WCC NEWS: Young communicators, bringing spirit and skills, begin training for WCC 11th Assembly roles

A team of young communicators began a comprehensive training programme on 1 March to help them prepare for their roles in telling the stories and carrying the messages from the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 01 March 2022 A series of 90-minute online webinars, designed to prepare communicators from across the world will run over the next three months. Successful participants will receive a diploma certificate in June. In addition to learning the basics of communications in an ecumenical context, participants will become familiar with the assembly communication strategy, which will put a "human face" on assembly messages through candid storytelling, with an eye toward quality rather than an "oceans of information" approach based on quantity. “This is comprehensive training programme, which covers most aspects of communication,” said Claus Grue, a WCC senior communication consultant, who is coordinating the course for the young communicators. “It gives the participants a decent ground on which to stand at the assembly.” Welcoming young colleagues to the WCC communications team, Grue expressed confidence that they will be well-prepared for their tasks after having gone through this comprehensive programme. “This is a tailor-made training programme for young people who are eager to learn more about communication in an ecumenical environment,” he explained. Course topics range from social media to reporting on conflict resolution, from peace-building in various regions to writing press releases—and many more. Meet some young communicators Students shared their motivation for attending the course, as well as why they’re committed to the ecumenical movement. Aleshia Lawson has been involved in the ecumenical movement for the past few years, including attending the Christian Conference of Asia assembly. “I also do marketing and communications work nationally for the Anglican Church n New Zealand,” she said. “This seems like a really good opportunity to put those skills into practice and be involved in the WCC.” Claude Khasho has been involved in the ecumenical movement for about a decade. “I started serving in the Presbyterian Church, where I saw there was huge need for the ecumenical movement movement in my country, Syria, after a big war,” he said. "I got involved in these topics to get new skills and bring them back to my country.” The team of young communicators will be present onsite in Karlsruhe during the WCC 11th Assembly, as well as operating online. The training programme is organized by the World Council of Churches in collaboration with the World Association for Christian Communication. It is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. WCC 11th Assembly See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland