A New Launching for the MECC Media

The MECC Secretary General Professor Dr. Michel Abs: “we have taken new administrative and technical measures and procedures in order to strengthen the role of Ecumenical media in the Council, especially at the level of advocacy and awareness”

Stemming from the importance of the media in advocacy, awareness, and promoting human values, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is launching a new phase for its media work, seeking to be a crying voice in the wilderness and a source of hope amidst all difficulties.

After months of preparations, the MECC regional media team held, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, a coordination meeting in the presence of the MECC Secretary General, Professor Dr. Michel Abs, and Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, Publisher of Abouna Website, and Media Consultant on behalf of the MECC Executive Committee, who participated online from Amman.

Participants were also colleagues in Lebanon’s office who participated in person from the MECC Headquarters in Beirut, and colleagues in Syria’s office who participated online via Zoom. They exchanged ideas and opinions in order to develop the mechanism of work among them and launch an updated work plan for the coming period using the advanced technologies and new equipment.

During the meeting, new media projects that had been developed recently were presented. Discussions centered around the Ecumenical Media Network that MECC established to enhance cooperation between various media institutions and offices in the Middle East, in order to exchange media materials and work together for a more peaceful media.

As well as, discussions focused on the Media Production Center, “The Platform of the Word,” which was launched by MECC on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of Its Founding, with the support of Brother Nour, Founder and Director of Télé Lumière and Noursat, who put all the capabilities of the Channel at the service of the Council, thanking him for his trust and continued support. Noting that the Center will produce a network of programs that includes news bulletins, special episodes and various other episodes, including a new season of the “Ecumenicals” program.

For his part, the MECC Secretary General, Professor Dr. Michel Abs, noted, “MECC is on the verge of a new phase in the media field, where media capabilities have been developed in order to reach more people. Therefore, we have taken new administrative and technical measures and procedures in order to strengthen the role of Ecumenical media in the Council, especially at the level of advocacy, awareness, and highlighting the current humanitarian and social issues through various media materials, in addition to topics that benefit groups and societies.”

In her turn, the Coordinator of Church and Media Relations at MECC, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, pointed out that “our role is embodied in delivering the Word entrusted to us, the Word that builds love, convergence, and humanity, and our goal lies in building bridges between us and our media colleagues in order to enhance coordination and cooperation for the sake of consolidating the Ecumenical spirit.”

The Coordinator of the Social Capital Rehabilitation Project at MECC, Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, stressed that “the media is a watchful eye on all the events and developments taking place in societies, as its role lies in monitoring issues and topics that concern people and thus shedding light on them and working to address them with specialists from various fields.”

At the end of the meeting, Father Rifaat Bader, the Head of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, Publisher of Abouna Website, and Media Consultant on behalf of the MECC Executive Committee, blessed the new media steps taken by MECC, praising the efforts of the team and stressing the importance of the media message in spreading the values ​​of love, peace, and fraternity.

Father Bader also addressed the following Prayer from the words of His Holiness Pope Francis (in 2028):

“Lord, make us instruments for peace through social media.

So we can listen where there is noise;

Inspire harmony where there is chaos;

Bring clarity where there is ambiguity;

Sorrow participation where there is exclusion.

Spread sobriety where emotions are aroused;

Ask real questions where there is superficiality;

Activate trust where prejudices are;

Carry respect where there is hostility;

Spread the truth where there is error. Amen."