Connecting at Alliance for Peacebuilding conference
(Washington, DC)-Yesterday, I spoke briefly to two young men in Isfahan, Iran.

Connecting via a portal to Iran

No, the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) conference I’m attending hasn’t moved out of DC. Instead, organizers linked us to our new Iranian friends via what they call a portal—a live, head-to-toe video and audio feed.

In our brief encounter, I chatted with two  young English-fluent college-age men about Iranian media. The men confirmed what I’d read-that press in Iran is restricted when discussing religion and politics, but relatively free in reporting about other issues. One man said, “We need more spaces for free expression.”

The DC to Iran portal, which is making connections across boundaries, is symbolic of the work being done here this week at AfP by the peacebuilding community. Here, there is agreement about the essential nature of these connections, and about the importance of storytelling, including peace journalism, as a peacebuilding tool.

PJ session at AfP

I spoke about PJ and distorted media narratives at a session on Tuesday. I was joined by a colleague from the American Friends Service committee, Beth Hallowell, who presented an excellent report on media and terrorism. I must admit that it was a nice change to, for once, actually “preach to the choir”—those already committed to peacebuilding.

The AfP  conference concluded today with sessions hosted at the U.S. Institute for Peace.

To South Sudan's journalists: Respect
The 16 journalists participating in our peace journalism workshop were assigned to report stories on a reconciliation theme. They split into four groups, and produced some fine radio reports that reflect the best principles of peace and reconciliation journalism. You can listen to their four stories here.

My two weeks in Juba have flown by, and have been as much a learning experience for me as for the journalists who my partner Gloria Laker and I trained. I’ve reached the conclusion that a journalist here must be extremely committed to the profession and to the peace and reconciliation that responsible journalism can help bring about. Otherwise, no one could tolerate the indignities suffered by South Sudanese journalists: a press-restricting government; corruption in the profession; little or no training; poorly equipped journalists who don’t even have simple devices like audio recorders; politically or ethnically biased media owners and managers; extremely low pay; and threats to one’s safety. These threats are real—seven South Sudanese journalists were killed last year.

I leave Juba with a deep respect for these journalists, and a strong hope that they can use the lessons they’ve learned to provide a platform for reconciliation in South Sudan.

Voice of the Voiceless:
Good storytelling, and a good way to fly under the radar
(Juba, South Sudan)-When government officials won’t allow criticism or controversy, what’s a peace journalist to do?

Here in South Sudan, as we discussed in my workshop today, journalists may have no choice but to toe the government line, to broadcast unchallenged government statements they suspect may be false, or to suppress stories they know would anger government officials. Failure to please government officials could lead to jail for journalists or to serious consequences for media outlets, like having their license revoked.

The journalists at this workshop, from Juba and rural regions of South Sudan, helped me realize that some measure of peace journalism is possible even in places where press are not entirely free. This can occur when journalists report lower profile stories about average people—the kinds of stories that aren’t as likely to attract attention from government officials. These stories, about everyday people and how policies and conflicts affect them, are just the kind of “voice of the voiceless” advocated by peace journalism. 

For example, reporting about the peace process here at the highest level (presidents, cabinet members, members of parliament) would expose a journalist to all kinds of political and sectarian pressures. Such high level reports on the peace process must fit on only one of two boxes: one pro-Kiir (the president) and anti-opposition; and the other pro-Machar (the vice president and former rebel leader) and anti-Kiir. Which version of the story that gets disseminated depends on which party/leader/ethnic group that one’s radio station represents. Balanced stories giving multiple perspectives, but especially the perspective of the rival “other,”  aren’t possible in South Sudan, the journalists said.

Rather than wade into this swamp filled with overly sensitive political crocodiles, the journalists here suggested reporting about the peace process from the bottom-up. This means interviewing peacemakers at the community level, and highlighting peace initiatives undertaken by and benefiting average South Sudanese. Peace, after all, isn’t really about the politicians and leaders anyway—it’s about those average people who will benefit most from the cessation of hostilities.

With the theme of reconciliation on their minds, the workshop participants came up with a list of promising story ideas. They include stories about people who have solved land or cattle disputes; about farmers who are re-starting their lives after the war; about those struggling to find jobs, especially women; about war-fueled divorces; and how regular people from different ethnic groups celebrate together.

Now, I’m  anxiously awaiting the reconciliation stories the participants produce tomorrow during  the workshop.

Peace Journalism Workshop #1 concludes in South Sudan
The first of two peace journalism workshops at the Association for Media Development in Juba concluded yesterday. The journalists who participated were from war torn areas of South Sudan. The workshop was educational for the teacher (me) and, I hope, the participants as well.

I interviewed one of the participants about his experiences. See previous blog post for details.

Workshop #2 begins next week. Stay tuned.

Co-trainer Gloria Laker, Uganda

One Man, Two Journeys

(Juba, South Sudan-May 2016)

Mabang Kur

A POWER SHARING AGREEMENT HAS BROUGHT PEACE—AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING—TO WAR TORN SOUTH SUDAN. FORMER REBEL LEADER RIEK MACHAR HAS BEEN SWORN IN AS VICE PRESIDENT AND WILL SHARE POWER ALONG WITH PRESIDENT SALVA KIIR. THE POWER SHARING ARRANGEMENT IS SPARKING HOPES OF A SUCCESSFUL UNITY GOVERNMENT AND AN END TO THE VIOLENCE... WHICH HAS, ACCORDING TO UN STATISTICS, DISPLACED TWO MILLION, CREATED FOOD INSECURITY FOR 5.3 MILLION MORE, AND CLAIMED UP TO 50-THOUSAND LIVES.

AS SOUTH SUDANESE PONDER WHAT PEACE MIGHT MEAN, THEY ARE ALSO CONSIDERING IF RECONCILIATION IS EVEN POSSIBLE HERE. REPORTER STEVEN YOUNGBLOOD SPOKE WITH ONE SOUTH SUDANESE SURVIVOR—AND OPTIMIST.

Click for link to audio story posted on Youtube 

In the meantime, our Peace Journalism Seminar at the Association for Media Development in Juba concluded today. The seminar went well--good, lively, engaged participants. I'll post photos and more from the workshop soon.

Is peace journalism possible in South Sudan?
(Juba, South Sudan)-Peace journalism is not generally practiced in South Sudan, although there are many good reasons why, according to participants in our peace journalism workshop at the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS).

This workshop, and one next week, is sponsored by AMDISS, USAID/VISTAS, and the Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University.

Traditional media practices here are most notably characterized by a lack of balance—by stories presenting only one point of view, or quotes from only one official source or “side” to the story. As one journalist said, “The media here take sides.” Often, this single source is a government or military spokesman, or apartisan political source. Lack of balance is also reflected in ethnic reporting that, according to the radio journalists, presents the viewpoint from only one ethnic group (or a single viewpoint seen as representing an entire ethnic group).

This style of reporting has a corrosive impact on society. A Sudd Institute report comments, “Such (unbalanced) stances have negatively affected the objectivity of the reporting and weakened the media’s role as a vital instrument for democracy, justice, and accountability.” (http://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/role-media-war-and-peace-south-sudan)

Peace journalism, as introduced in day one of our Juba workshop today, seeks balanced stories with multiple perspectives and sources while rejecting one-sided, subjective “us vs. them” reporting as well as official propaganda.

South Sudanese news reports are one sided, the journalists said, in large part because of fear and intimidation from the government. Six journalists were killed here last year, making South Sudan one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Freedom House’s report on South Sudanese media observes “widespread (government) intimidation and self-censorship on sensitive topics,” while the Sudd report cites a recent “crackdown on media…resulting in the closure of two English Language publications by the National Security.”

The journalists here concurred with these reports. One reporter stated, “The problem is, they (the government) can come for you” if your stories shed negative light on the wrong officials. Another commented on the differences between being arrested here and in America, noting that in South Sudan, arrested journalists have no idea if/when they’ll go on trial, or if there will even be a trial, let alone when/if they might get out of prison. “In jail, I can’t take care of my family,” the journalist noted.

It is against these odds that South Sudanese journalists do their jobs every day as best they can, understanding that any misstep can have disastrous consequences.

Under these circumstances, what can peace journalism offer these reporters? Even if the restrictive media environment persists, peace journalism, with its emphasis on journalism as a tool for reconciliation, may be seen positively (or at least non-threateningly) by authorities who also want society to heal. Indeed, reconciliation journalism is the emphasis of our workshop. Tomorrow, our journalists will be out in the field seeking out and reporting reconciliation-themed stories.

As sophisticated as our workshop discussion was today, my expectations are high for their stories tomorrow. Stay tuned.​

Peace journalism project to launch in South Sudan
(Juba, South Sudan)-Of all the world’s troubled places, perhaps none cries out for peace journalism more than South Sudan. That’s why my colleague and friend Gloria Laker of the Peace Journalism Foundation of East Africa (Uganda) and I have worked so stubbornly to get a peace journalism project off the ground here.

When word of media-incited violence in South Sudan first broke in 2014, Gloria and I exchanged a flurry of emails discussing how we might launch a project in Juba, the capital. Here’s what happened two years ago, according to the Kenyan newspaper The Nation:

“South Sudan's warring parties used the media to incite tribes against each other, a report by the African Union has stated. A report by the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan shows that ‘war crimes’ were committed by both sides in the conflict.

Official t-shirt of our South Sudan PJ workshops

The document… indicates incidents where perpetrators of violence used public radio to incite the public against each other.

‘The Commission heard testimony of incitement to violence through broadcasts from Bentiu FM when it was taken over by the opposition who broadcast in Nuer exhorting Nuer men to rape Dinka women,’ the document states.

The radio station in the capital of Unity State is owned by the government but rebels allied to former Vice-President Riek Machar reportedly ejected reporters when they took control of the town, before telling the public to target Dinka women, the report states.” (October 29, 2015)

The solution, it seemed to Gloria and I, was to bring peace journalism and its emphasis on not exacerbating hate-filled, tense, and violent situations, to South Sudan.

In 2014, we designed a PJ project to address the situation here, and thought we had a local organization and funder lined up, but that fell through. Then in 2015, we’d jointly planned an extensive peace media project with a large international NGO only to see funding pulled at the last minute—just a few weeks before the project was to begin.

On our third attempt, we struck gold. Finally, we have a committed local partner, AMDISS (the Association for Media Development in South Sudan), as well as outstanding financial and logistical support from a USAID-funded development organization/project titled “Viable Support to Transition and Stability” (VISTAS).

Together with Gloria’s foundation and the Center for Global Peace Journalism which I direct, we will be presenting two peace journalism seminars for radio journalists this week and next. A special focus of these seminars will be on reconciliation, and the importance of news media, particularly radio, as a tool to help begin the healing process here in South Sudan.

I’ll be posting regular updates on the project during the next two weeks, so stay tuned.