Matters India Reporter

Kathmandu, 28 October 2019 — A group 13 young people from various parts of Nepal are undergoing communications workshop christened CommLab, an annual feature of World Catholic Communications body called Signis, in Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu. Last year, a similar programme was held at Don Bosco Communications Chennai for 13 participants from all over Asia.

Of 13 young people participating at the 7-day communication workshop in Kathmandu only four are boys while nine are girls.

The Signis CommLab programme with the theme ‘Caring for our common home’ is being held at St Xavier’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal from 27th October to 2nd November 2019.

The four member CommLab team in Nepal consists of presenters Lyka from Manila, and Bruno from Darjeeling, and Maria from Myanmar, in collaboration with CommLab Asia Coordinator, Dr. Magimai Pragasam (Chennai), and CommLab Global Coordinator Dr. Eljay Sinniah (Kuala Lumpur).

Former member of Signis CommLab 2018 at Chennai, Presenter Bruno Thapa is programme coordinator at Salesian Television operating under Salesian College Sonada, Darjeeling.

“Communication Lab or CommLab is an intensive Media-Video workshop immersion experience for young Asian Communicators, organised by SIGNIS Asia Media Education Desk,” CommLab Asia Coordinator Dr Magimai Pragasam.

CommLab Global Coordinator Eljay Sinniah from Kuala Lumpur says, “CommLab is a global programme of SIGNIS, designed to equip youths with knowledge and skills in social communication and the social teachings of the Church. It facilitates this through a form of media education, using the methodology of Paulo Freire, to bring about a culture of peace in our community.”

During the in-depth workshop, the participants will learn to capture telling pictures, and to conceptualise, visualise and write effective scripts to convert them into powerful videos which touch the emotions of the audience deeply.

Towards the end of the program, students will learn techniques of online fundraising and how to effectively market their products.

The participants began with sessions on photojournalism and moved on to producing PSAs (Public Service Announcements) with mobile phones.

Lastly, the young people divided into three teams will make short films using DSLR cameras on the plight of the poor and marginalised