UGANDA: Promote Humanity among the migrant and refugee Bishop Zziwa on catholic Journalist
Masereka Peter
The chairperson for Uganda Episcopal conference, Rt. Rev. Antony Joseph Zziwa has urged Catholic journalists to use mass media to promote humanity among migrants and refugees in their area of operation.
Bishop Zziwa said despite the core humanitarian principle and operational standards of the media to governe the refugees service providers, a Catholic journalist needs to go an extra mile to ensure that their reporting is inspired by the Sacred Scriptures and the Catholic Social Teaching which insist on love, human dignity, common good and justice and peace among others.
In his speech during the official opening of a five-day training for Catholic journalists, media professionals and civil society involved on the care of Migrants and refugees at St. Mary National Major Seminary, Ggaba, organized by SIGNIS Africa in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promotion of the Integral Human Development and the Uganda Episcopal Conference, Bishop Zziwa who is the Ordinary of Kiyinda-Mityana said Catholic journalism should be accommodative and rooted in the mission of Christ to proclaim the good news to the oppressed, poor and all the less privileged people which makes.
Bishop Zziwa said the old and new testimonies of the Holy Mass have quoted of migrants including the grandfather of believers Abraham who was asked to live his home land, the twelve sons of Israel who also migrated to Egypt in search food and child Jesus was also taken to Egypt in fear of King Herod, saying everyone on earth in the victim of the circumstance.
He asked every Catholic communicator to take the message of the Pope on the 57th World Communication Day seriously. In the message, Pope Francis emphasizes the duty to speaking with the heart in order to foster a culture of peace dialogue and reconciliation.
In his remarks on the second day of the training, Bishop Chair for Social Communication Commission in the Uganda Episcopal conference Rt. Rev. Joseph Franzelli said the media has a role to educating the public to live as one family with the refugee and migrants as recommend by Christ.
Representing of the Prime Minister of Uganda, the State Minister of Taso Affair Hon. Kenneth Ongola Obote said currently Uganda is hosting over 1.5 refugees with majority from South Sudan, followed by DR Congo and all are beneficiary of all privileges and social services in Uganda.
Hon. Ongola said Uganda has kept her boarders open to welcome migrants and refugee and has approved good humanitarian policies that give them right to own properties, carryout businesses and freedom of movement among others, adding that country has gone ahead getting involved in restoring peace in country that are contributing to the high number of refugees.
Rev. Fr. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika, the president SIGNIS Africa highlight the theme of the training as effective and efficient reporting on migrants and refugees which is the fulfillment of the vision, saying through the workshop SIGNIS will come up with principles for catholic journalism in covering and reporting on migrants and refuge
The training has attracted more dignities including members from the Dicastery of communication, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of Oyo Diocese from Nigeria who is the president of SECAM’s Pan African Committee on Communication (CEPACS) and Ms. Helen Osman President SIGNIS, among others.
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