By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy
Panaji: The participants of an online Asian workshop “On reporting and documentation on environment issues” were invited to embrace social media for “Digital Shepherding for Ecological Justice.”
The workshop was organized by Salesian Father George Plathottam, secretary of the Federation of Bishops’ Conferences – Office of Social Communication in collaboration with Veritas Asia Institute of Social Communication and ‘Living Laudato Si’ Philippines.
In his inaugural message, chairman of FABC-OSC, Bishop Roberto Mallari of San Jose Nueva Ecija exhorted, “Allow all human beings live in sustainable dignity.”
Introducing the program, Father Plathottam reminded the participants about Pope Francis’ call to “Ecological conversion and responsible use of the resources of the earth.”
The aim of the workshop was “to report news and write features about things going against ‘Laudato Si’ (Praise Be to You), the second encyclical of Pope Francis and celebrate it,” according to Father Plathottam.
“In “Laudato Si” we see the concern of Pope Francis about climate change and ecology,” he said. “We are called to make our contribution using our skill in communication.”
Introducing a new term, ‘Digital Shepherding,’ Adrian Tambuyat, a media trainer and Dominican lay missionary, said, “It is a form of pastoral communication that deals with the use of digital media in the pastoral care of Catholics.”
“If digital marketing targets the market, in the digital shepherding, we target the sheep,” Tambuyat enlightened the 20 participants from six Asian countries.
“More than the common utilization of communications technology, it seeks to make the faithful feel the presence of the Good Shepherd in the digital peripheries,” he added.
The basic course from August 25 to September 10, enriched the participants with diverse experiences.
“Our ecology course was an interiorizing experience for me. I got much as it was a ‘hands-on’ program,” said a Salesian Sister Lohri Ophriini, an Indian missionary in Cambodia.
The course offered the participants an overview of an environment issues, training in reporting news about the environment, building up story ideas and newsgathering, besides inputs on ‘Laudato Si’.
“I understand that reporting news and documenting is a skill and at the same time, risk as it entails honesty in reporting. I learned to appreciate and enjoy reading the news,” added Sister Ophriini, after the 22 hours session during the seven days.
Emiliana Saptaningsih from Indonesia, a participant, said “the journalism course and Laudato Si will contribute a lot for my future writing.” She works for a non-profit organization (NGO) Smile Foundation of Bali in Denpasar, as an operational manager for almost five years.
“This course made me recommit myself to make known the story of the simple yet powerful faith of the Indian Christians,” said participant Sister Robancy A Helen, a member of the Idente Missionaries of Christ the Redeemer congregation. She works with children, youth and women and is also involved with ecumenical and human rights movements internationally.
Rodne Galachia of ‘Living Laudato Si’ Philippines, an organization committed to environmental issues, challenged the participants to think about one’s contribution to ecological education and spirituality. “What is our response to the cry of the earth and cry of the poor?” he asked.
Speaking on reporting news and environment, Father Santosh Digal, informed the participants about the evolution of environmental journalism consisting of environment communication, nature writing, science writing and environment advocacy. Urging to care for the earth, he said, “We may have a plan B, but we do not have a planet B.”
Joe Torres Jr, the editor at large of LiCAS news and Mark Saludes, a journalist, enlightened the participants about news and data gathering, writing news reports and features and photography for news and features.
Natasha Govekar from the Dicastery of Social Communications at the Vatican explained to the students about the impact and response to the use of social media by Pope Francis.
In the concluding note Salesian Father Joshtram Isaac Kureetadam, coordinator of Ecology and Creation at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, explained about the “seven Cs’ of Laudato Si” Communication-Constancy, Compassion, Contemplation, Conversion, Commitment, Connect and creativity.