SIGNIS
Encyclopedia
SIGNIS is a Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement
for professionals in the communication media
, including radio
, television
, cinema
, video
, media education, Internet
and new technology. It is a non-profit organization with representation from over 140 countries. It was formed in November 2001 by the merger of International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual (OCIC) and International Catholic Association for Radio and Television (Unda).
The Holy See
has officially recognized SIGNIS as an International Association of the Faithful, and has included the "World Catholic Association for Communication, also known as SIGNIS" in its Directory of International Associations of the Faithful
, published by the Pontifical Council for the Laity
. The governing body of SIGNIS includes a representative of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications
, another department of the Roman Curia
. The representative of the Pontifical Council of Social Communications that presently sits on the board of administrators for SIGNIS is Dr. Claudia Di Giovanni who is based in Vatican City
SIGNIS has consultative status with UNESCO
, the Economic and Social Council
of the United Nations
in Geneva
and New York
and the Council of Europe
.
media in all the governmental and nongovernmental organizations and institutions, is committed to lobbying for policies to encourage communications that respect Christian values, justice and human rights; to involving media professionals in the dialogue on questions of professional ethics, and to fostering ecumenical and interfaith cooperation in the media sector."
The organization's diverse programmes cover fields that include the promotion of films and television programmes (juries at important festivals: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
at Cannes
, Berlin, Monte Carlo
, Venice
and Ouagadougou
), the creation of radio, video and television studios, production and distribution of programmes, supplying specialized communications equipment and the training of professionals.
together Catholics already working as professionals in the media (OCIC in the field of
cinema and Unda in radio and television). The interest of Catholics in these new media was
understandable. They saw the opportunities offered by the mass media to present their views and
opinions on life and the world and so they naturally became involved in promoting education and
values.
Catholics were involved in the new art of cinema from its inception (1895), seeing its worldwide
influence on families and, above all, on young audiences. OCIC developed a positive approach to
this new art. It wanted to offer guidance to audiences and to discover and foster
productions which promoted the same values as Christians did. It called for the creation of
national organizations dealing with topics such as childhood and cinema, and film reviews (an early
form of media education). It also expressed its intention to collaborate with the film industry. One
of its concerns was the promotion of ‘good’ films, both for education and entertainment.
In the same way Catholic radio producers realized by the end of the 1920s that radio had become,
like cinema, an important means of spreading ideas, and could therefore influence the views of
millions and connect them to Christian values. At its first international congress (1929) Unda drew
attention to the importance of radio for religious, cultural and social life. In that spirit
Unda invited Catholics to collaborate with radio companies (private or public) in making religious
programmes and to foster Christian values.
In the 1930s Catholic broadcasters worldwide had an
optimistic view of the development of radio and, later, of the new medium of television. It could
transcend frontiers and bring peoples and cultures together. It could be a means of exchanging
cultural values, a way of fostering mutual understanding. Radio was thought of as the means par
excellence for reconciling peoples, fostering fellowship among nations and promoting
peace. Like OCIC, Unda too developed different aspects of media education.
After World War II and during the succeeding decades these principles found new expression in
cinema, radio and television activities. In February 1958, for example, participants from twelve countries came together in the second ever International Television Festival (the first was the Prix Italia
) in the world, organised in Monte Carlo by Unda. This TV festival was supported by Prince Rainier III who, inspired by this event, created the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo
three years later. Unda was asked to give a prize at this festival and this tradition has been carried on by SIGNIS.
From the 1960s, Unda and OCIC began to hold joint meetings and assemblies and incorporated work on the small and grassroots media that were then being developed.
The 1980s saw the proliferation of video use, soon followed by rapid developments in information technology and the growth of digital media and the internet. Since many members of Unda and OCIC worked in several media, and since media ministry was
cross-media, the impetus for a combined Catholic Association for audiovisual media grew ever
stronger, eventually leading to the merger of Unda and OCIC as SIGNIS on November 21
2001.
, at the Brussels world filmfestival in 1947. The first award of SIGNIS went in 2002 to the Egyptian film by Magdi Ahmed Ali Asrar al Bana, (The secret of the young girl) at the Milan African Filmfestival. The jury gave its award for the well-versed narrative by which the film exposes the relentless pressure placed on women, in a society which risks to cynically suffocate anything beyond conformism. In 2010 SIGNIS had its international catholic juries at festivals in Las Palmas, Santo Domingo, Milan, Toulouse, Hong Kong, Buenas Aires, Washington, Alba, Setubal (Festroia), Zanzibar, Venice, San Sebastian, Montevideo (Divercine), Rome (Religion Today), Quito (Cero Latidud), Besançon (Africa Filmfestival); Amiens; Mar del Plata and La Habana. In 2010 SIGNIS continued also the oecumenical dialogue in cinema, which started in 1974 at the Locarno film festival with the first oecumenical award. This means that 2010 SIGNIS representatives collaborate with members of the International Protestant organisation for film (Interfilm) in 14 international filmfestivals to award an oecumenical award (Cannes, Berlin, Fribourg, Oberhausen, Locarno, Kiev, Cottbus, Leipzig, Mannheim-Heidelberg, Montréal, Yerevan, Karlovy Vary, Zlin and Warsaw). This policy of dialogue with other christan churches was extented in 2002 with other religions in interreligious juries. The first interfaith jury was organized in Tehran in 2003. This jury comprises two jury members selected by SIGNS and one or two muslim jury members selected by the festival direction. The jury has to consider for its award the section of new iranian feature films. The idea of jury representatives from different faiths opened the way to the Brisbane filmfestival (2003-2009), Nyon (2005-) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (2006- ).
SIGNIS is also continuing and developping the work of Unda in the different TV festivals. At the end of the 1950s Unda was present in the International television world, and not only in religious television. Compared with the international film festivals, there are fewer for televison worldwide. In 1997 someone asked an Unda member at the Prix Italia festival, "Why does Unda attend television festivals around the world?". The answer was that Unda believed not only in promoting excellence in programme making but also in the importance of promotin positive human values in fiction and documentary television. That year Unda was at the 37th Monte-Carlo TV festival.In fact the Unda TV religious festival which began in 1958 became two years later the foundation of this TV festival by Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. He instaured also the Unda jury at this festival. In the following years Unda had juries in other international TV festivals like at Prix Italia and at the Golden Rose
, in Montreux. This explains the presence of SIGNIS in 2010 at the Monte Carlo and at the Prix Italia TV festival.
Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement
Lay ecclesial movements are one form of associations of the faithful of the Catholic Church.Associations of the faithful are groups of baptized Catholics, clerics or laity or both together, who jointly foster a more perfect life or promote public worship or Christian teaching, or who devote...
for professionals in the communication media
Media (communication)
In communications, media are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data...
, including radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
, media education, Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and new technology. It is a non-profit organization with representation from over 140 countries. It was formed in November 2001 by the merger of International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual (OCIC) and International Catholic Association for Radio and Television (Unda).
The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
has officially recognized SIGNIS as an International Association of the Faithful, and has included the "World Catholic Association for Communication, also known as SIGNIS" in its Directory of International Associations of the Faithful
Directory of International Associations of the Faithful
The Directory of International Associations of the Faithful, published by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, lists the international associations of the faithful in the Catholic Church that have been granted official recognition...
, published by the Pontifical Council for the Laity
Pontifical Council for the Laity
The Pontifical Council for the Laity has the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their contributions to the Church. The Cardinal President of the Council is Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko. The Secretary is Bishop Josef...
. The governing body of SIGNIS includes a representative of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications
Pontifical Council for Social Communications
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications is a dicastery of the Roman Curia...
, another department of the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
. The representative of the Pontifical Council of Social Communications that presently sits on the board of administrators for SIGNIS is Dr. Claudia Di Giovanni who is based in Vatican City
SIGNIS has consultative status with UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, the Economic and Social Council
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
.
Mission
"SIGNIS is a worldwide network of associations, institutions and individuals working in the mass media, with the aim of alerting Christians to the importance of human communication in every culture, and encouraging them to speak out in this sector. The association, which represents CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
media in all the governmental and nongovernmental organizations and institutions, is committed to lobbying for policies to encourage communications that respect Christian values, justice and human rights; to involving media professionals in the dialogue on questions of professional ethics, and to fostering ecumenical and interfaith cooperation in the media sector."
The organization's diverse programmes cover fields that include the promotion of films and television programmes (juries at important festivals: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival since 1974. The Ecumenical Jury is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the official jury and the FIPRESCI jury. The award was created by Christian film makers, film...
at Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, Berlin, Monte Carlo
Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wished to “encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men”....
, Venice
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and Ouagadougou
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou
The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou is the largest African film festival, held biennially in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The festival is the biggest regular cultural event on the African continent and it mostly focuses on the African film and African filmmakers...
), the creation of radio, video and television studios, production and distribution of programmes, supplying specialized communications equipment and the training of professionals.
History
OCIC and Unda were both founded in 1928 and had similar objectives: to bringtogether Catholics already working as professionals in the media (OCIC in the field of
cinema and Unda in radio and television). The interest of Catholics in these new media was
understandable. They saw the opportunities offered by the mass media to present their views and
opinions on life and the world and so they naturally became involved in promoting education and
values.
Catholics were involved in the new art of cinema from its inception (1895), seeing its worldwide
influence on families and, above all, on young audiences. OCIC developed a positive approach to
this new art. It wanted to offer guidance to audiences and to discover and foster
productions which promoted the same values as Christians did. It called for the creation of
national organizations dealing with topics such as childhood and cinema, and film reviews (an early
form of media education). It also expressed its intention to collaborate with the film industry. One
of its concerns was the promotion of ‘good’ films, both for education and entertainment.
In the same way Catholic radio producers realized by the end of the 1920s that radio had become,
like cinema, an important means of spreading ideas, and could therefore influence the views of
millions and connect them to Christian values. At its first international congress (1929) Unda drew
attention to the importance of radio for religious, cultural and social life. In that spirit
Unda invited Catholics to collaborate with radio companies (private or public) in making religious
programmes and to foster Christian values.
In the 1930s Catholic broadcasters worldwide had an
optimistic view of the development of radio and, later, of the new medium of television. It could
transcend frontiers and bring peoples and cultures together. It could be a means of exchanging
cultural values, a way of fostering mutual understanding. Radio was thought of as the means par
excellence for reconciling peoples, fostering fellowship among nations and promoting
peace. Like OCIC, Unda too developed different aspects of media education.
After World War II and during the succeeding decades these principles found new expression in
cinema, radio and television activities. In February 1958, for example, participants from twelve countries came together in the second ever International Television Festival (the first was the Prix Italia
Prix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...
) in the world, organised in Monte Carlo by Unda. This TV festival was supported by Prince Rainier III who, inspired by this event, created the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo
Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wished to “encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men”....
three years later. Unda was asked to give a prize at this festival and this tradition has been carried on by SIGNIS.
From the 1960s, Unda and OCIC began to hold joint meetings and assemblies and incorporated work on the small and grassroots media that were then being developed.
The 1980s saw the proliferation of video use, soon followed by rapid developments in information technology and the growth of digital media and the internet. Since many members of Unda and OCIC worked in several media, and since media ministry was
cross-media, the impetus for a combined Catholic Association for audiovisual media grew ever
stronger, eventually leading to the merger of Unda and OCIC as SIGNIS on November 21
2001.
Presidents and secretaries general of OCIC, Unda and SIGNIS
Unda secretary-generals for the periode 1928-2002: Mgr Bernhard Marschall (Germany, 1928-1935); P.John Dito (OP, the Netherlands, 1935-1938); M. Paul Andrien Speet (The Netherlands, 1938-1942); M. Joseph Diening (The Netherlands,, 1942-1950); M. François Van Hoek (Switzerland, 1950-1952); P. John Dito (OP, The Netherlands, 1952-1953); P. Bonaventura Jansen (OP, The Netherlands, 1953-1954); Fr. Joseph Schneuwly (Switzerland, 1954-1971); Fr John Stapleton (UK, 1971-1974); Fr. Jean Desautels (SJ, Canada, 1974-1981); Fr. Colm Murphy (Ireland, 1981-1994); Fr. Victor Sunderaj (India, 1994-1998); Fr. Pierre Bélanger (SJ, Canada, 1998-2001); Unda presidents for the periode 1928-2001 : P. Lambert Henricus Perquin (OP, The Netherlands, 1928-1935); Mgr Bernhard Marschall (Germany, 1935-1938); Fr John Dito (OP, The Netherlands, 1938-1946); Mgr F. Prosperini (Italy, 1946-1948); P. J.B. Kors (OP, The Netherlands, 1950-1962); Mgr. Jacques Haas (Switzerland, 1962-1968); Fr. Agnellus Andrew (OFM, Scotland, 1968-1980); P. Anthony Scannell (OFM Cap. USA, 1980-1987); Mr. Chainarong Monthienvichienchai (Thailand, 1987-1994); Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski (MHSH, USA, 1994-2001). OCIC secretary-generals for the periode 1928-2002: Fr. Joseph Reymond (France, 1928-1933); Fr. Jean Bernard (Luxemburg, 1935-1947); Mrs Yvonne de Hemptinne (Belgium, 1947-1978); M. Robert Molhant (Belgium, 1979-2002). OCIC presidents for the periode 1928-2002: Dr. George Ernst (Germany, 1928-1933); Fr. Abel Brohée (Belgium, 1933-1947); Fr. jean Bernard (Switzerland, 1947-1972); Fr. Lucien Labelle (Canada, 1972-1980); Fr. Ambros Eichenberger (OP, Switzerland, 1980-1990); Fr. Henk Hoekstra (O. Carm. The Netherlands, 1990-1998); Fr. Peter Malone (MSC, Australia, 1998-2002). SIGNIS presidents for the periode 2002-: Fr. Peter Malone (MSC, Australia, 2002-2009); M. Augie Loorthusamy (Malaysia, 2005-). SIGNIS Secretary-generals for the periode 2002- : M. Robert Molhant (Belgium, 2002-2005); M. Marc Aellen (Switzerland, 2006-2007); Fr. Bernardo Suate (Mozambique, 2007-2008); M. Alvito de Souza (Kenya, 2008- )..SIGNIS at International Film and TV Festivals
With the murger of OCIC with Unda into SIGNIS the presence in TV and film festivals of catholic members of the organisation, not only continued but developed considerably. This international association considers this as one way of having contact with the professional world. In that way it has the possibility of bringing together in a jury, professionals from the association who are active in TV, radio, cinema and, filmpress and media education. These juries contain TV and film producers and film, TV and radio program makers, media educators and internet specialists. The first prize of the International Catholic Organisation for Cinema (OCIC) was given to the Italian film Vivere in Pace, by Luigi ZampaLuigi Zampa
Luigi Zampa was an Italian film-maker.- Biography :Son of a worker, Zampa studied film making from 1932 to 1937 at the Italian film school Centro sperimentale di cinematografia in Rome....
, at the Brussels world filmfestival in 1947. The first award of SIGNIS went in 2002 to the Egyptian film by Magdi Ahmed Ali Asrar al Bana, (The secret of the young girl) at the Milan African Filmfestival. The jury gave its award for the well-versed narrative by which the film exposes the relentless pressure placed on women, in a society which risks to cynically suffocate anything beyond conformism. In 2010 SIGNIS had its international catholic juries at festivals in Las Palmas, Santo Domingo, Milan, Toulouse, Hong Kong, Buenas Aires, Washington, Alba, Setubal (Festroia), Zanzibar, Venice, San Sebastian, Montevideo (Divercine), Rome (Religion Today), Quito (Cero Latidud), Besançon (Africa Filmfestival); Amiens; Mar del Plata and La Habana. In 2010 SIGNIS continued also the oecumenical dialogue in cinema, which started in 1974 at the Locarno film festival with the first oecumenical award. This means that 2010 SIGNIS representatives collaborate with members of the International Protestant organisation for film (Interfilm) in 14 international filmfestivals to award an oecumenical award (Cannes, Berlin, Fribourg, Oberhausen, Locarno, Kiev, Cottbus, Leipzig, Mannheim-Heidelberg, Montréal, Yerevan, Karlovy Vary, Zlin and Warsaw). This policy of dialogue with other christan churches was extented in 2002 with other religions in interreligious juries. The first interfaith jury was organized in Tehran in 2003. This jury comprises two jury members selected by SIGNS and one or two muslim jury members selected by the festival direction. The jury has to consider for its award the section of new iranian feature films. The idea of jury representatives from different faiths opened the way to the Brisbane filmfestival (2003-2009), Nyon (2005-) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (2006- ).
SIGNIS is also continuing and developping the work of Unda in the different TV festivals. At the end of the 1950s Unda was present in the International television world, and not only in religious television. Compared with the international film festivals, there are fewer for televison worldwide. In 1997 someone asked an Unda member at the Prix Italia festival, "Why does Unda attend television festivals around the world?". The answer was that Unda believed not only in promoting excellence in programme making but also in the importance of promotin positive human values in fiction and documentary television. That year Unda was at the 37th Monte-Carlo TV festival.In fact the Unda TV religious festival which began in 1958 became two years later the foundation of this TV festival by Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. He instaured also the Unda jury at this festival. In the following years Unda had juries in other international TV festivals like at Prix Italia and at the Golden Rose
Golden Rose
The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection...
, in Montreux. This explains the presence of SIGNIS in 2010 at the Monte Carlo and at the Prix Italia TV festival.
External links
- SIGNIS official website