1. Introduction

Every meeting is a transformation. Every encounter is learning. And there is no substitute for face-to-face dialogue. The world congress helps journalists go beyond frontiers, free from prejudices, open their hearts and minds, eyes and years, and converse with a big number of professionals and friends from around the world in the true universal spirit.

The world congress brings together professional journalists, publishers and professors of communication from all parts of the world for a close talk on how best they can accomplish their noble profession so that initiatives of peace can be enforced and a more just and peaceful world can be built.

The world congress attracts journalists, publishers, professors of communication and other media professionals in the religious and secular media. The congress is for them thus naturally the first place of formation, evaluation, networking and betterment of their profession in the light of solid human values.

2. Great experience in organising highly useful events

Since its foundation, the Organisation has inspired the creation of other communication organisations on world level, regional and national levels in view of development through the media.

The Organisation has been organising world congresses for journalists since 1930. Tremendous amount of energy and resources are put into the realisation of the world congress which journalists and other media professionals call "the world event of formation and learning". The local organisers take care of the big part of expenses. Funding agencies, campaigns and institutions support whatever way they can.

The greatest strength of the Organisation is that it has members worldwide who understands the mission of the journalist and realise the events in view of developing local and regional media. It is this way we managed to realise highly useful programmes especially in in Vietnam, Cuba, Lebanon, China, Russia, Malawi, Burundi and in many other countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, East Europe, Caribbean, West Europe, North America and the Pacific.

3. The World Event for Learning and Being Formed

The world congress provides a forum for learning through encounter and high quality exposés based on experiences and practices. The theme of the world congress is chosen to serve this aim.

The world congress and its theme give considerable time for discussion and exchange. Several hours are consecrated for round-table discussions and debates with experts from different regions and walks of life. Selected workshops enlighten the professional and human aspects of the congress theme.

The congress theme discussions are carefully followed and recorded on all levels by media specialists. They ensure the follow-up and link between the grand moments of the congress and hence help continue reflections and debates and enforce the decisions and resolutions of the congress.

The congress in co-operation with professional media institutions of the host nation, region and continent helps not only to hold the congress in a great, friendly, happy and convivial atmosphere, but also these institutions make available their experts and information networks.

Prominent media professionals and leaders give the keynote addresses. They are based on concrete experiences and practices in the field of value-oriented journalism and peace initiatives in view of integral and just development.

The congress offers the infrastructure to the media professionals for evaluating their commitments and services in the field of value-oriented journalism and making their efforts more relevant and useful to the entire humanity.

4. The Importance of and the Need of the World Congress

The theme for the World Congress is very relevant, as it helps journalists and other media professionals throughout the world to develop a positive approach in reporting world events in the light of the integral human development. It is indispensable today more than ever before, because the world is torn by violence and the humanity needs value-oriented journalists.

The world congress is the triennial meeting point for journalists, publishers and professors of communication worldwide. They discuss current developments in view of better service to the humanity at large. As we all know, journalists are the most powerful group in reaching the message to the public.

The congress provides a forum for continued formation: The event with its highly informative and relevant exposés gives the journalist delegates a refresher experience in view of higher standards in journalism and the competence necessary for surviving in our highly competitive media landscape.

The Organisation has members on all continents. The congress brings together professional and committed journalists from throughout the world. The International Media Awards conferred at the congress honour the services of outstanding media professionals and institutions worldwide.

The congress helps true communication among media professionals and gives greater credibility to journalism and journalists. It is the occasion for frank and sincere discussion between leaders and professionals in the secular and religious media.

The world congress brings together participants from all continents especially from Asia, Oceania, Africa, Latin America and East Europe.

The congress brings together some 500 young journalists from all parts of the world. It is indispensable to invest in young journalists as they form the future generation, and as journalists, they play a decisive role in shaping our world and our societies.

The world congress attracts many women journalists. Several meetings of women journalists held in the last years have shown that women journalists play a significant role in our unstable world, because a woman is primarily a person who loves and cares.

The congress plays a major role in involving the journalists at grassroots in the international media.

5. Presence of "Young Power" at the Congress

The dynamic and serious-minded young women and men explore the theme in the first part of the congress. They study the theme in view of making themselves more useful, relevant and responsible in today's ever changing world of the mass media.

The young professionals gather under the umbrella of the International Network of Young Journalists, the most dynamic activity. The network has more than 4000 members in all parts of the world.

The network gives media professionals to come together on world level and get equipped for their profession at an early and young age. Network membership is open to journalists below 35 years of age.

6. International Media Awards

The world congress honours outstanding media professionals, publications and institutions throughout the world through various journalism awards. Several of these international awards are organised with partners specialized in the field.

7. Local Organisers

The experience and expertise of our organisers in the field of the media give a great credibility to the world congress. They are media enterprises, federations and associations of journalists and other media experts and professionals.

8. Further Benefits

First of all, the world congress is highly useful to hundreds of its participants coming from all parts of the world. Those who participate in this world congress of formation share what they learned at the congress with their colleagues and friends in their own respective countries.

Therefore the experience is multiplied hundreds of times in hundreds of places around the world. The Organisation brings together so many journalists from all over the world to evaluate their noble profession in the light of solid human values and in view of integral human development worldwide.

After the world congresses, the journalists and other media professionals work in the light of solid human values and achieve the goals of integral human development worldwide. Journalism is the best profession to get the message across the words, on all levels: national, regional, continental, professional, cultural, religious, political, etc.

9. Challenges Ahead

It is high time for us to think in terms of one world than in terms of countries, units of nations, regions and continents. We have been working for centuries for our own nations, our own people. Can we today think in terms of one humanity? The world congress tries to answer for the centuries-old human quest for equality, mother earth, the global village and true love for the other.

Every meeting is a transformation, every encounter is a learning if the concerned parties are present. And there is no substitute for face-to-face dialogue. The more often we meet, the better is our understanding, the better we understand, faster we grow, and achieve our goals of peace and development.