Spreading word about the Assembly
During the ten days of the Assembly, the communications team worked hard to make the Assembly accessible to everyone, both internally, to facilitate exchanges between delegates, and externally, so that CLC members around the world could follow what was happening. The results have exceeded our expectations. Here’s a brief overview of the resources deployed….
A dedicated event application used extensively by participants
Internally, an application accessible via smartphone or computer facilitated both the running of the Assembly (notably by reducing the volume of paper distributed) and exchanges between participants. Delegates and volunteers were able to share photos and impressions, communicate with each other and find essential information on the Assembly (calendar, official documents, etc.). This application was also used by delegates to. Almost all participants took advantage of this tool, so much so that usage statistics are impressive: 35,000 connections for 300 users (delegates and volunteers), or an average of 115 connections per person.
Sharing the Assembly’s experience with the outside world
The website is the linchpin of our communication strategy: it features in-depth articles, photos, audio interviews… It is also possible to find the morning prayer for each day, thanks to an audio recording and slideshows of the prayers. Finally, Igny’s daily diary, the dove from the logo that became the Assembly’s mascot, recounted day after day what was experienced at the Assembly, by the delegates or behind the scenes. The site also provides access to the other media described below).
The Assembly’s Youtube account was another way of making us visible, with short interviews with delegates or volunteers highlighting different aspects of the Assembly. More spiritual insights, such as the introduction to community discernment by Fr. Nikolaas Sintobin, or the interview with Father Sosa, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, were relayed and viewed over 500 times.
Newsletters are another way of reaching companions. The first, sent out a week before the opening of the Assembly, was designed to set the context for the Assembly and provide background information. During the Assembly, three newsletters were sent out: one to report on arrivals and the opening of the Assembly, another special “Open Day” on Sunday August 6, and the one following the closing to mark the sending and return of companions to their respective countries. These newsletters were sent to Assembly participants and Open Day guests, as well as to all those who registered on the website. The mailing list includes over 1,600 recipients: 1,100 in French, 550 in English and over 200 in Spanish.
Finally, social networks provided an opportunity to interact live with companions around the world as the Assembly unfolded. Many delegates also posted regularly, posts relayed by the Assembly’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Dissemination supported by national communities
On social networks, delegates present at the Assembly reported on their days. CLC Germany‘s Instagram account published a daily video interview with the Germans present at the Assembly. CLC Chile and CLC Portugal posted daily photos and summaries of the day. The Instagram accounts of CLC USA and CLC Dominican Republic brought us into the festive or reflective mood with their many shared photos and videos.
On Facebook, CLC Mexico posted daily summaries of the days with photos. The regions were also active, like the Europe region, which wrote an explanatory text every day. Some communities even started broadcasting before the Assembly, like CLC Philippines, which was hosted by CLC Germany a few days beforehand to meet up and travel together to Amiens!
Finally, the Assembly tools, in particular the Igny daily diary, travelled around the world. Every day, Korea broadcast a Korean translation of the log posted on the site to its companions! It’s great to know that our charming dove has become famous on the other side of the world. Thanks to the Internet, the Assembly has truly crossed borders.
