Populism, extremism and polarisation are on the rise internationally, with major implications for societies already facing division and conflict. What role does the media play and what responsibility if any should it have in creating more peaceful and stable communities?
Former Director General of Al Jazeera Wadah Khanfar plus journalists from Myanmar, the Balkans, Rwanda, Colombia, Kashmir, South Africa, Nepal, Turkey and Northern Ireland will consider:
• How has the media featured in peace processes around the world?
• What role is the media playing in deeply divided societies?
• What role is social media playing in deeply divided societies and how do we respond?
• What role should the media play in deeply divided societies? How can best practice be supported?
This major two day media conference is organised by the Belfast-based Social Change Initiative in partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s Political Settlements Research Programme and the international peace building organisation, Conciliation Resources.
The event is aimed at delivering new insights on the role of the media in deeply divided societies and stimulating a debate about its role and responsibilities in Northern Ireland.
Speakers to include
• Wadah Khanfar – former Director General of Al Jazeera
• Mohamed Nanabhay – Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Media Development Investment Fund
• Nic Dawes – Deputy Executive Director of Human Rights Watch and former editor of The Mail & Guardian newspaper in South Africa
• Yin Yadanar Thein – Director of Free Expression Myanmar
• Juanita León – Director of La Silla Vacia digital political news site in Colombia
• Anup Kaphle – Editor-in-Chief of The Kathmandu Post
• Pawan Bali a Kashmir journalist and filmmaker
• Milica Pesic – Executive Director of the Media Diversity Institute
• Vikki Cook – Director of Content Media Policy, Ofcom
• Charlie Bird – Author, journalist and former Chief News Correspondent at RTÉ News
• Gian Volpicelli – Politics and Technology writer at Wired UK
• Cathal McNaughton – Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist and former Reuters Chief Photographer in India
• Fred Muvunyi – Rwandan journalist with Deutsche Welle’s Africa Service
• Nurcan Baysal – Award winning Kurdish author and journalist in Turkey
• Denis Bradley – Columnist, commentator and former vice chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board
• Alan McBride – Centre Co-ordinator of Wave Trauma Centre representing victims of the Troubles
• Ivy Goddard of the Inter-Ethnic Forum in Northern Ireland
• Trevor Birney – Emmy-nominated producer, director, journalist and founder of Fine Point Films
• Susan McKay – Award winning journalist and author
• Maggie Beirne – Human rights practitioner with expert knowledge of the Northern Ireland conflict and peace process
• Monica McWilliams – Emeritus Professor at Ulster University and a party leader at the 1998 Northern Ireland peace talks
• Mike Posner – Professor of Ethics and Finance at NYU Stern School of Business.
• Christine Bell – Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Edinburgh and Programme Director at the Political Settlements Research Programme
• Tim Epple – Research Associate at the University of Edinburgh’s Political Settlements Research Programme