From Media Programs Director
of the European Centre of Communication and Culture (ECCC)

The European Centre of Communication and Culture (ECCC) is considered as an institution providing support for various media initiatives of the churches in Eastern Europe. We are very often asked to help, diagnose and solve the problems, to prepare local teams for the realization of innovative projects. The actual situation and needs of the Christian media in Eastern Europe indicate three major directions of priority activities:

1. Unifying and supporting activities of various media which are possible due to technological convergence and synergy use of human, material and knowledge resources; uniting diverse initiatives for achieving greater effect; promoting co-operation of lay journalists and ecumenical involvement of people of different Christian background for shaping the spiritual and social responsibility of the media, which, in their turn, would influence the process of creating mature societies which experienced a destructive influence of totalitarisms and various ideologies.

2. Creating „road maps” for inspiring new possibilities; exemplifying implementations of the best experiences in undertaking various media initiatives; reacting to appearing challenges, and getting to specific target groups. This kind of impulses are necessary both for lay people responsible for concrete projects, and, especially, for the clergy who decide on the media strategy of their churches.

3. Building up personal professional and spiritual competences; providing collaborators and co-authors of media activities of the churches in Central and Eastern Europe with proved institutional solutions and contacts to representatives of similar initiatives; sharing experiences with colleagues from other parts of Europe and the world.

These three directions are of great priority and importance for the service to the Church and institutions engaged in proclaiming the Holy Gospel and building the Kingdom of God through the media service in the societies of Eastern Europe. In response to the above-mentioned needs of the Church, and taking into consideration the actual economic and social realities of these countries and existing church communities, the ECCC considers it necessary to offer programs of activities which require support of the institutions that feel responsible for those who need help.

Artur Kołodziejczyk SJ