Asia: Bishops learn to use and navigate social networks
by Annie Lam
A five-day meeting was held in Taiwan with the participation of more than 30 bishops, priests, religious and laity dedicated to new media. It was attended by representatives of Church communications from India, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines.
Hualien (AsiaNews) - More than 30 bishops, priests, religious and lay people from ten different countries have given rise to the 16th meeting of the bishops of the Office of Social Communication (OSC) of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) held in Hualien , Taiwan, November 14 to 19, with the aim to make contact and become familiar with the new tools of social communication.
At a workshop which lasted two days on 15 and 16 November, participants were given in-depth knowledge on how to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other tools in the field of multi-media sessions and presentations organized by Father Stephen Cuyos, a priest based in Manila.
The participants learned visual storytelling and how to translate Biblical narratives into the language of digital communications. The participants also engaged in virtual interaction and connected with “digital citizens” using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). They also learned first-hand that online games can be used to teach human and Christian values.
Fr. Cuyos, a Missionary of the Sacred Heart (MSC) is a production and training specialist for Communications Foundation for Asia (CFA). He oriented the participants to social networking realities in Asia and beyond. He said young people are now engaged in chatting and blogging, sharing photos, sharing videos, playing games as well as sharing software. For the so-called “online culture,” the consequences are many-fold. They flatten organizations and dissolve hierarchies because “all of us, regardless of race, culture and position, can be friends in social networks,” the priest said.
The shift from “control to collaboration” is also a reality in the social media sphere along with the immediacy of feedback, good or bad. The tendency for today’s youth is to think “entertainment as king!” and “if it is popular, then it must be true!” Evangelization efforts may be included in social media activities. But it is necessary, Fr. Cuyos said, to, first, “friend” people (include in one’s friends list). “Friend” is a verb in social media conversations, the priest said, likewise, the term “favorite.” It is “imperative to use popular media” like Facebook and Twitter, and to “entertain” using videos and images which speak more than do plain text. The Church should also launch evangelization efforts that are “collaborative,” by having partners who may share different forms of expertise in online activities.
It is “imperative to use popular media” like Facebook and Twitter, and to “entertain” using videos and images which speak more than do plain text. The Church should also launch evangelization efforts that are “collaborative,” by having partners who may share different forms of expertise in online activities.. Finally Fr. Cuyos encouraged participants to learn more about social media. Whenever possible, the Church should strive to create its own content and applications so they can share their message in the dialogue offered by the global social network. The participants were bishops responsible for corporate communications, secretaries and national religious and lay staff from India, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines.
At a workshop which lasted two days on 15 and 16 November, participants were given in-depth knowledge on how to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other tools in the field of multi-media sessions and presentations organized by Father Stephen Cuyos, a priest based in Manila.
The participants learned visual storytelling and how to translate Biblical narratives into the language of digital communications. The participants also engaged in virtual interaction and connected with “digital citizens” using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). They also learned first-hand that online games can be used to teach human and Christian values.
Fr. Cuyos, a Missionary of the Sacred Heart (MSC) is a production and training specialist for Communications Foundation for Asia (CFA). He oriented the participants to social networking realities in Asia and beyond. He said young people are now engaged in chatting and blogging, sharing photos, sharing videos, playing games as well as sharing software. For the so-called “online culture,” the consequences are many-fold. They flatten organizations and dissolve hierarchies because “all of us, regardless of race, culture and position, can be friends in social networks,” the priest said.
The shift from “control to collaboration” is also a reality in the social media sphere along with the immediacy of feedback, good or bad. The tendency for today’s youth is to think “entertainment as king!” and “if it is popular, then it must be true!” Evangelization efforts may be included in social media activities. But it is necessary, Fr. Cuyos said, to, first, “friend” people (include in one’s friends list). “Friend” is a verb in social media conversations, the priest said, likewise, the term “favorite.” It is “imperative to use popular media” like Facebook and Twitter, and to “entertain” using videos and images which speak more than do plain text. The Church should also launch evangelization efforts that are “collaborative,” by having partners who may share different forms of expertise in online activities.
It is “imperative to use popular media” like Facebook and Twitter, and to “entertain” using videos and images which speak more than do plain text. The Church should also launch evangelization efforts that are “collaborative,” by having partners who may share different forms of expertise in online activities.. Finally Fr. Cuyos encouraged participants to learn more about social media. Whenever possible, the Church should strive to create its own content and applications so they can share their message in the dialogue offered by the global social network. The participants were bishops responsible for corporate communications, secretaries and national religious and lay staff from India, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines.
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