Pacific Articles

Members of the Regional Executive Committee of WACC-Pacific Region (WACC-PAC) met, for the first time, in Madang, Papua New Guinea (PNG), 23-28 June. PNG is one of the biggest countries in the Pacific Islands.

Unfortunately, due to visa problems WACC-PAC President, Bill Falekaono, was not able to attend the meeting. Rev. Hariesa Faitala, WACC-PAC Vice-President and General Secretary of the Evangelical Church in Niue (Ekalesia Niue), chaired the meeting.

Radio Bosco FM 89.9, celebrated its third anniversary of community broadcasting on 2nd March, 2008, on the plains of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. Radio BOSCO is supported by WACC, the Salesians of Don Bosco, Catholic Communications Solomons, the Community Sector Programme, SIGNIS, and many other friends and well wishers. Young people from the community are engaged in running Radio Bosco FM, the first community radio in the Solomons.

Suva, Fiji, 23 – 25 October, 2007 - Participants at the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) femLINKPACIFIC Gender and Media Advocacy Seminar for the Pacific staged in Suva, Fiji Islands (October 23 – 25, 2007) have reaffirmed that the results of the Global Media Monitoring Project (2005) and the Pacific Women in Media Action Plan have the potential to advance the commitments of gender equality in and through the media, including advancing the implementation of the UN Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), as well as the revised Pacific Platform for Action (PPA) and national Women’s Action Plans.

A 33 year old Thai woman battling Thailand¹s national government and powerful corporate sector over human rights and journalistic freedom was last night recognised by a leading Australian university as a champion of freedom of expression.

Fr. Ambrose Pereira sdb, Director, Catholic Communications Solomons

“There is a real need for students and people who want to learn more - to use the media, as much as possible, to read papers, to listen to the radio, to watch TV, - as all these are a part of the development of a country. Media plays an important role in decision making to guide the country, the politicians and the church leaders, and all the members of the community – as they check on all the balances – spending, decision making, for the benefit of a people. Hence to get information people must discus, debate … use the media to enhance the lives of their people”, stated Mr. John Lamani, publisher, Solomon Star in a video presentation to the Media Students, principals and animators – gathered at SIBC conference hall on Saturday 22nd October, 2005.

Cook Islands 10th – 17th September 2005

We, the delegates from fourteen churches and the church related bodies met in General Assembly of the World Association of Christian Communication, Pacific Region, at Avarua Parish Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) from September the 10th – 17th 2005.

We considered the theme: The Church and Communication in the Pacific.

Sean Hawkey

WACC presented Honorary Life Membership to the Rev. Canon Kevin Engel, from Australia, at a service in London, on 21 May, 2004. Engel is the first person from WACC’s Asia region to be honoured as a Life Member of WACC since the award was first made in 1995.