AMECEA: Media Practitioners Roll-Out Synodal Conversation Programs in AMECEA Region
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
A section of radio and television broadcasters within the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) region have rolled out programs on the synod on synodality, to engage the people of God and increase their awareness of the synodal journey as they share the best practices to live the synodal spirit in the region.
Five radio stations: Radio Amani in Kenya, Radio Maria-Uganda, Radio Icengelo- Zambia, Radio Emmanuel -South Sudan, Radio Kwizera- Tanzania, and one TV station: Luntha TV in Malawi have collaborated with AMECEA’s Social Communications department for the realization of this four months noble task.
As the radio and TV stations collaborate with the Social Communications department, the presenters, reporters, and producers intend to have weekly programs in local languages for the people of God to understand fully the Church’s expectation about synod on synodality and the same time come up with programs based on the existing documents as they relate to their target audience.
Addressing representatives from the various media stations during a virtual session on Tuesday, July 30, the AMECEA’s Social Communications Coordinator Fr. Andrew Kaufa stressed the need to remind the people that synod has not ended but is continuing.
He noted that after the upcoming second phase of the synodal assembly scheduled for October, the Synod will then take “another step which is the implementation period, how to live the synod in daily life.”
“The various programs you are presenting on the radio and television now, summarize the synodal journey we have had since October 2021,” Fr. Kaufa explained.
According to Fr. Kaufa, the recently published Instrumentum Laboris (Working Document) emphasizes to the people of God to share what has been the experience of synodality and journeying together, a concern which he says “should be extended to the hosts during the radio and Tv interviews.”
Additionally, he noted that the synod emphasizes the need for the Church to “take an image that is not so much a bureaucratic structure but more of a relational structure where all people are in relationship first of all with Jesus Christ and with one another.”
On their part, the participants disclosed that after rolling out the programs they realized that most Christians are not aware that synod is still ongoing. Instead, they have the conviction that the synodal discussions ended last year in October after the first session.
