Concept
Note
IPS Support Group Meeting November 2007
Dialogue among Civilisations
Context
In November 2006 the High-Level Group of the Alliance
of Civilisations (www.unaoc.org), an initiative launched
in 2005 by the United Nations and co-sponsored by Spain
and Turkey, released its conclusions. The aim of the
report is to respond to the broad consensus across nations,
cultures and religions that all societies are interdependent,
bound together in their development and security, and
in their environmental, economic and financial wellbeing.
The report concludes that the key reasons for the growing
divide between Muslim and Western societies are not
religious but political. Then UN Secretary General,
Kofi Annan stated that, “We need to get away from
stereotypes, generalisations and preconceptions, and
take care not to let crimes committed by individuals
or small groups dictate our image of an entire people,
an entire region, or an entire religion.”
These findings are just one of many attempts to understand,
analyse and address the “clash of civilisations”
and societal disintegration, as identities are challenged,
communities break down and poverty fosters exclusion
and humiliation. These issues touch every country and
community in the world. Italy is no exception - with
a history of empire, exploration and emigration and
current issues around immigration, identity and values.
Italy like its European and Mediterranean neighbours
is grappling with how to be an integrated and civilised
society.
The Role of the Media and Communication
As the report emphasises, the media is perhaps the
most powerful force today in shaping our understanding
of events and peoples in the world around us. Media
professionals can reframe images and perceptions so
as to better reflect the diversity that exists within
communities and to improve the prospects for cooperation
and harmony between them.
One year after the launch of the report, and as the
challenges continue to mount, the IPS Support Group
will be an opportunity for reflection on the role of
media and communication in bridging the gap between
peoples. Some of the key questions to address can be:
• How can media professionals contribute to dialogue
between civilizations and what does this mean for their
daily work in terms of themes, sources, and use of language;
• What are the lessons we can learn from media
reporting of conflict and post-conflict countries and
regions including Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Middle
East;
• The role of inter-faith initiatives and dialogue
between religions and their prominence in the mainstream
media – how are journalists equipped to report
on inter-cultural issues:
• How can we tackle the issues of journalists
training, more translation to bridge language divides
and ensuring enough overarching media independence.
professionalism and plurality;
• What new media networks and alliances with
other sectors like civil society do we need to foster
to create the capacity and momentum to support dialogue
between civilizations, and the ongoing implementation
of the Report.
The invited audience, keynote speakers and panellists
will be drawn from communication professionals, academia,
civil society, government, faith communities and international
institutions.
Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former head of UNESCO and
co-President of the High Level Group will be invited
to address the meeting. Other speakers and panellists
being considered include the Rev William Vendley, SG
of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP),
the foreign Minister of Portugal (EU Presidency in November
2007), high-level representatives from Turkey and from
Al Jazeera, the mould-breaking news operation of the
Arab world.
The outcomes of the Support Group meeting will be contributed
to the ongoing work of the Alliance of Civilisations,
which placed particular emphasis on the role of media.
PROGRAMME
SPEAKERS
BIOGRAPHIES
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