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Association for Communication
VATICAN CITY, 6 SEPT. 2006 (ZENIT) Here is the description of the
World Catholic Association for Communication, or SIGNIS, which appears
in the Directory of International Associations of the Faithful,
published by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
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Official name: World Catholic Association for Communication
Also known as: SIGNIS
Established: 2001
History: SIGNIS was founded by merging two organizations that had
existed since 1928: OCIC, the International Catholic Organization for
Cinema, and UNDA, the International Catholic Association for Radio and
Television.
It is recognized by the Holy See as an international Catholic
organization, and is a member of the Conference of ICOs, and as a
nongovernmental organization it has consultative status with UNESCO, the
U.N. Economic and Social Council, and the Council of Europe.
Identity: SIGNIS is a worldwide network of associations, institutions
and individuals working in the mass media, with the aim of alerting
Christians to the importance of human communication in every culture,
and encouraging them to speak out in this sector.
The association, which represents Catholic media in all the governmental
and nongovernmental organizations and institutions, is committed to
lobbying for policies to encourage communications that respect Christian
values, justice and human rights; to involving media professionals in
the dialogue on questions of professional ethics, and to fostering
ecumenical and interfaith cooperation in the media sector.
The projects implemented by SIGNIS are extremely varied, ranging from
the promotion of television programs and films by setting up juries to
take part in film and television festivals (such as Cannes, Berlin,
Venice, Monte Carlo, Prix Italia), setting up radio broadcasting
studios, producing and distributing videos, and supporting the
development of communication infrastructure (satellite telephony,
Internet, Intranet).
One of the priorities of SIGNIS is to guarantee everyone quality access
to the media by providing them with information including learning how
to interpret and view critically, and to acquire new communication
techniques and technologies.
Organization: SIGNIS is governed by the General Assembly, the Assembly
of Delegates, the Board of Management, which comprises the president,
vice president, general secretary and ecclesiastical assistant, the
treasurer, a representative of the Pontifical Council for Social
Communications (of which the president and the general secretary of the
association are a member and a consultor, respectively), representatives
of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania, and
one representative of the international organizations in contact with
the association.
National Catholic associations of institutions and individuals working
in the audiovisual media or Catholic international media organizations
pursuing the same goals, may become members of SIGNIS. And institutions
or individuals working locally in the media, but in contact with their
national associations, may become associates.
Membership: SIGNIS has 150 member associations and 76 associate
associations in 122 countries worldwide.
Works: SIGNIS is a founder member of CIFEJ (International Center of
Films for Children and Young People).
Publications: Signis Media, a two-monthly magazine
Signis Info, a bimonthly newsletter
Signis Web News, a fortnightly online newsletter
Web site: http://www.signis.net
Headquarters:
SIGNIS
15, rue du Saphir
1030 Brussels - Belgium
Telephone (32) 2-734-9708
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Fax 2-734-3207 / 734-7018
E-mail: sg@signis.net
Servizio Missionario SIGNIS
Palazzo San Calisto
00120 Città del Vaticano
Telephone (39) 06-6988-7255
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Fax (39) 06-6988-7335
E-mail: missions@signis.net
© Copyright 2006
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Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
ZE06090623
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