"Sending messages is likely to only be effective in conjunction with a comprehensive approach involving a wider range of activities, such as dialogue or training. The media, such as newspapers, radio and television, are the main way that messages to change attitudes and behaviour are communicated in
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campaigns. In conflict situations, the media does not necessarily always either promote or prevent conflict, but still acts as an important, influential force in most societies. The media can help inform decisions and counteract hateful and violent messages, but can also undermine peacebuilding processes. There is no single way that the media affects audiences, and the media cannot ‘inject’ behaviours or attitudes into people’s minds but rather affects the formation of attitudes and beliefs which in turn impact on behaviour. In addition to media interventions, two approaches to sending messages are identified that seem of particular relevance: social marketing and the inclusion of educational messages in entertainment programmes. A number of case studies are identified in the report that cover multi-faceted interventions and include a messaging component. Projects are explored from Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bosnia." (www.gsdrc.org)
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"This manual is an output of a two year project, funded by USAID, involving Israeli and Palestinian senior and mid-level journalists in Israeli and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Our goal is to share the learnings from the participating journalists, and the project as a whole, in the hope that
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it will benefit others in the region and around the world who are grappling with the crucial job of reporting news, particularly in times of conflict." (Introduction)
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"This manual is an opportunity for the Civil Peace Service (CPS) networks to share the experiences of some of the people and organisations who use theatre as a tool for communication, change and peace. You will find theoretical bases, concrete examples related to the contents and some techniques and
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methods we would like to make available to as wide an audience as possible. While the goal is not to turn you into professional entertainers, you will find techniques, tips, and other people's hands-on experiencience in the discipline. The purpose of this manual is to de-dramatise the art of the sketch, the role play, the theatre and add it to the toolkit of the CPS peace workers. This is theatre practice as a tool for reflection and communication, for expressing emotions and points of view, be they diametrically opposed, which can open a chink in apparently sealed situations weighed down in dead ends or which seem to be impossible to resolve and let some light into conflicts between people and communities. All the experiences described in this manual have been developed in a community-based way with the help of experienced peace workers and African artists." (Introduction)
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"This chapter develops an exploratory analysis of the intersections between the processes of communication, social change, development, conflict and peace, through the combined use of the lenses and the premises of two theoretical perspectives: peace and conflict resolution studies, on the one side,
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and communication for social change, on the other side. The chapter highlights areas of complementarity or overlap, as well as spaces of contradiction, with the aim of broadening the understanding of the role of both communication and conflict in the processes of social change, development and sustainable peace-building. The new spaces of interaction on a local–national–global scale afforded by new technologies, and the blossoming of citizens’ media in countries with armed conflict have opened new possibilities and opportunities for civil society to actively participate and involve itself in the different phases of the conflict cycle." (Summary)
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"The following stories come from ten pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in Indonesia that participated in Search for Common Ground (SFCG) Indonesia’s project to promote peace and tolerance in pesantren across Indonesia [...] Search for Common Ground (SFCG) Indonesia implemented this two-year pro
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ject from September 2011 to February 2014, in partnership with The Wahid Institute and Perhimpunan Pengembangan Pesantren dan Masyarakat (P3M). With a total number of 18,000 schools across Indonesia, pesantren are the oldest basis of Islamic education in the country and highly influential in spreading tolerance and peace. Through the production of radio and short films by pesantren students or santri, SFCG Indonesia sought to encourage male and female pesantren leaders, teachers and students to be critical in dealing with problems of intolerance and radicalism, while also disseminating the values of tolerance and peace in their communities. The stories documented in this book serve as a future reference of the project’s successes. The book records the significant changes experienced by the santri and their teachers, when these changes occurred and the important lessons learned from this project. Out of the ten pesantren that participated in the project, SFCG selected five pesantren to provide stories that illustrate the changes mentioned above. This book summarizes seven stories from the perspectives of pesantren students, leaders and teachers." (Foreword)
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"The present paper [...] seeks to examine what could be the groundwork to build a framework for ‘Communication for Peace’ (C4P) on, to identify the major areas of relevant research that exist, lacunae in this body of work, fruitful intersections between different disciplines and eventually, to p
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rovide outlines for a future research agenda. Specifically, the potential of the post-liberal peace critique will be considered as a fruitful theoretical lens for such further endeavors." (Abstract)
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"This article considers research approaches often associated with media and journalism studies as complementary assessment strategies to inform decisions associated with evaluating foreign aid. In order to do so, the case of British foreign aid towards Colombia in the context of the War on Drugs is
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examined as a case study. The authors explore the relationship between aid giving and the receipt of aid by focusing on how the media can be used as a peacebuilding indicator. There is a dearth of academic inquiry into these issues. This article attempts to flesh out some future lines of scholarly enquiry using the UK–Colombia case study example. It uses research interviews with state officials, multilateral organizations and NGO representatives as well as a review of press coverage in Colombia over a two-year period. The article argues that media could potentially be used as an important indicator of peacebuilding success and failure in the context of aid giving and receipt but that to achieve that there are specific pre-conditions and issues to be addressed by the different parties." (Abtrtact)
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"The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is increasingly being played out in parallel on the internet. Recently, a great deal of media attention has been devoted to a series of spectacular hacker attacks that caused dozens of Israeli and Palestinian websites to crash, including thos
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e of the secret service agencies Mossad and Shin Bet. However, for Israelis and Palestinians who are willing to participate in dialogue, the internet also offers much needed opportunities for contact and the peaceful exchange of ideas." (Page 6)
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"The lessons taught by Radio Okapi are many: There needs to be a myriad of players and partners involved including IGOs, NGOs, and citizens of the country/ies in question. The UN on its own may not be sufficient particularly in a region where its mission may not be understood; We need to find some w
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ay to involve ordinary citizens and give them a voice; The use of several languages must absolutely be considered if a media intervention is to succeed in a multilingual environment. There is a desire to reach as many people as possible thus the need to broadcast in several languages – a task that can prove daunting, yet not insurmountable; There must be long-term planning. There needs to be a balance between short-term (maintenance of order) and long-term goals (building a viable indigenous media system; There must be follow up. Some view UNTAC radio mission as a failure precisely because of the lack of follow up. Organizations, be they IGO or NGO, cannot simply parachute in. There must be commitment for the media are not simply injectable; there are no simplistic solutions; Given the complexities of such situations, the remedies must be transnational for we live in an interactive, transnational world; Although there are significant challenges, there needs to be some way to measure the effectiveness of such projects for how can one quantify the role that radio, or media in general, plays in peacebuilding. Indeed, what are the measures used to gauge peacebuilding?; Priority needs to be placed on sustaining the impact of such training. Therefore there needs to be some mechanism put in place so that local staff are trained and self-sufficient before foreign staff depart; Local partnerships are crucial thus bringing diverse people together to work on a longterm, peacemaking project." (Pages 47-48)
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"This is an important and brave book. It is important because it is fresh, analytical and identifies the grave shortcomings in the handling of information and the media by the UN in conflicts and emergencies. It is brave because it is written by an insider who knows the deficiencies and wants organi
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sations like the UN to learn the lessons. Peacekeeping and Public Information neatly treads a fine line. It is restrained when perhaps direct accusations could be levelled. But that restraint is its value, because Ingrid Lehmann is identifying shortcomings, not apportioning blame. The failings of procedures - and the need to rebuild them - matter more than the failures of personalities, which undoubtedly there have been in UN Operations. Not just the UN can learn from this book. Also humanitarian organisations, the media, the military, diplomats - and most significantly the corporate world." (Nik Gowing, News Anchor and Analyst on Information in Conflict and Emergencies)
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