WUNRN
POWER OF THE PRESS &
MEDIA TO BUILD PEACE
Rousbeh
Legatis interviews TARJA TURTIA of UNESCO's Division for Freedom of Expression
and Media Development
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 14
2012 (IPS) - Conflicts of interest can be viewed as drivers of societies
and human development, although recourse to violence has destroyed millions of
people’s lives and leaves generations wounded for decades and even centuries.
Constituting one of society’s
cornerstones, media and journalists are key actors when it comes to
peacebuilding, reconciliation and institutional reconstruction in
conflict-ridden societies.
Through their work they may
nurture a culture of peace, defined as “values, attitudes, modes of behaviour
and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their
root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among
individuals, groups and nations” – though they also often fail in this task.
By rebuilding and strengthening
capacities, the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) supports media and journalists with millions of dollars
and projects around the world.
Tarja Turtia, programme
specialist at UNESCO’s Division for Freedom of Expression, spoke with U.N.
correspondent Rousbeh Legatis about why media and journalists are important to
reach out to local populations who are turning peace into lasting societal
behaviour, and how they can be strengthened in this pivotal function to
transform a culture of conflict resolution from simmering violence into
constructive dialogue and understanding.
Excerpts from the interview
follow.
Q: Involvement of local
actors and creating local ownership are key success factors for lasting peace
structures in post- conflict societies. Could you elucidate which function
media and journalists hold in this equation?
A: It is an important feature
of UNESCO’s work to assist civil society actors and local initiatives in all
areas, conflict phases and levels of intervention.
professionals, including
marginalised and vulnerable groups, to participate in peace-building processes,
and responding to their need to access critical information such as peace
agreements, reconciliation initiatives, elections and public decisions taken
throughout the transition period, will be among the major tasks.
The capacity of the media plays
a constructive role in the post-conflict reconciliation process by promoting
unbiased information, avoiding stereotypes and incitement in order to foster
mutual understanding.
In some cases, the media can
start debates that could not be initiated openly before. Blogging for instance,
is currently an effective medium used by journalists and officials in
Q: What are common
features of the media and journalism landscape in post-conflict societies that
peacebuilders are confronted with day in day out?
A: Peace builders are confronted
with two major obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights, as also are
media-related legal frameworks that do not comply with international standards:
democratic deficit and weak institutions. Indeed, insufficient constitutional
guarantees of freedom of expression, regulations restricting media content or
Internet freedom, no freedom of information laws, lack of ICT policies
promoting universal access to the Internet represent important challenges.
UNESCO
and Local Media
Since 1992, UNESCO has been working with journalists and media as peacebuilding
actors through support in different areas: promoting an enabling environment
for freedom of expression in order to foster development, democracy and
dialogue for a culture of peace and non-violence; as well as strengthening
free, independent and pluralistic media, civic participation and
gender-responsive communication for sustainable development.
UNESCO’s communication and Information programme operating budget totaled 27.2
million in 2011.
“Recently, multi-million-dollar projects have made their appearance, such as
UNESCO projects in Southeast Europe, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the MENA (Middle
East and North Africa) countries,” Turtia explained, “while in certain other
areas such as the Central African Republic, annual amounts in the order of few
tens thousands of dollars are used.”
“It is important to keep in mind that cooperation in the field of media
development cannot always be measured in terms of amounts of resources,"
she added.
In post-conflict areas, the
very absence of media is a challenge:
One of the main challenges
faced in conflict torn societies is the lack of safety of journalists. Over the
last 10 years alone, more than 500 journalists and media workers have been
killed worldwide.
For example, in
Q: As to whether media has
a lasting constructive impact on successful conflict transformation efforts,
some say there is only anecdotal evidence for this cause-and-effect
relationship. What are your experiences?
A: Free, independent and
pluralistic media are essential for strengthening transparency and fighting
corruption, being key facilitators of the public’s demand for accountability
and responsiveness from their society’s leaders. In turn, freedom of
expression, the free flow of information, and the work of the media are crucial
for poverty eradication, economic and social development, i.e. to equitable and
sustainable development.
The Arab Spring has been and
still is a key experience in which the media, if free, independent and
pluralistic, have proven their influence in facilitating dialogue and enabling
national movements. They ask for accountability, inclusiveness, the credibility
and legitimacy of transitional authorities and transparent and peaceful
elections.
That is why UNESCO has engaged
in supporting the development of the free flow of information, safety of
journalists and media professionals in the conflict-driven yet promising
context of the Arab Spring.
Q: How is UNESCO
supporting media and journalistic work in post-conflict societies to strengthen
peacebuilding and to achieve more tangible deliverables?
A: For instance, UNESCO plays a
vital role in supporting election reporting. The aim regarding elections is to
strengthen the capacity of the media to provide fair and balance coverage of
electoral activities. This works as a vital factor for the local
democratisation process. Any democracy based on the respect of freedom of
expression has an electorate that can make use of their right to vote on the
basis of clear and non-biased media coverage.
In
Another key area promoted by
peacebuilding efforts in a post-conflict setting is ensuring that information
reaches the widest public. Lack of information or misinformation can trigger
conflicts, especially in post-conflicts election scenarios. UNESCO supports
community radio, the main source of communication for people in remote areas in
UNESCO actions in
Q: Does constructive
media and journalistic work get sufficient attention as supportive elements in
peacebuilding efforts?
A: The level of attention this
role attracts differs from country to country. For instance, in
It may not be easy to deduce a
cause-effect relationship, but of the three post-conflict states,
More generally, while the
importance of media workers within a peacebuilding process is generally
acknowledged, insufficient attention is paid to the needs journalists have in
order to be useful to democratisation. Indeed, only with well-trained
journalists who understand their rights and responsibilities can help media
take its crucial place in strengthening the democracy and disseminating information
to people.