Peace institute holds integrating conflict-sensitive journalism confab

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 2): Peace institute holds integrating conflict-sensitive journalism confab

Conflict-sensitive reporting contributes to reconciliation and peacebuilding.

Thus, the Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM) in partnership with the Forum Civil Peace Service (forumZED) spearheaded a three-day course which aimed to integrate the concept in communication-related programs, October 24-26.

It targeted around 100 students and 28 teachers from various schools and universities in Region 10 and the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, and Malaybalay, including Marawi of Lanao del Sur.

IPDM officer-in-charge Prof. Mark Anthony J. Torres, in an interview, laid down the four objectives of the seminar-workshop which include facilitate learning among communication teachers and students on the philosophy of conflict-sensitive journalism, and the need for integration in the curriculum vis-a-vis media realities.

Recall the role of journalism in empowering people and dealing with issues in Mindanao such as the Bangsamoro peace process and other conflict issues.

Also, introduce conflict analysis tools for journalistic practice; and Identify entry points of integration in specific communication subjects.

The seminar-workshop opened with a dialogue on the theory and practice of conflict-sensitive journalism; the role of journalists in providing a peace lens to their reports; and the nuances and differences between conflict-sensitive journalism and peace journalism.

Torres said that at the later part of the three-day activity, “the program would give way to an in-depth training on conflict analysis tools, which can be used by communications teachers in their subjects.”

Meanwhile, the forumZFD is an association of various German peace movement and non-profit organizations aimed at creating and strengthening the instruments of civilian conflict resolution by non-violent means.

It supported the seminar-workshop with a P200,000 grant, while the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) provided the venues and hosted the participants’ three-day stay.

Resource persons for the activity come from the forum ZFD and the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON).

The PECOJON is an international network of journalists and media practitioners, photographers, filmmakers and academicians, who develop, promote and implement high quality reporting of conflict, crisis and war.

Earlier in the year, MSU-IIT’s Office of Publication and Information (OPI) and the Department of English conducted a lecture on Culture-Sensitive Reporting: the Muslim, the Lumad, and the Media.

The April 8 lecture was given by Dr. Victorio N. Sugbo of the University of the Philippines-Visayas as part of the conference: Current Issues and Trends in Language and Literature: Globalizing the Local.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1511478020043/peace-institute-holds-integrating-conflict-sensitive-journalism-confab