Bishop Hiiboro’s Message on World Communications Day 2021

He said that "In order to tell the truth of life, it is necessary to move beyond the complacent attitude that we “already know” certain things. Instead, we need to go and see them for ourselves, to spend time with people, to listen to their stories, and to confront reality, which always in some way surprises us."

It is against this backdrop that I would like to first register my appreciation to all the media houses, to the press, and to those who have authority in promulgating the right attitude towards the press; those who enact laws to guide, promote and protect the press agents; people who communicate messages of development, messages of peace, messages of awareness and message of unity.

And so on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio and on behalf of the Social Communication Department in the country, I would like to send out my best wishes, best regards, appreciation, compliments, and encouragement to all agents of communications, all media agents, and to all the journalists for the noble work, you people are doing. You are the voices of the voiceless, the voices of all the people, the agents of change, and the agents of awareness; this indeed is very noble of you.

Imagine humanity, people and individuals who cannot speak for themselves, who cannot reach everywhere, who cannot reach to all corners of the world; but all of you journalists in your noble duties everywhere in the world; bring from your own societies, from your own communities and the world information that is useful and crucial, information that exposes the struggles and success of a given community; information that would otherwise not have reached the public domain. You put all these messages at the disposal of humanity, for their consumption hence you play the role of teachers, the role of preachers, the roles of the parents, and basically the roles of everyone.

Media is power because you are carrying information that regards the life of people, of the world, and of the environment. Therefore your message enhances people’s lives in a very positive way, so I want to encourage you on this aspect to continue doing what is necessary in order to build and enhance the lives of people. And while at it, adhere to the call of the Holy Father so that you can “communicating by encountering people where and as they are.”

As you carry on your designated duties, please abide by the laws within your country as each country has its own laws; taking into consideration the fact that the information you share may not go down well with certain individuals. This is because not everybody is mature enough to consume the message, the news, the information that you have. Uphold the highest integrity and professionalism in your work.

I also appeal to all the journalists especially those in my country South Sudan to continue learning the ethics that are required in this profession; please pay more attention to how your journalistic work can promote peace, unity, harmony, and development. I think more than anything else, the people of South Sudan are yearning for peace because peace means development, peace means growth. Could you please highlight more stories that promote peace in our communities, in our societies, and our country at large?

May I take this opportunity to also encourage our government, all the organs, and those who enact laws to do what they can to promote our journalists, promote the freedom of the press gradually so that together we can grow and become mature in the way we communicate.

Media speaks to us in the same way we speak to each other; where we select the appropriate words to communicate to our neighbors, to our friends, and to our audience. This is exactly what you journalists need to employ in the media; select the appropriate words that do not hurt, incite or aggregate a volatile situation but rather words that heal, words that bring hope, words that promote unity.

This also regards information shared on Social Media which has become very popular; the communication in WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media forum should be appropriate to all. Your personality is present in the messages you pass across therefore it is paramount to take precautions and be aware that we are writing to fellow human beings who just like you have feelings; respect them, respect yourself.

Finally, I want to thank all the media workers, all the Catholic Journalists and in a special way the Catholic Radio Network in South Sudan; it is one of the best networks within our country and I thank all of you, wherever you are, for the good work you are doing. Through the work you do, you are building South Sudan by connecting the news from all corners of the country and bringing it to the public forum where the positive effects are being felt. Continue working together, remain united so that your messages may bring peace, unity, harmony, love, good work, and development to our country.

Finally, I want to thank the journalists in my diocese; I am proud of you for the work that you do with lots of dedication; thank you for the good work. We in Western Equatoria are very far from the rest of the world, we are situated in the jungle where we are covered by tall trees and so much forest, as such, if we don't get out there through the media, we cannot reach anybody. That's why I try to encourage you to use modern communication technology in order to share our stories with the rest of the world.

I promise to do all I can to promote you and to make sure that you become the best journalists in our country, people who value others, people who value the message they send and their audience; do not segregate, abuse, or attack people but rather use the means of media communication to unite and build our country. I urge all journalists to stand for the rights and goodness of the people, for the unity of the people, and above all for the growth of the Republic of South Sudan Sudanese, this is what it means to “Communicating by Encountering People Where and as They Are”

God Bless you all.

Barani Eduardo Hiiboro

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio