During the 6th General Assembly of CEAMA, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, offered a profound reflection on the role of communication in the current context and its responsibility toward the reality of the Amazon.
His words highlighted an urgent challenge: in a global media landscape marked by information overload, the ecological crisis and the reality of the Amazon have been progressively pushed off the international agenda.
When the world stops listening
Ruffini noted that major global conflicts have overshadowed other fundamental emergencies. The war in Ukraine since 2022 and the war in Gaza since 2023 have reduced the visibility of the climate crisis and weakened international pressure to uphold environmental commitments.
“Universal issues—such as the climate, biodiversity, or the rights of indigenous peoples—risk losing their urgency or becoming a battleground for geopolitical disputes,” he warned.
However, he recalled that these realities are deeply interconnected: the ecological crisis and the crisis of peace are inseparable, as Pope Leo XIV noted in his message to COP 30 in Belém.
Joining forces: a network of networks for the Amazon
Faced with this scenario, the call was clear: do not resign yourselves to silence or indifference. The answer, he affirmed, lies in synodality and in communication.
Ruffini proposed strengthening a broad coordination among ecclesial networks—such as CEAMA, REPAM, REIBA, Caritas, and the episcopal conferences—together with the Dicastery for Communication, to build a true “network of networks” at the service of the Amazon.
“Together we can connect the local Churches with one another and with Rome, and have a proactive and prophetic presence in international discussions,” he affirmed.
From object to subject: changing the narrative
One of the central points of his address was the need to transform the way the Amazon is portrayed in the world.
“Often, the Amazon and its peoples are presented as objects of protection, but not as subjects of knowledge and initiative,” he noted.
In response, he proposed fostering a communicative leadership from within the territories themselves, where indigenous, community, and ecclesial voices are at the center of the narrative.
Communication that arises from the territory
The prefect emphasized that communication cannot be reduced to the dissemination of news, which is often fleeting and shaped by external agendas. Instead, he called for building embodied narratives, sustained over time, that express the life and hope of the Amazonian peoples.
Among the concrete proposals, he highlighted:
- The ongoing formation of communicators, including indigenous journalists and communicators within their own territories.
- The creation of multimedia production centers in Amazonian dioceses.
- The promotion of digital formats such as podcasts, documentary series, and short videos.
- Collaboration with global platforms like Vatican News to amplify these voices.
Communication with an Amazonian Face
Ruffini emphasized that the Church already possesses something unique: a widespread presence throughout the territory, genuine closeness to communities, and credibility built through mission.
“This ecclesial network can become a true distributed media architecture,” he affirmed, capable of breaking the silence and placing the Amazon at the heart of the world.
Educate to communicate, communicate to transform
In the final part of his address, the prefect highlighted the importance of a holistic formation that integrates three fundamental dimensions:
- Eco-education, to understand the interconnectedness of nature, society, and spirituality.
- Media and digital education, to critically discern information systems.
- Ethno-education, learning from indigenous peoples as bearers of ancestral wisdom.
“Communicating is not just about transmitting information, but about forming individuals capable of reading the world and transforming it,” he affirmed.
A prophetic challenge
Finally, Ruffini emphasized that the challenge of communication in the Amazon is not merely technical, but deeply pastoral, educational, and prophetic.
In a world where major issues may disappear from the global debate, the Amazonian Church is called to keep them alive, uniting local witness with a universal vision.
Because, as echoed throughout the Assembly, communication in the Amazon is not just information: it is witness, presence, and commitment to life.