The General Secretariat of Catholic Schools and the Ministry of Information launched on Thursday a protocol of cooperation and partnership during a ceremony held at the General Secretariat's Center in Ain Najm in the presence of Minister of Information, Melhem Riachy, and dignitaries. 
"The ideal basis for building a good and ideal society is schools," Riachy said at the beginning of his speech, thanking the Secretariat of Catholic Schools, for cooperating with the Ministry of Information to establish clubs for communication, dialogue and information at schools. 
"I hope, from this very forum, that all schools from all communities, mainly Public schools - and I address here my colleague the Minister of Education - would adopt the same idea, because it is not just a message of communication and dialogue (...) but an effective means of communication and criticism," Riachy said, stressing that the mind grows and expands with positive and civilized criticism. 
"Communication, dialogue and information clubs in Catholic schools will teach generations how to communicate, listen and accept feedback. This step will open horizons for the future and will help build bridges between Lebanese regions, and even between the people of the Orient," he promised. 
"The State is starting to stand back on its feet. Its resurrection is imminent," the minister said, pledging, on behalf of the Ministry of Information, to sponsor a conference to educate and teach the arts of communication and media for students. 
In response to a question about some television programs that violate ethics and values, Riachy said "we are in the process of preparing a code of media ethics as a result of the reluctance of some media institutions and their lack of commitment to the codes of honor. (...) Any violation of the laws is reported by the National Media Council to the Minister of Information to take the appropriate measures in accordance with the law and the authority given to him." 
"There is a fine line between oppression and the protection of freedom, and I am trying not to cross that line. Lebanon must be a guardian of freedoms, but at the same time a guardian of human values, ethics and public morals," he concluded. 

Source: NNA