(Carol Stream, Illinois, USA) – “Given the situation the world is going through, LittWorld 2022 was one of the best conferences I have ever attended,” said publisher Sawsan Tannoury of Lebanon. “We saw how God is spreading His Word, despite the difficult circumstances.”
Some 164 Christian publishing staff and writers from 50 countries gathered in Siófok, Hungary, April 24-29, for LittWorld 2022, the triennial global publishing conference organized by Media Associates International (MAI). CEO Kornél Herjeczki of Harmat Publishing in Budapest and MAI’s European Board served as conference hosts.
After two-plus years of relative isolation due to the pandemic, participants said LittWorld opened their eyes to the global media community and connected them to new global relationships for future growth and innovation.
“Many attendees told me that they were so glad that we went ahead with the conference despite the uncertainties of COVID-19, and then described the specific ways they benefitted from it,” MAI President John Maust said.
More than 40 speakers and workshop leaders from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas led vision-building and “how-to” sessions for publishers, editors, writers and designers–weaving in the conference theme, “Stronger Together: Publishing Hope Beyond Crisis” into their sessions.
“It was a time of encouragement and insights,” said publisher Hussam Fakhoury of Jordan. “Just four months earlier I became director of a publishing house for the MENA region, and LittWorld was an opportunity to get wisdom from experts.”
Journalist Jonah Nyoni of Zimbabwe commented, “The conference came at the nick of time in my career as a writer. I feel that after such training, I am able to fly and make a greater impact.”
The opening two sessions of the conference were livestreamed, with author and counselor Emöke Tapolyai of Hungary speaking on “How to Maintain Hope and Help Others in a Dark World,” and best-selling author Philip Yancey encouraging communicators to create content that will “lift eyes to permanent things” in a world in crisis.
The war nearby in Ukraine added a dimension of immediacy, with delegates both from Ukraine and Russia. Firsthand reports from Ukraine united the group in prayers for peace. A global bazaar conceived by a delegate from Mexico featured items from countries around the world that were sold at LittWorld. All the money raised went towards Ukrainian refugee relief in Hungary.
LittWorld is the largest training event of Media Associates International (MAI), which also holds smaller in-country workshops to equip and encourage Christian publishers and writers in hard places of the world to create excellent content that enriches the Church and influences society.
“Thank you again for all the organizing, all the attentiveness, all the kindness and love you have shown to us,” Romanian author and screenwriter Balázs Zágoni said. “I can only repeat what I have said before: If I could choose only one conference to attend in my life, it would be LittWorld.”
