CAPA

Report on the Provincial Communicators Workshop held in Nairobi, October 28 - 31, 2002

Theme: Helping The Church Accomplish Its Mission Through Effective Communication

Background
How the Anglican Church in Africa can utilize new Information Technologies
The overall Aim of The Workshop
The Objectives
Provincial representatives
Others
Workshop Content & Facilitators
Reports from the Provinces
Key observations by participants
Assessment of fulfillment of workshop objectives
Workshop recommendations, Way Forward
Participants evaluation and recommendations
Next communicators workshop 2003/2004
Contacts of Provincial Communicators and Participants

BACKGROUND (Top)

There is no doubt that Information Technology is changing every sphere of life. Easy and free flow of information is becoming the order of the day, courtesy of new information technologies.

For instance, today unlike in the past decade, communicators in Africa can do their exposés and stories and through the touch of a button, disseminate these to all parts of the world in a matter of seconds.

There is no other media in today’s world that can rival the Internet in breaking the barriers that were created previously to confine news and information especially in African countries. Previously, millions of people - including the Church - depended on postal services, to disseminate information. Needless to say that postal service especially in Africa have been open to interference from state agents. But now, with e-mail facilities, messages and information can be made available cheaply, reliably and without interference. All that is required: a computer, modem and telephone line.

Reliable research now shows that an estimated 110 million people in more than 240 countries now have access to the Net. A staggering 350 million web pages provide news and information on any topic imaginable. With such wide-ranging content, the Internet is now a serious platform for a dialogue among the free people of the world, including a growing number of Africans. This is in spite of the fact that Africa has one of the world's poorest telephone network and power supply.

HOW THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN AFRICA CAN UTILIZE THESE NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES(Top)

This formed the basis of a four-day Communication Workshop organized by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) in partnership with Trinity Church, New York from October 28th to 31st 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya.

This was a follow-up meeting, the last one having been held in Swaziland in 1991. However, since this last meeting, a lot of changes have occurred in the communication sphere. At the time of the Swazi meeting for instance, mass media tools such as radio and TV were the most prevalent forms of communication compared to now when IT has began to take root.

THE OVERALL AIM OF THE WORKSHOP(Top)

To conceptualize how new communication patterns and technologies can help the Church in Africa link with one another and build strong communities of faith.

THE OBJECTIVES(Top)

a) To provide a theoretical foundation on the role of communications and in specific the role of Christian communicators.
b) To identify and evaluate information technology tools that can be effectively utilized to spread the Gospel and create oneness in the Anglican Church in Africa and the overall Anglican Communion.
c) To mobilize and establish an Anglican Communication Network in Africa in order to enhance information and resource sharing.
d) To introduce participants to communication challenges faced by those in other parts of Africa and encourage support for one another.
e) To reinforce the role of church communication in development by providing independent and reliable information that can contribute to socio-economic progress of the people.
f) To introduce CAPA Communications Unit as the coordinating arm of the information and training activities in Africa and to rally support for the Unit from the Provinces.