SIGNIS India National Assembly and Annual General Body meeting, was held at Gyanadeepbhavan, the Pastoral centre of Jaipur Diocese from 23- 24 November 2022. Coming together as a General Body for the first-time post lockdowns, due to the pandemic, 80 members participated in the event from 12 regions of SIGNIS India. Keeping in line with the message of Pope Francis on the 55th world communication day, the theme of the convention "peace in the digital world " reemphasized the need to use the media responsibly and sensibly. There were eminent speakers and panelists, who highlighted the high significance of the theme amidst the growing concerns in the digital world.
The second day consisted of the annual general body meeting and the election of the new national office bearers for the tenure of 2023- 2027.
During AGM, the president, Fr. Stanley Kozhichira, in his address, expressed his joy of being part of the SIGNIS fraternity, as it provides a platform for like-minded people to learn and grow by drawing inspiration from each other. He also mentioned the chances of missing out on listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit which calls to listen with the ear of the heart. He urged the SIGNIS members to walk beyond the barriers that prevent our growth and expansion in mission. He also reminded us that elections should not be based on concerns and consensus but rather, aiming at the future of the organization.
The election process followed in the second half of the day. Fr. Stanley Kozhichira, outgoing president of SIGNIS India, who is elected recently as the President of SIGNIS ASIA, consented to preside over the election process as returning officer.
Keeping up with the constitution of SIGNIS India, the returning officer requested the plenum to propose the name/s of the potential candidates for each post.
There were a number of names suggested keeping in mind various factors. Each name was seconded by another member and the names were put to vote, through a secret ballot. Amidst high expectations, the members who were elected to different posts won the election with high margins.
The names of the new office bearers are:
President: Fr Victor Vijay Lobo
Vice President: Mr Sumit Dhanraj
Secretary: Fr David Arokiam
Treasurer: Fr Milton Sebastian
NSC 1: Fr C R Justy
NSC 2: Sr Tessy Jacob SSpS.
The team will assume their office from February 2023.
Speaking on behalf of the new team, the newly elected president, Fr Victor Vijay Lobo, who has served formerly as the Secretary-Treasurer of SIGNIS India, expressed his desire to work as a team in keeping high the integrity, growth, and activities of SIGNIS India. As it stands now, SIGNIS needs to find newer realms to reach itself to the wider masses. Innovative methods will be applied over the years to achieve this goal. He is hopeful about it, with the support of his new team, which consisted of various members of various capacities and a mixture of veterans and freshers.
The AGM ended with honouring the outgoing members and thanking their untiring effort to revitalize the organization.