(Tempe, AZ)--Peace journalism isn’t just for journalists.
That was my message on Friday at a Global Forum held at
Maricopa Community Colleges conference center in Tempe, Arizona. The forum,
titled, “East Africa—Conflict, Peace, and Reconciliation,” brought together
about 50 faculty members from several MCC campuses along with a handful of
students.
During my presentation, we talked about the need in East
Africa (and elsewhere) for more responsible media that consider the
consequences of their reporting while eschewing sensationalism and inflammatory
language. One astute colleague pointed out during the Q&A that the term “peace”
is itself weighed down with all kinds of meaning, and can lead to assumptions
about PJ practitioners having an agenda. I agreed, noting that it is indeed
ironic that the word peace is itself inflammatory.
My session followed several informative morning presentations
about the geography of East Africa and the history of conflicts in East Africa,
and an excellent afternoon panel of teachers who gave examples of how they internationalize
their curricula. One great example is an annual Genocide Awareness Week held at
MCC’s Scottsdale Community College campus.
The goal for all the presenters was not just to inform
faculty about East Africa, but to give faculty ideas about how they might
infuse content about the region, about peace media, or about genocide awareness
into the courses they teach. Based on our vibrant discussion at the conclusion
of the forum, I’m confident MCC students will soon be enjoying even more
internationalized courses.
NEXT WEEK: Reports from "Gather +962", a meeting of peacemakers at the Dead Sea, Jordan.
No comments:
Post a Comment