Signis

SIGNIS-Carribean Hosts its 5th Annual Meeting in Barbados

Bridgetown, June 2, 2012 (Susanne Dowdy) - Barbados is famous for its beautiful beaches and crystal clear azure waters. Think Barbados - think holiday - think rest and relaxation. However, some serious work was going on the days of June 1st and 2nd this year. Barbados was chosen for this years 5th Annual general meeting of SIGNIS-Caribbean. Fr. Clement Paul, recently appointed Vicar for Communications in the diocese of Bridgetown was our host.

SIGNIS-Caribbean was officially launched in 2007 in Trinidad. The Executive is made up of: Nuala Menezes (President), Javier Molina (Vice-President), Lisa Bhajan (Secreatry) and Rhonda Maingot (Treasurer).

The member countries represented at this meeting in Barbados were: Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Kingston-Jamaica, Suriname, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago.

The members were also pleased to welcome Gustavo Andújar, SIGNIS-World Vice-President, from Cuba and Rev. Deacon Mike James, Secretary General of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC).

On the first day of the AGM, the President invited all present to give a short report on communications in their dioceses. It was interesting to hear that while some dioceses were already very involved in various areas of communications, others were just beginning to get their feet wet but most shared that they experienced the same challenges if even at different levels.

On the second day, Bishop Jason Gordon facilitated discussion on the aims and objectives of SIGNIS-Carribean. An action plan was created and sub-committees were formed to deal with the ten aims and objectives. Of these, based on the result of a voting process, four objectives surfaced as main priorities:

  To partner with the AEC and to develop in conjunction with the AEC, an agreed communications process for the Caribbean region.
  To develop and maintain linkages with regional and international communications and media organisations including SIGNIS World and OCLACC (SIGNIS - Latin America)
  To develop, support and encourage Caribbean Catholic culture through communications.
  To develop a code of ethics and to provide ongoing training and support for SIGNIS-Caribbean members as well as Catholic media practitioners and professionals.

All this follows in the wake of the recent Annual Plenary meeting of the AEC in Georgetown, Guyana, in April this year, where important decisions were taken with respect to Communications in the Caribbean region.

An Ad hoc Communications Committee, under the direction of Bishop Jason Gordon was established with a list of goals, including the need to develop an IT platform for the AEC Conference to develop effective means of collaboration between Bishops and Commissions in an ongoing way, as well as to facilitate the evangelisation of the media and development of society.

It was obvious that SIGNIS-Caribbean would have a major role to play in all of this and a working relationship between the two bodies would need to be established. The SIGNIS-Caribbean 5th AGM could not have been set at a more opportune time.

The Catholic Community in the Caribbean can certainly look forward to new and exciting developments in the future as these two groups work together to deepen the communications capacity of the Church in the region through the formation of all Catholics in the spirituality and skills of communications.

Anyone interested in keeping abreast of any new developments can do so by regularly visiting the website at: www.signiscaribbean.com

SIGNIS