The Mission of SIGNIS is:
To engage with media professionals and support Catholic Communicators
To help transform our cultures in the light of the Gospel
By promoting Human Dignity, Justice and Reconciliation.
SIGNIS is a non-governmental organization that includes members from over 100 countries. As the “World Catholic Association for Communication”, it brings together radio, television, cinema, video, media education, Internet, and new technology professionals.
SIGNIS was created in November 2001 from the merger between two organizations (Unda, for radio and television; and OCIC (International Catholic Organization for Cinema), for cinema and audiovisual) that were both created in 1928. The activities of SIGNIS cover all fields of audiovisual creation: promoting films or television programmes (it has juries at the important international film and TV festivals: Cannes, Berlin, Monte Carlo, Venice, Ouagadougou…), creating, producing and distributing radio, TV and video programmes, building broadcasting studios, supplying equipment, offering Internet services by satellite, training professionals, encouraging the use of new media, promoting media education etc.
The primary objective of all these activities is to promote a Culture of Peace through the media.
Since building peace in today’s world necessarily involves the media, SIGNIS and its members have committed themselves to harness the power of the media to promote peace:
- Through media education: by helping develop the capacity of the public, and in particular young people, to acquire an active attitude, a critical distance, and the freedom to make informed judgments about the media;
- Through advocacy: by supporting the independence of the media in conflict situations and those who are working to build freedom of expression and human rights;
- By providing a space for inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and democratic debate;
- By promoting just and truthful portrayals of different groups in society and opening the possibility for all to participate fully in the communication process, especially the poorest people and countries;
- By working to help develop the capacity of the media to put individuals, groups and people into communication with each other.
- By organizing, supporting and promoting events that encourage a Culture of Peace.