The President of UCAP Africa, Mr Charles Ayetan, addressing the participants at the opening ceremony, said that the main objective of the programme was to “strengthen the capacities of media professionals and propose effective approaches to solving environmental problems which are integral to the sustainable development of the African continent.”  He noted that the major project and ambition of the programme was to create a platform for the dissemination of information and education in favour of an integral ecology for sustainable development. He implored each and everyone to pay close attention to his/her immediate environment and help preserve it as our ancestors did.

“Let's work on it, together, with bravery and in a spirit of collaboration, creativity and innovation,” Mr Ayetan added, noting that “there are still many challenges to achieve this objective, not only in terms of commitment but also in terms of the financial, material and technical means necessary to succeed.” He called on members of UCAP, to help save our planet that God has offered to us as a common heritage.

In a message to the participants, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication at the Holy See, Vatican, Dr Paolo Ruffini, noted that programmes such as the refresher programme, were important to help rediscover how important communication was in building a network and finding adequate responses to the crises “we are facing 'while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.' (c. fr. Laudate Deum 2)”.

He said that it is only when we come together that we can 'face the impact of climate change in areas such as healthcare, sources of employment, access to resources, housing, forced migration, etc.' (c. fr. Laudate Deum 2), adding that the fight against fake news that is polluting communication all over the world could only be effective if we came together.

Dr Ruffini stated that we have a responsibility for God's earth and we must therefore, “respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures of this world.” He noted that “if communicators and journalists could help to raise more awareness in this delicate matter, it would be a strong and appreciable contribution because “the universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible richness of God.”

He reiterated the invitation of Pope Francis that “all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect.”

He noted that “God has joined us so closely to the world around us that we can feel the desertification of the soil almost as a physical ailment, and the extinction of a species as a painful disfigurement.”

In a keynote address, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny noted that the superabundance of information, “mental pollution,” could keep us “from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously.” He said that “we filter out opinions and perspectives that differ from our own,” and that “we no longer dialogue with those others whom we have categorized, one way or the other, either to be unfairly discredited or to be praised to the skies.”

Cardinal Czerny said that “the loudest media voices propagate partial realities and half-truths that ignore the injuries inflicted upon the poor and our common home.” He noted that the “resulting blindness allows harmful attitudes, practices, and policies to get a start and grow in the elite and the powerful.” He enumerated negative impacts as forced migration, loss of livelihood, racism, unjust imprisonment, illness, and even death.

Cardinal Czerny said that “too often, communicators do not hear the cry of the poor, because they lack direct contact with them; and not hearing the cry, they cannot report it.” He advised that “having such contact is an important corrective to the manipulation that occurs in society.” Otherwise, “political propaganda, the media and the shapers of public opinion will continue to promote an individualistic and uncritical culture subservient to unregulated economic interests and societal institutions at the service of those who already enjoy too much power,” he added.

Some of the memorable and historic sites that the participants visited were the Munyonyo and Namugongo Martyrs Shrines, the Uganda Martyrs Minor Basilica, the Laudato Si Center Comboni Uganda Ltd, the Cathedral of Kampala and the offices of the Leadership Magazine, a magazine of the Catholic Church in Uganda, established in 1956.