PRESS STATEMENT

Catholic journalists and media practitioners from a cross Africa are congregating in Mombasa for a three day workshop, beginning July 23 to 25 this year, under the auspices of Union of Catholic Journalists in Africa (UCAP). The theme of the workshop is: “The Role of the Media in Peace Building, Conflict Resolution and Good Governance in Africa”.

The workshop is attended by key officials such as Rev. Fr. Janvier Yameogo, from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and Pontifical Council for the Laity in the Vatican, Rome, Archbishop Lele of Mombasa; Rev. Fr. Chrysantus Ndaga, Cordinator of Social Communications, Joseph Warungu former head of Africa Service BBC, Mr. Tony Spence, Director and Editor in Chief Catholic News Service, USA; and Ms Jane Frances Angalia, Senior Communications Officer, National Cohesion and Integration Commission, Kenya, among others.

Catholic Journalists in the continent are using this occasion to brainstorm on the way forward in regard to the following subthemes:

• Role of Catholic Media as a vehicle for civic education.
• Media as the agenda setter for elections and the development of the society.
• Challenges and the paradigm shift in communication ethics.
• Role of new media on justice and peace initiative in Africa.
• Taking up the digital challenges in the press and in the Christian Media

The delegates at the meeting are from Senegal, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Chad, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mauritius, and Madagascar among others.”