After Isis, what role can the media play in reconciliation?
Related project
TasalahMosul Talks was a series of workshops held in Mosul and Erbil and organised in 2018 by CFI and the German NGO MiCT (Media in Cooperation and Transition), at which the region’s media players attempted to answer this question.
Even once they were freed from the grip of Isis in July 2017, the city of Mosul and province of Nineveh still had to face a host of challenges such as reconstruction, Plateform for discussion between the people and public authorities.education, social cohesion and justice, all within a context lacking the structures of governance.
The primary aim of Mosul Talks was to promote and facilitate dialogue on these issues and strengthen the role of the media, not just to educate young people, but also as a platform for discussion between the people and public authorities.
Academics, representatives from local civil society organisations, the media and public authorities from all over the province involved in the efforts at reconciliation, all attended these gatherings to reflect on solutions to issues involving education, transitional justice and governance. The central question of the media’s role in promoting social cohesion and supporting practical projects to aid reconciliation was debated in these workshops.
Many people see the media as fuelling conflict, exposing the public to propaganda from every side.
Many people see the media as fuelling conflict, exposing the public to propaganda from every side. Several solutions were put forward, such as training in post-conflict reporting and encouraging investigative journalism, as well as topics of solidarity between communities. New programme ideas thus emerged, such as cartoons on the subject of reconciliation, a daily radio programme in which victims recount their suffering and a TV series on societal issues.
A wrap-up conference in Erbil (March-April 2018) opened up and broadened the debate by including the international community. Practicalities were discussed, with a view to helping the media play their peace-making role.
Through the testimonies, portraits of journalists and the human adventures of our series Aswat Jadida ("New Voices", in Arabic), discover ten years of support for media development in the Arab world.
