Rome (Italy). In the first days of January 2024, online meetings were held for the Coordinators of the Interprovincial Conferences, held by the Communication Sector of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
The meetings, with the aim of strengthening the global network of Coordinators and exploring together the issues relating to communication, took place on: 3 January for the Africa – Madagascar Interprovincial Conference (CIAM); 5 January for the Mexico Conference , Antilles, Central America (CIMAC), North America (NAC), and the Bolivarian Nations (CINAB); 6 January for the Conferences of India (PCI) and East Asia (CIAO) with SPR; 9 January for the Middle East – Europe Conference (CIME); 10 January for the Conferences of Brazil (CIB) and the Southern Cone of Latin America (CICSAL).
The General Councilor, Sister Maria Ausilia De Siena, together with the Sector collaborators, welcomed the participants and proposed a short moment of prayer, invoking the gift of peace for the world through the song, “We Choose Peace”, by the Gen Green group, and a prayer for peace of Pope Francis.
The formative intervention was entrusted to Sister Maria Antonia Chinello, Professor at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences “Auxilium” in Rome, who shared a reflection on the theme, “The new frontiers of communication.” She focused on the advancement and development of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), on global trends, on changing roles and ways of communicating. She left questions for further exploration: What is the future/present of communication? What can be done to address the challenges posed by AI?
Sister Maria Antonia, quoting Pope Francis who chose the theme of AI for the Messages for the World Day of Peace and for the World Day of Social Communications 2024, indicated the following starting points in her reflection: the curiosity that leads to knowledge and questioning, freedom of thought and action, the wonder of research, and the happiness of encounter. She also underlined the need for a surplus of critical awareness to redefine what it means to be a citizen, and for kind and respectful communication to experience quality communication in communities as a typically human resource.
Drawing attention to the world of education in which the FMA are engaged, she supported the “principle of humanity”, stating “not only communicating, but also educating takes place slowly and needs community”.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Sister Maria Ausilia, taking up action guideline no. 2 of the Six Year Programming (2022-2027) of the General Council – Planning, implementing, and accompanying specific formation courses on the culture of communication (2.5) – presented a formative proposal that will be launched shortly at Institute level. She urged the Coordinators to animate the Communities and young people in order to consolidate the Institute’s communication network and form ourselves together on contemporary issues.
