(ANS – Nairobi) – Two important social communications events took place last week at Nairobi in Kenya: the 12th Seminar for Television Producers of SIGNIS (the World Catholic Association for Communications),  and the Catholic Media Festival, organized by the Catholic Media Houses of the Archdiocese of Nairobi. Both events were attended by the staff of the Salesian Audiovisual Centre, Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services (BEAMS).

The SIGNIS seminar, which brought together Catholic television produces from 13 countries, was held at the Don Bosco Youth Educational Services Centre in Nairobi, from 10 to 14 May. The meeting, which takes place every year, came this year just ten days after the first seminar for television producers in Africa, held at Cape Town. Its aim was to set up networks and develop collaboration between professional communities. 

The SIGNIS meeting studied the theme “Media for Development”. It gave an opportunity to Catholic Television producers to publicise their channels and more recent productions and multimedia initiatives. As well as being one of the participants in the Seminar, BEAMS saw to the streaming of all the work sessions, something that had not been done previously.

The Catholic Media Festival took place from 9 to 12 May at the headquarters of Radio Waumini – the Catholic radio station of Kenya, which this year marks ten years in existence. The theme was education to media. The first day focussed on education in primary schools, the second day on secondary schools and the third day on university students, families and religious.

On the final day, Sunday 12 March, World Day of Social Communications, Bishop Martin Kivuva Musonde of Machakos, spokesperson for AMECEA (Association of Member Episcopal Conference in Eastern Africa) presided at the Eucharist, during which he invited all the faithful to make use of the social media in evangelization.

The participants in the SIGNIS seminar also took part in the activities of the Catholic Media Festival on the Saturday and Sunday.

Published 17/05/2013