Pakistani-Indian colleagues meet, discuss reporting projects
Of the dozens of peace journalism projects I’ve taught in 32 countries, few match the success of the Cross Border Reporting workshops that I’ve been involved with since 2018.

Thus, I was thrilled to reconnect yesterday with my Indian and Pakistani journalist colleagues in a new zoom meeting series called, Cross Border Conversations.

From Himal SouthAsian news

The Cross Border Reporting project, sponsored by the East-West Center, has brought together Indian and Pakistani journalists, uniting them first for Zoom trainings, then in-person in Kathmandu, Nepal. In Nepal, the journalists learned reporting and multimedia production techniques alongside peace journalism. Then, we put them together into reporting teams (one Pakistani, one Indian) to report stories of mutual interest. Our most recent meeting in Kathmandu was in January, 2024. 

During our Cross Border Conversations meeting yesterday, Pakistani journalist Ali Jabir Malik discussed the cross border story that he produced with Indian journalist Diwash Gahatraj. Their unique story was about how climate change has led to more snakebites in South Asia. He discussed the challenges they faced, including skepticism about their thesis and convincing media outlets to allow a double byline featuring both authors’ names. He said the journalists received positive feedback about the piece, which has spurred further research on the subject by scientists and other journalists. 

An Indian woman whose husband was
killed by a snake, and her children.

Cross Border Conversations also included an interesting brainstorming session led by Pakistani journalist Lubna Jerar, who teased out future cross border story ideas. These ideas include:

Air quality, smog, pollution, health effects
Smog and agricultural workers, particularly women
Smog and animals
Environment as driver for wider cooperation between governments
Fake news, and combating it
How smog impedes exercise, which leads to bad health outcomes
Religion and climate change
Cultural stories—clothing, jewelry, etc.
Culture shared practices
Refugees
Human-wildlife conflicts exacerbated by climate change (pangolins, leopards)

I concluded the session by leading a discussion about the U.S. presidential election, and its impact in South Asia. I shared a Foreign Policy magazine article whose title summed up its thesis: “In South Asia, expect continuity from Washington.” I  was asked about Trump and climate change. I replied that many climate change activists are concerned about climate change initiatives and regulations disappearing under the new administration.

Our Cross Border Conversations event will be held quarterly. I’m already looking forward to our discussion next February.

ABOUT THE EAST-WEST CENTER: The East-West Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, international educational institution whose mission is to promote better relations and understanding among peoples in the Indo-Pacific region. EWC does this through cooperative study, research, dialogue, and immersion experiences, including programs designed to train and connect journalists.

Insightful jointly reported N. Ireland-Kosovo stories published
An insightful series of articles jointly produced by journalists from Kosovo and Northern Ireland is being published by Shared Future News in Belfast.

These articles were produced as part of a groundbreaking project that combined discussions about reporting a troubled past with the principles of peace journalism. The participants first visited Kosovo and then Northern Ireland to learn about how journalists from both places are dealing with these thorny issues. 

As I wrote earlier, "It was gratifying to see how the project grew from an idea I had a few years ago into the initiative that brought together 20 journalists, half from each region. I was especially moved by the way the journalists came together, both professionally and personally. Project co-director Allan Leonard (Shared Future News, Northern Ireland) even said in his closing remarks in Belfast that the journalists, trainers, and project staff had united to form a family. This is especially remarkable given that the journalists are from different countries, practice different religions, and have a wide age disparity."

The project, sponsored by the British Embassy in Kosovo, culminated with the production of stories jointly produced by the one participant from each location. They're being disseminated by Shared Future News, one of the project's sponsors. I encourage you to look over these remarkable pieces, which demonstrate the constructive role media can play in building bridges and transitioning away from acrimony and division.

These stories include:
1. Lack of sculpture dedicated to women in Kosovo and Northern Ireland
2. Music's restorative capacity in Northern Ireland and Kosovo
3. Eating away at divisions in Northern Ireland and Kosovo
4. No one sees us--ethnic minorities
5. The salience of symbols

Other stories are being added daily at the Shared Future News website, so keep coming back for more.

I'm proud of the work of my journalism colleagues, and of the program's leaders Allan Leonard at Shared Future News and Xhemajl Rexha at the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. It's been a unique and wonderful learning experience for me.

Election 2024: Don't fan the flames
The first rule of peace journalism is this: at minimum, don’t make a bad situation worse and don’t add fuel to the fire.

Regardless of the election’s outcome, there will be anger, finger pointing, inflammatory language, false claims, and even hatred. So, what can the media and the public do to not exacerbate what will undoubtedly be an incendiary situation?

First, the public can avoid spreading propaganda. NPR has a great guide that details how to do this, including not getting anxious if the results aren’t available election night; pausing before re-posting, especially if you feel your emotions stirred by the info you’re reading; analyzing the source of information; and being wary of images because they can be manipulated or taken out of context.

As for journalists, what can they do to avoid fueling anger and division? Peace journalism can provide us several tips:

1. Don’t amplify extreme voices on either side
2. Don’t give credence to rumors of electoral fraud. Even in the unlikely event of electoral fraud, it will take weeks (months?) to uncover and prove any fraudulent activity.
3. Give peacemakers and moderates a platform, and amplify dialogue that builds bridges
4. Be patient, and don’t speculate. The results will come when the results come.
5. Explain trends, and don’t blow them out of proportion. One reason so many believe that the 2020 election was crooked is because their candidate was “ahead” but then ultimately lost. A better informed public would understand these ebbs and flows.
6. Call out those who use incendiary language, and especially those who advocate violence
7. Avoid exaggerated “end of the world” analysis from “experts.” A victory by the “wrong” candidate does not equal the apocalypse.

I’ll be watching and reading closely this week to see if the media contribute to reconciliation, division, and/or violence.