Workshops
Peace Journalism
Organized by
Young Asia Television and
Fondation Hirondelle
12 December, 2003.
There are some examples of media consciously adopting an agenda for peace, in societies that are emerging from conflict. This workshop discussed the challenges of practicing peace journalism and the role of the media in influencing public
opinion and support for peace.
Content
Programme
1. Radio Okapi, Democratic Republic of Congo
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Jean-Marie Etter, Fondation Hirondelle, Switzerland
2. Young Asia Television, Sri Lanka
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Arne Fjortof, Young Asia TV
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Sharmini Boyle, Young Asia TV
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Robin David, producer The No War Zone, YATV
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Hilmy Ahmed, Young Asia TV
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Report
The workshop was opened by Jean-Marie ETTER, President of the Fondation Hirondelle (Switzerland), who presented to the participants the key tasks of the organization. Established in 1995 the foundation helps to build independent media in the countries torn apart by war conflict, where people are deprived of objective, in-depth and professional information. Providing the population with that kind of information means respecting the human right to be informed as well as giving people a chance to find peaceful solutions. Etter also stated the main principles, which guide the journalists involved in the projects of the foundation: Although today the news industry is extremely market-oriented, the journalist should always remember his social responsibility. Lack of information or complete silence can have enormous social impact. “We have to distinguish the fact and comment and tell the truth no matter the consequences,” he stressed.
One of the two latest projects of the Fondation Hirondelle is Radio Okapi that was created in partnership with the United Nations and started broadcasting in Februar y 2002 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Demolished by dictatorship and 10 years of war, the country was cut in pieces and no media would do the informational coverage of the whole territory. Being the only media that is heard throughout the entire nation, Radio Okapi and its network of ten local stations broadcast information 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The information is completely “home-made”, which means it is gathered and sent by local agencies of the network; the transmission is done in four main national languages and in French. By introducing political debates Radio Okapi considerably contributes to the development of new forms of political consciousness among the population. The independence of news is considered to be the most important principle of Radio Okapi, and in this sense the station stays independent within the common project of the foundation and the UN.
Two other projects implemented by the foundation were expounded at the workshop:
Radio Ndeke Luka was established in Central African Republic in February 2000 and is active up till now. Despite the difficulties caused by very limited financial means, this radio managed to win a large audience in the country and is considered as “the best human rights fighter”. The radio broadcasts four daily journals, information bulletins and magazines dedicated to various topics as human rights, education, AIDS prevention etc.
Star Radio, created in Liberia in 1997, was closed three years later by the president of the country. As the state radio broadcast had no financial means to exist and the presidential radio station was used for the propaganda, Star Radio was the only station capable of providing people with impartial and professional information. Even now Liberian journalists and the human rights associations demand the re-opening of this station.
In his introduction to Young Asia Television ( YATV), Sri Lanka, Arne FJORTOF, Secretary-General of YATV, underlined the role of media in conflict reporting. Chasing the news or the “hot dogs” as journalists say, modern media have become artificial in content and they often forget the importance and social impact of impartial and thorough news reporting. Journalists have to stay true to themselves and help people understand what happens in the world. As Fjortof said, with the creation of the YATV “the Sri Lanka people got a voice talking of matters of their future.”
The presentation of the YATV was made by Hilmy AHAMED, another executive of YATV. The Young Asia Television was founded in 1995 in an attempt to stand up to the war in Sri Lanka and to foster the peace process. The boldness and innovation of this channel helped its creators to overcome state control and media censorship, as well as to win a considerable audience. In 1997 YATV created two weekly peace programmes in local languages. The first one, called “Villipu” (means “awakening” in Tamil) addressed the Tamil speaking communities, while the second -“Sathi” (stands for “awareness” in Sinhala) - targeted the majority Sinhala speaking community. Bringing into focus the human side of the conflict and the human cost of war, both programmes tried to build bridges between communities and thus promote peaceful means to solve the conflict. The election of the new government in 2002 brought back the hope for a negotiated settlement. The YATV felt the need to create an English-speaking programme in order to reach the decision-making audience of the country and ensure its support of the peace process. The “No War Zone” programme was launched in February 2003 and marked an important change in main objectives of the channel. Now the producers of the channel give priority to the reconstruction work: quoting Ahamed, this means “reconstructing the hearts and minds of the Sri Lanka people” and rebuilding the trust between the communities affected by the conflict.
During its eight years of activity, Young Asia Television gathered a precious experience in “peace-casting” which can be helpful for media standing up for peace in countries that are facing conflict situations. Today YATV is ready to share its experience. It also works on new initiatives, including a global media channel to promote peace and reconciliation. The main objective of YATV is “to re-invent the usefulness of television as a tool for peace building” (H. Ahamed).
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Notes for a Broadcasters' Action Plan
- There are too few serious media initiatives that promote peace and understanding between communities in civil war situations.
- Peace journalism does not mean restricting information in any way, but complementing instant news with context reporting.
- International donors and governments should invest more on local information in post-conflict situations.
- Lessons from past experiences and exchange of best practices should be organized and developed.
Guillaume Chenevičre, Executive Director of the WEMF
Resources
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