Orthodox digital media representatives meet in Cyprus to strengthen international cooperation

Different representatives of Orthodox media outlets gathered in Cyprus from May 15 to May 19, 2019, to find ways of strengthening the international cooperation between Orthodox digital media specialists.

The meeting was occasioned by the opening of the ‘Colours of Orthodoxy. Cyprus – Poland’ Exhibition organized by the OrthPhoto.net photography website, the Archdiocese of Cyprus, the Cyprus Photographic Society, and the Publishing House of the Orthodox Metropolis of Warsaw.

Incentivized by the desire to improve their activity at local level and to facilitate cooperation at international level, the Orthodox media representatives had the occasion to visit various holy places of Cyprus and to meet with hierarchs of the Church of Cyprus who are developing inter-Orthodox projects including Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Kition, Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, and Bishop Epiphanius of Ledra, abbot of Machairas Monastery.

The representatives included the following:

• Aleksander Wasyluk, coordinator of OrthPhoto.net (Poland)
• Jakob Oniszczuk, coordinator of Cerkiew.pl (Poland)
• Nikos Gouraros, director of Pemptousia, President of the International Association of Digital media and Orthodoxal Pastoral Care DMOPC (Greece)
• Denis Makhanko, regional director of Radio Vera (Russia)
• Aurelian Iftimiu, director of Basilica News Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate (Romania)
• Deacon Spiro Topanxha (Albania)
• Ralitsa Kratseva, Birdhouse Sofia (Bulgaria)
• Artem Makhakaev, East European Bureau of Soyuz TV station (Belarus)

Among the main purposes of the event were sharing experience, moving forward from ideas to projects, better understanding each other’s activity, understanding how Orthodox media outlets can collaborate to promote holy places in different countries on the example of Cyprus, and to identify ways of supporting one another.

Given the fact that the Orthodox media representatives have already developed partnerships and cooperation on certain projects, they expressed their intention to organize similar meetings in the future and expand the network of Orthodox experts.

The participants stressed the importance of existing organizations like the International Association of Digital Media and Orthodoxal Pastoral Care (DMOPC) and encourage similar endeavours that will help to establish a network between Orthodox believers around the world.

The meeting was funded by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism in Cyprus.