Weetebula, Catholic young people and new media: a seminar to boost the evangelization
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - In response to the Pope for the World Day of Social Communications, some young people of the Diocese of Weetbula - Sumba Island, the province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) - participated in a seminar on new media and evangelization. Participants come from one of the remotest areas of Indonesia and, unlike the majority of citizens, especially young people, are not familiar with computers and the internet.
In response, the local Catholic leadership has facilitated a three-day meeting and discussion, which drew 62 young Catholics from various parishes of the diocese. Some of them - seminarians, students, activists, teachers and nurses - have had to travel for 5/6 hours from their places of origin, to reach the diocesan pastoral Kotiku Loku center, in the north-western part of Sumba district.
The main purpose of the workshop
was to strengthen missionary communications, to promote social networks and new
media. From
7.30 am until 11 pm, they learned the basics of photography and editing thanks
to the valuable advice of a professor of the School of Art in Jakarta; they
then had lessons in journalism and the use of new media held by the AsiaNews
correspondent.
The
lessons were concluded with a final practical test, a sort of term paper for
publication. Once
they overcame their initial reluctance, the young Catholics responded with
interest and involvement demonstrating ability and potential in the production
of "news" related to the world of the Church and to the path of
evangelization.
Young Catholic activist Melky, points
out that such initiatives should be repeated because they are "not
enough"; another
participant adds that he has received "illuminating" advice in the
workshop, so as to have greater confidence in the media and the potential
contained in a small room and a computer keyboard, with the aim of
evangelization.
Organizers
included Catholic Bishops' Conference Social
Communications Commission (KWI Kosmos); led by Msgr. Petrus
Turang, the Archbishop of Kupang, who said that the Indonesian Church promotes
seminars and initiatives for "the production of Catholic news,
aimed at evangelization."
Indonesia
is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Catholics are a small minority
of about seven million, or 3 per cent of the population. In the Archdiocese of
Jakarta, the faithful reach 3.6 per cent of the population.
Although the country's constitution recognises religious freedom, Catholics have been the victims of violence and abuse, especially in areas where extremist visions of Islam are entrenched, like Aceh.
Still, Catholics are an active component in society and contribute to the nation's development as well as to emergency operations when they arise, as was the case in last year's devastating flood.
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