications, and beyond"

from November 18 to 19, 2020 via online zoom.

Disaster management experts, social scientists and activists, media professionals and theologians were invited as speakers to the webinar, which was attended by some 140 people from 20 countries.

The SIGNIS Asia Vice President, Dr. Magimai Pragasam coordinated the entire event, supported by Fr. Anucha, the president, Bernadette Widiandajani, the secretary, Francis Kim, the treasurer and members, Mac Machida and Adeline James.

Emphasizing the important role of members in the current setting, Mrs. Helen Osman , President of SIGNIS World said in her message: 'As the Body of Christ, the Church has been a beacon of true hope, a courageous testimony of love in action . For us, there is no "social dilemma". Instead, for us, social media presents another opportunity to be the voice of the voiceless, as our patron San Oscano Romero eloquently said. Let us not only be the microphones of God, but also the smartphone users for God and his people.
The aim of the webinar was to study the impact of COVID-19 on the poor and vulnerable, the role of media and communications, learning from our interventions, and exploring the possibilities of turning challenges into opportunities.

'COVID-19 has affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Asia, with the worst affected being the poor, migrants, Dalits, tribal communities, minorities, the elderly, women, children , palliative care patients and people with disabilities, 'said Professor Vinod Chandra Menon, founding member of the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, in his keynote address.
'' Job losses, wage cuts, partial payments, layoffs, the work-from-home myth, lack of access to important needs such as health care, education, social protection, food security, violence against women and children, depression, trauma and suicide. leases are some of the crucial issues people face as a direct result of COVID-19, 'said Prof. Menon.
He further added that "the impact on the employment of migrant workers in Asia Pacific countries is estimated to be remittance losses ranging between USD 31.4 billion and USD 54.3 billion." He said, "there must be people's participation in decision-making processes" and urged, "we have to fight for the social, physical, electoral, emotional and digital inclusion of ordinary people."

Dr Richard, Country Director for Caritas Myanmar, said: “We need to reach out to people with courage, hope and commitment. Collaboration with all actors at the international, national, regional and grassroots level is the key ”.
International disaster consultant Mr. Aloysius James said, "The Millennium Development Goals are being set aside and about 150 million will be pushed into extreme poverty soon." He said that "during this pandemic period, millions of people were denied human dignity and human rights." He called on all actors to stand up for the rights and humanitarian needs of the marginalized while addressing the issues of COVID.

Addressing the 'Role of the Media', prominent journalist Varghese V Joseph said, 'disinformation is worse than the disease itself.' He focused attention on "the contrasting behavior of the media, their misplaced priorities, designed content and the denial of data access." He stressed the need for "evidence-based media training, correct use of the media and collaboration with the UN to address issues."
P. Cedric Prakash, the well-known social activist and journalist, appealed to media professionals to ask the right questions in the right context, saying: "Communication is always contextual and cannot alienate reality." He said that "every social actor must be critical, creative, courageous, collaborative and committed."

One of the interesting parts of the webinar was the exchange of SIGNIS members from all over Asia on "insights from COVID-related interventions".
While P. Qaisar Feroz from Pakistan questioned the actions of some groups that used COVID for religious conversions, Fr. Anand Mathew from India shared the power of united action to address the needs of the vulnerable. Fr Francis Guntipilly SJ from Bangalore spoke about the urgency and importance of taking action to achieve results, and Fr Hiroshi Katayanagi SJ from Japan focused on the extensive use of social media to spread messages of peace and hope.
"The Korean Catholic Church acted quickly and Catholic Television began feeding the faithful with religious messages," said Helena Choi and Rumulus Lee from Korea. While Adrian Pereira shared how the issues of migrants were addressed, Terence Charles shared about the launch of an awareness campaign in Malaysia to contain COVID-19.

Pope Francis' bold initiatives to instill a deep sense of "hope and peace" among the suffering masses were well expressed by Fr. Paul Samasumo of Rome.
Discussing the 'Post-COVID Scenario', Rev. Dr. Anthony Le Duc SVD from Thailand said: 'It is reasonable to think that church leaders who have befriended social media during COVID-19 will continue to explore other ways to incorporate this digital technology into your work, in particular your communication with people inside and outside your religious community ”.
Reverend Dr. XD Selvaraj, the leading Indian theologian, said: “Everything in the universe is interrelated and interconnected and disasters of this nature are symptoms of imbalances in the social order. We need to achieve a "balance" by creating a culture of peace and empowering people to achieve equality and social justice. "

Members spent nearly four and a half hours every day during this virtual conference. The third day was dedicated to SIGNIS Asia business sessions with country report presentations, selection committees and desk reports and other business matters.
SIGNIS Korea President Kim Francis called on all members to attend 'SIGNIS WORLD CONGRESS, Korea, 2022' in large numbers.
The World President, Ms. Helen Osman, thanked SIGNIS Asia for the success of this event. The three-day event ended with the final words of the Coordinator and the blessings of Fr. Joseph Anucha, president of SIGNIS Asia. -

Dr. Magi.