Overview
Latin America and the Caribbean are experiencing a time of deep change. Political and economic transformation generates both opportunities and challenges; however, they don’t seem enough to reduce social differences in our region or to include those who feel as though they are not part of a society. 
The means and processes of communication play a fundamental role in speeding up the changes in this scenario and in the spread of knowledge.
What communication do we want? Which challenges do current and future communicators face? What role does mass media play in the construction of a more humane, just and socially aware society?
Come along…Let us debate these and other questions together. This is the theme of the Collective Effort of Latin American and Caribbean Communication.  

Objective
Provide dialogue spaces about processes of communication in light of a socially aware culture, for the construction of a society committed to justice, freedom and peace

Central Themes
1. New political and social scenarios and communication processes
Speaker: Pedro Ribeiro de Oliveira (Brazil)
§ New regional political scene and communication policies.
Panelist: Rosa Alayza (Peru)
§ New communication processes by different social players.
Panelist: Rosa María Alfaro (Peru)
§ Public means and right to communication.
Panelist: Guillermo Mastrini (Argentina)
§ Communication ethics in the perspective of rights.
Panelist: Gabriel Jaime Pérez (Colombia)
§ Communication before the God of hope.
Panelist: Agenor Brighenti (Brazil)

2. Economy and communication in the digital era
Speaker: Armand Mattelart (Belgium)
§ Concentration of property in communications and relations of power.
Panelist: Martín Becerra (Argentina)
§ Information society, digitalization processes, technology convergence.
Panelist: Carlos Cortés (Colombia)
§ New Latin American economic reality and its consequences for communication.
Panelist: Inácio Neutzling (Brazil)
§ Socially aware economy and communication processes.
Panelist: Paul Singer (Brazil)
§ God as “goods” in the digital era.
Panelist: Leomar Brustolin (Brazil)

3. Communication in the dialogue of cultures
Speaker: Rossana Reguillo (Mexico)
Communication in differences and in conflict.
Panelist: Tanius Karam (Mexico)
§ Communication in ecumenist and inter-religious dialogue.
Panelist: Dennis Smith (Guatemala)
§ New languages in Evangelic inculturation processes.
Panelist: Paulo Suess (Brazil)
§ Communication of those silenced and processes of resistance.
Panelist: María Cristina Mata (Argentina)
§ Theology and communication in the society of knowledge. 
Panelist: Urbano Zilles (Brazil)

Schedule
Venue: PUCRS – Av. Ipiranga, 6681 – Porto Alegre/RS

February 3
Evening - Opening ceremony

From February 4 to 6
Morning - Conference
Afternoon - Seminars and workshops
Evening - Cultural events.

February 7
Morning - Central exhibition on Communication Processes and a Culture of Social Awareness: construction of future scenarios, held by the Collective Effort Academic Committee.
Open debate with participation of all attendees.

Afternoon - Conclusion development.

Evening - Presentation of Porto Alegre’s Statement about communication processes and a culture of social awareness.
Closing ceremony.

During the event - Exhibition of sacred art and contemporary artists.

From February 3 to 7 (afternoon)
Folk culture presentations.

Public
§ Communication students
§ Professors and researchers
§ Communication professionals
§ Pastoral Communication
§ General public interested in the theme

Meeting of Young Communicators (Refresher)
February 1 to 3, 2010 | Unisinos – São Leopoldo/RS

Organization
Bishops and communication teams from the 18 dioceses in Rio Grande do Sul.

Event by
§ OCLACC (Catholic Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Communication)
§ CELAM (Latin America Episcopal Conference)
§ CNBB (National Conference of Brazilian Bishops)

§ UCBC (Brazilian Christian Union of Social Communication)
§ OCIC/BR (International Catholic Organization for Cinema/Brazil)
§  RCR (Catholic Radio Network)
§ UNDA/BR (Catholic Radio Broadcast Association/Brazil)

Collaboration
§ ALER (Latin American Association of Radio Education)
§ FELAFACS (Latin American Federation of Communication Schools)
§ SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication)
§ UCIP (International Catholic Press Union)
§ WACC-AL/C (World Association of Christian Communication - Latin American/Caribbean Region)
§ PUCRS - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.
§ UNISINOS (Vale do Rio dos Sinos University)

Special Guests
§ PCCS (Pontifical Board for Social Communication)
§ RIIAL (Information Technology Network of the Church in Latin America)

Registration and Information
Executive Office
CNBB – Regional Sul 3
Av. Cristovão Colombo, 149
90560-003 – Porto Alegre/RS – Brazil
Telephone: + 55 51 3391 2434
mutirão@portoweb.com.br