Alhurra and US Institute for Peace host conference on role of media in peacebuilding
Alhurra Television and the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) co-hosted a conference in Tunisia on the impact of media in building peace and reducing conflict in the MENA region. The conference discussed this concept as a way to promote justice and human dignity. With the participation of journalists and media experts from across the Middle East and around the world, the conference took place on December 2nd at the USIP hub in the Tunisian capital, Tunis.
The conference, entitled “Rethinking the Role of Media in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding,” explored the power of the media to mitigate tension and prevent violence in the region. It also addressed the responsibilities of media organizations to avoid the incitement of violence and ensure that what is produced and aired is factual. In addition, it highlighted the restrictions governments put on media freedom and assaults on journalists.
“Conflict resolution and peacebuilding must always involve the pursuit and achievement of justice and human dignity,” Middle East Broadcasting Networks President Ambassador Alberto Fernandez said. MBN manages and oversees Alhurra Television. “Due to our coverage of popular protests and popular demonstrations in the Arab world this year, we have been banned in Sudan, and then unbanned in Sudan after the fall of the Bashir regime, assaulted in Lebanon, blocked online in Egypt, and banned and threatened by the state and by terrorists in Iraq.”
“Across the MENA region, we are witnessing how the extraordinary power of media can be harnessed either to fuel and ignite conflict or to bridge divides and promote solidarity amongst communities,” United States Institute of Peace’s Director of Middle East and North Africa Programs Elie Abouaoun said. “USIP is proud to partner with Alhurra Television for the second consecutive year to tackle some of the region’s most complex and sensitive topics to ultimately inform future programming in the region.”
This was the second conference cosponsored by Alhurra and USIP. The one-day conference had case study sessions with participants working in small groups discussing issues on the responsibility of media in the process of conflict resolution and peacebuilding while conserving journalistic integrity and freedom with an emphasis on peacemaking. The first conference, held in September 2018, explored how political and religious ideologies affect the state and future of human dignity in the MENA region.
USIP is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. USIP pursues this vision on the ground in conflict zones, working with local partners. The Institute provides training, analysis, and other resources to people, organizations, and governments working to build peace.
MBN is non-profit corporate media outlet financed by the U.S. government through a grant from U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency. The USAGM serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.About MBN