AFRO-NETS> The Drum Beat - 16 - Media & Peace - March 29, 1999

[Warren Feek <wfeek@coastnet.com>]

The Drum Beat - 16 - Media & Peace - March 29, 1999
---------------------------------------------------

Web Site: http://www.comminit.com 

Warren Feek 
mailto:wfeek@coastnet.com


This Drum Beat was inspired by the Strengthening Lifeline Media in Re-
gions of Conflict project.

Contact Loretta Hieber 
mailto:info.ichr@ties.itu.int


PROGRAMMES

Strengthening Lifeline Media in Regions of Conflict (Lifeline Media) - 
Global - a 3-phased project including: field research to determine the 
key players and innovative projects involved in media and peace-
building activities, and a literature search to identify resources in 
the field; an international workshop bringing together media and con-
flict resolution practitioners to help identify "best-practice" in the 
use of media for peace-building; and a publication on the findings of 
the Lifeline Media research and workshop which will appear in a Media 
and Conflict Handbook for Practitioners in summer 1999. This is a proj-
ect of the ICHR/RP (see #9). 
Contact Loretta Hieber 
mailto:info.ichr@ties.itu.int


"Kid's Mandate for Peace" - Colombia - Over 2.5 million Colombian chil-
dren voted for peace in the October 1996 Mandate, which was coordinated 
by Unicef and the Network of Initiatives for Peace, comprised of 30 
NGOs. An average of 4,300 minors die violent deaths annually in Colom-
bia. The Mandate promotes tolerance and the right of children to grow 
up in a safe environment. The children's movement served as the basis 
for the "Citizen's Mandate for Peace", in which over 10 million adults 
voted for an end to violence in Colombia. 
Contact Clara Marcela Barona 
mailto:cbarona@unicef.org


"Children in Conflict" - Global - This radio programme with 10 series 
in 9 languages will commence on the BBC World Service in April 1999. 
The BBC characterises it as: "...the first time children tell their own 
horrifying, heart rending stories. Their powerful testimony will be 
hard to ignore." Planning began in 1998 with training sessions for pro-
ducers, including briefing on the Convention on the Rights of the 
Child. Programmes will include, for example, a focus on the Vanni area 
in the north of Sri Lanka and the Great Lakes region in Africa. 
Contact Andrew Thompson 
mailto:wsedu@bbc.co.uk


Simunye Media Dialogue Project - South Africa - This project was born 
out of the conflict between Africa National Congress (ANC) and Inkatha 
Freedom Party (IFP) supporters in 1990 which led to 2,000 deaths, and 
raged on for 4 years. Members of both sides produced a video analyzing 
the conflict. The video was later shown to the leadership of both sides 
of the community and discussion centered around to what extent, and 
how, this type of intervention brings about peaceful change. The video-
making process structured the conflict resolution, and started building 
relationships between the parties; it became a forum to resolve differ-
ences. 
Contact Wiseman Ndebele 
mailto:ashokas@sn.apc.org


Youth Network Television (YNTV) - Global - links youth worldwide to 
talk face to face about critical issues. Using video networking tech-
nology, YNTV breaks through physical, cultural and political barriers, 
helping shape a world where people better understand each other, and 
can work together creatively. In places where a phone line is more ac-
cessible than a satellite, YNTV links through multiple digital phone 
lines. Over the next 5 years, YNTV will link youth in more than 40 
countries. 
Contact Hannes Seibert 
mailto:mepeace@wn.apc.org


Talking Drum Studio (TDS) - Liberia - TDS began by producing programmes 
on election education and polling procedures. Today, TDS aims to reduce 
political and ethnic violence - stressing themes of peace, reconcilia-
tion and democratization. Radio is used to promote dialogue among po-
larized groups. Programming includes a 1/2 hour news programme, round-
table forums, and dramatizations that are also performed as street 
theater. A radio drama is under production, featuring a Liberian family 
displaced by the war. According to its founder, Common Ground Produc-
tions, TDS has a 90% listenership among Liberians. 
Contact John Langlois 
mailto:jflanglois@yahoo.com


ORGANISATIONS

International Centre for Humanitarian Reporting/Radio Partnership is a 
Geneva-based NGO which focuses on effective and innovative use of media 
as a tool in peace-building, education and health activities in con-
flict areas. The ICHR/RP is currently organising a "Journalists in Con-
flict" Fellowship programme which brings journalists to Geneva for 
workshops on humanitarian and peace-building reporting. It is also de-
signing the HEAL (Helping Expand Awareness of Landmines) Media Project 
which will promote use of the media to increase awareness of landmines 
and provide psycho-social support for landmine survivors. The ICHR/RP 
is changing its name to Media Action International, May 1st, 1999. 
Contact Loretta Hieber 
mailto:info.ichr@ties.itu.int


The South African Media Peace Centre (MPC) focuses on mediation and 
"mediatory" print, video/TV, and radio projects in South Africa and in-
ternationally. MPC launches a series of projects - most notably, Video 
Dialogues and Peace Radio which pioneered ways of facilitating dialogue 
and promoting mutual understanding among conflicting parties. The MPC's 
Mediation Project for Journalists has trained over 100 South African 
and foreign journalists in conflict handling skills. Their aim is to 
deepen the media's understanding of conflict and its management and to 
further more constructive reporting. 
Contact Hannes Seibert 
mailto:mepeace@wn.apc.org


Hirondelle Foundation is an NGO set up by journalists to promote peace 
and the prevention of conflict in the world by means of independent 
news delivered to communities deprived of information by conflict or 
natural disaster. The Foundation aims to make news reporting an instru-
ment of peace. The Hirondelle Agency aims to produce and disseminate 
news dispatches on the hearings of the International Criminal Tribunal 
for Rwanda to people directly involved and throughout the world. 
Contact Jean Marie Etter 
mailto:info@hirondelle.org


Common Ground Productions (CGP) is the TV and radio production arm of 
Search for Common Ground, an NGO dedicated to worldwide reduction and 
resolution of conflict. Programmes produced by CGP aim to show that 
even contentious issues can be examined in ways that inform and enter-
tain, while promoting the search for solutions. CGP recently won the 
ECHO Radio Awards 1998 for its projects Studio Ijambo in Burundi and 
Talking Drum Studio in Liberia. 
Contact Sheldon Himmelfarb 
mailto:shimelfarb@fcg.org


GATHERINGS

Strengthening Lifeline Media in Regions of Conflict Conference, a gath-
ering of 60 individuals working in media-driven projects in different 
conflict areas or in NGOs, academic institutions or international agen-
cies, was held 6-11 Dec. 1998 in Cape Town, South Africa. In attempting 
to identify "best practices" in media and peace-building, participants 
discussed the challenges, approaches and evaluation strategies for me-
dia and peace-building programmes. 
Contact Loretta Hieber 
mailto:info.ichr@ties.itu.int


The Hague Appeal for Peace (HAP) Conference launches 'The Decade for 
Peace and Non-violence', 11-15 May 1999 in the Hague, Netherlands. The 
Worldwide Media Network (WMN) will link 15 countries to the conference 
for live links and post-packaged programmes. Programmes include: Inter-
national Humanitarian and Human Rights Law and Institutions; The Pre-
vention, Resolution and Transformation of Violent Conflict; Disarma-
ment; and The Root Causes of War - A Culture of Peace. 
Contact Hannes Seibert 
mailto:mepeace@wn.apc.org


MATERIALS

The Canadian Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (IMPACS) is 
working with the Canadian government to draft a framework to guide pol-
icy on media and peace-building with a focus on media development in 
pre-conflict, conflict and post conflict situations. They seek arti-
cles, case studies, or thoughts on when it is appropriate to invest in 
media development as a peace-building strategy. 
Contact Shauna Sylvester 
mailto:shaunas@impacs.bc.ca


*** Many thanks to Loretta Hieber, Co-Director, ICHR/RP, for her con-
tribution to this issue. 

--
Deborah Heimann
Editor
mailto:deborah@vermontel.net


--
Send mail for the `AFRO-NETS' conference to `afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org'.
Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to:  `owner-afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org'.