PDRC and Horn Center have carried out a two-day training on 12 – 13, 2021 on Peace Journalism and Conflict Sensitivity in Galkacyo, Mudug Region. The training kick-off was on Jan 12, 2021, and was finalized on Jan 13, 202. The media for peace training is part of The Road to Sustainable Peace Program in Galkayo and the Mudug region. The Media for Peace training brought together reporters, media influencers, and executives from Galkacyo, representing from both Puntland State and Galmudug State.
The training participants were 30 journalists selected from all the media outlets that work in both sides of Galkayo, therefore, before the training started the team was classified based on the years they worked in the media, and the following data was retrieved:
Figure 1 graphical representations of the journalist years of experience in the media
Also at the start of the training, the journalists were asked their media contents that they broadcast, and their main concentration with the following list of priorities:
- Politics,
- Sports,
- Music,
- Religion, and
Therefore, the majority of them said that most of the time the media in Galkayo talk about politics most of the time, coupled with sport and music. They also assumed that local business ads take a huge for financial gains.
Quote of the training:
Warbaahin Nabadeed = Warbaahin Masuul ah, Mir0dhal ah, Waxku-ool ah
Translations:
Media for Peace = Responsible, Productive, and Effective Media
The training contents:
Role of Media in Peace Building.
A reporter is the one who collects, analyzes, selects, translates, and links information and general topics related to social information in justice, development, economics, and social media. The journalist fights exposes, evils, flaws in the system of government or society, such as corruption, injustice, tribalism, etc. by making similar reports or programs to destroy or to destroy. reduce diseases (problems) that are against the development and well-being of society.
Responsibilities of the reporter
To seek factual information that is in the public interest and at the same time releases information about any burden or problem that may befall the journalist and any obstacle that may be inflicted on him or her in order to protect the public interest, and save his community from the problems that might arise from uncensored report.
To protect the freedom of information, freedom of expression, criticism, and independence, dignity, and professionalism of the media.
A journalist shall not use information, data, stolen photographs, and voices obtained as theft that is not based on facts and accuracy. If the stolen voices and pictures are deemed credible, he should check, consult with his friends and colleagues to avoid passing unreliable information. It is forbidden for a journalist to use personally stolen or shared information.
A reporter should not use bribes or direct handouts to obtain information, and it is forbidden to record information in a fraudulent manner after the informant has requested that the information not be shared with the public.
The journalist shall protect human dignity. He shall refrain from writing and disseminating loud voices that offend ethnicity, nationality, religion, race, or disclosing health-related issues such as disability and mental illness. you wait.
A journalist should also not be involved in discriminating against anyone or being a victim, which is a serious crime that a journalist can commit. When commenting on war, acts of terrorism, and incidents of violence, a reporter should not write news that could arouse the feelings of the victims or hurt the feelings of the relatives (for example, photos taken at the time of the explosions).
It shall not accept any benefit or promise of limiting the professional or verbal independence of the journalist.
Why and what is media for peace?
Media for peace is very important because media is a double-edged sword, which can be good or bad. Information is power and insight can impact public discourse. Information is power, and its perception can influence public speaking. In this way, ideas can be transformed into access to the media. Freedom of expression is not only the core of healthy media but also a fundamental human right and an important part of the democratic structure. It stands for freedom of speech, the right to information, and the representation of diverse communities. In any preventative culture, effective democratic media is an essential and essential part of societies trying to move towards peace and democracy.
Conflict sensitivity and peace journalism.
qofku waa in uu gashadaa kabaha qofka kale si loo xaliyo khilaafka (one should wear the other person’s shoes to resolve the conflict)
peace journalism and conflict sensitivity reporting can be my way or your way. On the other hand, causes of conflicts might include but not limited to the following:
- Limited resources,
- Old wounds that were not healed,
- Miscommunication or misconceptions, and
- Different interpretations.
Strategies for peace through creativity and storytelling.
Warbaahin Nabadeed = Warbaahin Masuul ah, Mir0dhal ah, Waxku-ool ah (Media for Peace = Responsible, Productive, and Effective Media.)
The team was given a chance to reflect on their abilities to storytelling and draw the lessons on the strategies for peace through creativity. Therefore, we can’t change a story, of course. Our suitcase is really our own to carry – but to take the burden off one’s chest by telling true stories can help you along the way. It helps us face the truth so that we understand who we are, where we come from, and what our past is, we can be able to understand our strengths and weaknesses and build bridges with others by listening to them. shocked.
Hence, Storytelling: a powerful peacebuilding tool.
Media in conflict prevention, during conflict and post-conflict situations.
What we learned from the training both the journalist and the whole team was that ‘often, local media can contribute to peace merely by restoring levels of trust and self-worth in a population on the brink of or emerging from violence.’
The team members told stories of when attacks happened, described previous and current relationships with their neighbors, and gave other personal yet socially relevant information. Such example includes the following:
A local reporter reported that a clan conflict is going to erupt very soon, and the news got a huge audience, and it reached every corner of the Galkayo city. Fortunately or unfortunately, the reporter’s wife and his mother went to his office, where he was reading the news, and asked him to take them somewhere safe. Later in his life that reporter regretted what he has done on that particular day.
Media approaches to dealing with conflict in a positive way.
The journalist was also trained on the Media approaches to dealing with conflict in a positive way since media has a significant influence on both peace and conflict. Conflicts start in the minds of men. It is therefore important to know how they get into the minds of men. By and large, we are what we eat and we think what we read (or hear on the radio or see on TV). Media play a very important role in spreading images, – images of threats, of animosity, of “the other”. Large scale conflicts mostly involve people who do not know each other directly.
The image of the “other” is created and spread by the media – old and new. Media play a crucial role in the escalation of conflicts. They can also play a crucial role in taming conflicts – if we want them to do so. Therefore, the participants were given the chance to look at what they report, and consider it before spreading something that will eventually cause harm rather than good to the community.
