austraLasia
1400
PNG-SI gives a lead
for celebration for 24th January
celebration
PORT MORESBY: 21st January
2006 -- With exquisite timing, the PNG-Solomon Islands Delegation,
through its Social Communications Commission, has set up a three day training
programme in communications for those in formation. The programme will be
conducted by Frs Ambrose Pereira sdb, Director of Catholic Communications in the
Solomon Islands, and Fr Edwin Genovia sdb from Vunabosco in Rabaul. The
programme begins on 22nd January and concludes precisely on the Feast of St.
Francis de Sales. Topics to be covered include matters to do with Salesian
understanding and practice in the field, including the identity of the Salesian
Social Communications System, then approaches to youth and pop culture,
liturgical music and animation of music at Mass, the Church and the media,
the anatomy of a newspaper, advertising. The sessions will include a visit
to a radio station in Port Moresby.
In terms of timing,
the expertise involved, the topics and the dynamic for the sessions, this event
sends an important message that the Delegation is thinking and acting along the
lines regularly promoted by the Social Communications sector in the
Congregation, under its leadership from Fr Tarcisio Scaramussa and the
Department which he heads. Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands may
sound like exotic locations to some, but in a globalised world, any point on the
globe can be the 'centre' of the world. PNG-SI are not 'exotic' but at the
heart of today's global culture, where rap and hip hop, advertising, the
influence of television and resultant attitudes are as much a feature of life as
anywhere else, for young people.
In a distinct but
connected development, the East Boroko College community was, just a week ago,
'rascalized' (see below for the meaning of a term
quite specific to PNG). The night guard was tied up, TVs, 200 school
uniforms, DVD player, computers and the school safe stolen. The safe was
abandoned, contents intact; the lock was damaged but did not yield. As Fr
Roger Miranda, Rector in East Boroko put it, "our schools have been rascalized
several times. This is one reason why we need to stay in this
country. We can help in the education of the young".
It is to be hoped that the rascals have left sufficient
amount of equipment for Ambrose and Edwin to 'do their thing'! austraLasia
is also hopeful that one fruitful outcome of the three day seminar will be a
sustained outpouring of news and views with a Melanesian touch to it.
Something we look forward to.
VOCABULARY
rascals,
rascalize: rascals are gang members usually given to violence, including
armed robbery. These gangs are often made up of young people who have come
into Port Moresby (it is more a Moresby situation than in other parts) from the
Highlands or at least from rural parts, and have no other forms of
survival.
______________________
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