Asian Communication Network together with SIGNIS ASIA and Kupang Archdiocese – Indonesia conducted the ACN Formation Programme in Social Communication for Seminary Professors and Seminarians held on September 1-5, 2015 in St. Michael Seminary Penfui – Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia. The workshop was attended went up to 300 seminarians of Diocesan, Claretians and Carmalites, and 5 seminary professors. The parallel seminar was held in two separate rooms – one for professors and the other for seminarians.
Workshop at a glance
Communication is God’s gift to humankind, through which individuals and societies can become truly human.
Communication can lead to reconciliation or destruction. It can bring knowledge, truth and inspiration, or withhold knowledge and spread dis-information.
Communication, therefore, is part of every aspect of life. It has to serve society as a whole and ultimately, humankind in its entirety.
The Church is communication, and is the channel of God’s life and love for his community. In dioceses, seminaries, formation houses and parishes, the study of communication is a vital part of the mission of the church in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
The Media and New Communication Technologies, because of their influence on people’s consciousness and values, is not merely for entertainment but an industry that can build or destroy the sign of God’s presence in our world.
The students in formation belong to a new generation. They belong to a digital world. They live, study and work in a highly mediated, multicultural and globalizing world. To understand them and their world, we need new methodologies and a new pedagogy in teaching and learning.
The proposed training programme has been carefully planned and designed to address the communication needs of Seminary Professors and Formators.
Programme Objectives:
- To examine social communication and its role in the life of the individual, community and Church
- To re-think social communication in the seminaries through understanding the new realities that shape the Parish in Indonesia
- To enable the participants to understand the new media scenario and reflect on the future trends
- To equip the participants with communication and media skills to be effective formators of seminarians and religious.
- To enhance the communication competencies of formators to handle the complex issues of communication and human relationships raised by media in a globalizing world.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the training, the participants would be able to:
- To see the central role of Communication in the Mission of the Church
- Understand the power of media and its influences on people’s lives
- Critically analyze the media products
- Acquire media skills to communicate more effectively and make teaching and learning more interesting and creative
- Realize the need for greater attention for social communication in formation
- Appreciate the need for a high level of competency to handle the issues and complexities of communication in a media mediated world.
Resource persons:
- Jerry Martinson SJ – Taiwan
- Jose de Mesa – Philippines
- Augustine Loorthusamy – Malaysia
- Professor Conrad Saldanha – India
- Sikares Sirakan – Thailand
- Bernadetta Widiandajani – Indonesia
- Slamet Budiharjo – Indonesia
Local Coordinator and support staff:
Fr. Balthasar Manehat SVD; Fr. Sekundidus Lopis Pr and team The seminarians were divided into 15 working groups to produce the medias i.e. audio visual and radio programs (spot, features, drama and musical), assisted by Fr. Jerry Martinson; Mr. Budi (SAV Puskat); Fr. Balthasar Manehat SVD (Radio Tirilolok) and Bernadetta Widiandajani (Secretary SIGNIS ASIA). All program activities during the workshop broadcasted (live report) by Radio Tirilolok-Kupang.
Imam diosesan (praja) Keuskupan Weetebula (Pulau Sumba, NTT); misiolog, lulusan Universitas Urbaniana Roma; berkarya sebagai Sekretaris Eksekutif Komisi Komunikasi Sosial (Komsos) KWI, Juli 2013-Juli 2019
