Children speak out at Signis World Congress

CHILDREN around the world were part of the recently concluded global convention of Signis World in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Young students asked Congress participants to hear their voice and speak for their rights during the Congress’ workshops on Oct. 17-21.

Aside from the 100 Chiang Mai students who joined the children’s workshops, some 2,000 children from 40 countries around the world also participated in the convention by sending handkerchiefs with their hands imprinted on them.

The handkerchiefs were sewn together as streamers and hung at the convention halls during the congress.

“These handkerchiefs, each one of them has a story on the child and his or her rights,” Signis World president Augustine Loorthusamy said, in his opening address on Oct. 17.

With the theme “Media for a Culture of Peace - Children’s Rights, Tomorrow’s Promise”, the congress stressed the issue of children’s rights and encourage communicators to use media to support children’s rights.

Loorthusamy said Signis wanted the children to get involved in the congress by speaking out and telling their stories.

“This is going to be a unique Congress bringing together the creativity of children, young people and communication professionals…one of rich variety of learning experiences and is meant for reflection and change,” he said.

Loorthusamy noted that as the world and the Church’s future, children have the right to be heard, to be involved and to be respected by the media.

“This priority concern here for the children is also aimed at enabling media professionals from across the world to examine, explore and plan activities taking into account the perspectives of children, children’s rights and the media,” he said.

A children’s workshop highlighting the rights of children in today’s digital world was organized during the congress with a team of educators from Philippine Association for Media Education (PAME) as facilitators.

In a show and tell portion during plenary assemblies, delegates from various countries also presented their productions highlighting the plight of children around the world.

Insights and concerns of the children taken up during the workshops were showcased in creative productions, which they presented to the assembly on the last day of the congress.

They dared delegates to hear their voice, to trust them, teach them, lead them, and speak for their rights.

For their part, the delegates responded by pledging their support and promised to make children’s rights their priority in their media work.