| Posted: June 29 2005,08:15 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
We
have seen progress at a global level as the media have raised awareness
of the need for humanity to act in solidarity. There is less illusion
about the horrors of war and its aftermath and more understanding of
the ned to strive for peace sulotions to conflict. By showing the
realities of war and the human cost the media contribute to a greater
scepticism about the use and efficacy of miltary action. The media have
also contributed to showing the underlying causes of war and terrorism,
bringing home to audiences the unjust structures that hamper the cause
of peace. We have also seen the growth of many new independent media
outlets, for example, community radio stations, which offer new and
alternative perspectives. They contribute to a culture of peace by
often being the voice of the voiceless and have a great impact on
encouraging solidarity not only locally but also worldwide via the
internet.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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The
obstacles remain as ever the reluctance or inability of much of the
media to challenge the dominant ways of perceiving and interpreting the
world. As they filter out unpleasant news or, in the worst cases,
pander to the prejudices of their audiences, the media can exacerbate
existing tensions and conflicts. The media coverage of the war on
terror has often been in direct opposition to building a culture of
peace. Over dependence on the market, or on governments have
hampered the media in their role as guardians of the public interest.
Public broadcasting is under continuous pressure and in many countries
alternative media are forbidden or actively discouraged.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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The Media in the Service of a Culture of Peace
We
live in a world of violence, hatred, racism, and terrorism. The
big media companies designate some their journalists to perform the
specialized role of “war correspondents”.
Is it
utopian to imagine that the media can contribute to peace; to develop
in the human conscience a culture of peace? To give certain
journalists a specialized role as “peace correspondents?”
In
November 2003 SIGNIS decided to ask its members, who work in many
communication activities (from radio to internet, TV to cinema) in over
140 countries to make the promotion of a culture of peace through
the media a priority over the next two years.
In early
2004 an issue of the organization’s magazine, SIGNIS Media (2/2004),
was devoted to this topic prepared by a special working group.
This group has now prepared a reflection document on the role of
the media in the promotion of peace, entitled Media for a Culture of
Peace. This document will be discussed at a Public Conference on the
theme Media at the Service of a Culture of Peace, taking place in the
Valpré centre near Lyon, France from November 5-6, 2005. Prior to the
Lyon conference SIGNIS is also collaborating in the organization of a
conference on the same theme in Beirut, Lebanon on October 6th to 7th.
The report of the Lebanon conference will provide one of the key
inputs into the Lyon meeting.
We are also contributing with
other NGOs to the discussions in the Council of Europe and in the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) with the objective of
strengthening communications rights. We see the promotion of
communication rights in the information society as essential to the
promotion of a culture of peace.
During 2004 SIGNIS members took many initiatives to support a culture of peace through the media. Here are some examples:
In
December 2003, members in Sri Lanka, during a special ceremony called
"Salutation" celebrated the media produced in their country, stressing
their contribution to peace.
The film, Zaman, the Man from the
Reeds, by the Iraqi director Amer Alwan, received a SIGNIS award at the
festival of San Sebastian (September 2003). The film was then
presented by SIGNIS to the UNESCO NGO Assembly in Paris, in December
2003. In April 2004, it was screened again at the NGO meeting of
the Council of Europe, in Strasbourg and also shown by
SIGNIS-Luxembourg in October 2004. This film contributes to the
promotion of peace by showing another face of Iraq than that usually
conveyed by screens across the world.
In August 2004, SIGNIS
members in the Democratic Republic of Congo came together in Kinshasa
to discuss how to build peace through the media. Those in charge
of Catholic radio stations located in war zones testified to their
efforts to reconcile communities.
In September 2004 SIGNIS
brought together a group of eight young peace correspondents to take
part in the Universal Forum of Cultures, held in Barcelona.
Their mission was to evaluate the event from two aspects, that of
respect for cultural diversity, and promotion of a culture of peace.
The young peace correspondents provided live coverage (via
written, video and audio reports on the internet) of two forum
dialogues: “New Ignorances, New Illiteracies: Learning to live together
in a globalized world” and “Promoting co-existence and security in the
information society”.
SIGNIS Asia held its continental assembly
in an inter-religious context in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in October
2004, devoting the study days to the construction of peace in Asia.
A concert for peace was one of the highlights of this meeting,
illustrating how much music could also play a significant role in
bringing various communities together.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS)
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
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Postal address of organization
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SIGNIS, Rue du Saphir 15, 1030 Brussels, BELGIUM
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E-mail address of organization
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sg@signis.net
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Website address of organization
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http://www.signis.net
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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human rights
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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sustainable development
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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International
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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