Let us Celebrate Green Christmas !

“Fear not … good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people," announced the angel to the shepherds on the night of the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem. How credible was this message to the shepherds that night in the dark hours of that night and of the world.

May be the same message comes to us as many of us have the fear of the future of the world, as the Copenhagen Summit has ended rather inconclusively. How the human race is collectively to face the reality of climate change in the 21st century remains disturbingly unclear.

It is clear that the effects of climate change are felt in many parts of the world. The heavy catastrophic floods, landslides, starvation due to crop failure, the raging coasts and the fear of loosing some of the islands as my brother Chair of the Pacific regions mentions and other low lying delta regions of the world and even the island Maldives on the Indian Ocean, are the signs of the climate change. The scars on the earth are the visible symbol of a selfish way of being in the world. The failure of Copenhagen Summit is in a way a visible sign of this selfish way of being in the world. What is to be done? More rhetoric is not going to help us.

As the President Dennis Smith points out in the Statement of WACC on Climate Change that Climate justice is a communication justice, which calls for a fair treatment of all people through policies and projects that address climate change and the structures that create and perpetuate inequalities. It is time to hear the voices of the South, it is the cost of millions of lives, the disappearance of countries and cultures - all that has landed on the agenda of the climate justice."

At the heart of the Christmas story is generosity. God chose to come as a little child, inspiring compassion and calling people beyond their individual selves into membership of a new community whose work is to transform the world by opening up a fissure so that God's kingdom could come. It is time that we as Christian communicators must improve our public understanding of environment and sustainable development issues by supporting environmental journalists locally, nationally and internationally giving voice to the voiceless to establish climate justice.

Two Thousand and Nine was a productive year for WACC – Asia. It has taken the mandate to work towards the Communication and Poverty and to develop poverty reporting standards for the media. It has recognised that poverty includes communication poverty. Therefore strengthening the voices of people living in poverty improves understandings and actions aimed at addressing poverty, injustice and inequality and can inform and influence public agendas locally, nationally and internationally. Three research reports from three different regions with three workshops in India at Chennai, Bhubaneshwar and Shillong brought several evidences to prove the communication poverty of the mainstream media, in reporting poverty. This suggests that the best way to address this issue is training barefoot journalists for reporting poverty issues in the mainstream media. This will be followed up in other countries in Asia such as Philippines and Indonesia in the coming year.

Another major event that happened in the WACC-Asia is the Asia Communication Sunday, conducted on the 18 June 2009. It is the first innovative initiative. This also has become a model for the global WACC to adopt it for the other regions. Thanks to Rev. Judy Chan and the Global Ministries USA for their support in getting the materials for its use.

Many of our members have also contributed to the success of the GMMP. Many young researchers have participated with great enthusiasm. It is encouraging to hear from Lavinia the great success where about 130 countries have participated in this one day research, seeking to work towards a fair and balanced representation of gender in the media. Thanks to all who contributed to GMMP 2009.

It is my privilege to report that the ExCom has proposed to strengthen another area, which is “Communication and Ecumenism”, marking the Centenary celebrations of Edinburgh 1910 which gave birth to many ecumenical institutions. We would like to bring out a commemorative publication on the theme “Communication and Ecumenism” from various perspectives. We look forward to potential contributors. Kindly send your suggestions to make our plan more concrete in the next Executive committee.

Though people are celebrating White Christmas, let us remember the glacial erosions and protect life on this beautiful planet, keeping it green. Let us celebrate a Green Christmas, promoting climate justice and to be on the side of the most vulnerable affected by the climate change. On behalf of the Executive Committee members, Fr. Sarwanto, Maria (Tetet), Judy, Lwin and Naveen, I would like to wish you all a blessed Christmas and a Peace-filled New Year 2010.

Rev. Dr. Samuel Meshack Chairperson, WACC – Asia.