Media plays key role in promoting peace and social change
Pakistan
'Women inclusion is necessary for peace and development'
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Speakers at a two-day conference emphasise that women are an important part of peacebuilding.
The Global Neighbourhood for Media Innovation (GNMI), in collaboration with the East-West Center (EWC), held the two-day conference to honour the impactful contributions of Pakistani women as decision-makers in peacebuilding and acknowledge the crucial support men provide in this process.
Najia Ashar, President GNMI, spotlighted the transformative power of media in amplifying marginalized voices, creating social change, and building bridges of understanding speaking on the topic “Peace on the Brink of Polycrisis.”
She reaffirmed GNMI's commitment to combat radical narratives and highlighted the significance of collaborative efforts to address the root causes of conflict.
Suzanne Vares-Lum, President of the East-West Center (Hawaii US), in her address on "Women, Peace, and Global Partnerships for Third-track Diplomacy" highlighted the significant role women play in promoting peace and the significance of collaborative global partnerships in third-track diplomacy.
Media role
Murtaza Solangi, the interim Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said in his keynote speech that the eradication of extremism is imperative now, as its unchecked proliferation could significantly impact future generations.
He underlined the crucial role of media in framing a peaceful and inclusive Pakistan by disseminating positive narratives of peace.
Minister Solangi commended the sacrifices made by law-enforcement agencies in safeguarding national security and acknowledged the contributions of think tanks, civil society organizations, and peace institutions in shaping concrete policy recommendations for national stability.
National Peace
Ahsan Iqbal, the PML-N general secretary, elaborated on the intricate dynamics of peace, asserting that it is shaped by a myriad of factors of political, social, and economic dimensions.
He bemoaned the exacerbation of societal divisions such as ethnicity, class, and religion, which fuel the formation of groups that dehumanize specific communities and perpetuate divisive rhetoric.
The former minister lamented the normalization of an "us versus them" mentality, which exacerbates social rifts and propagates the perception that violence is the only means of conflict resolution.
He emphasized the importance of rigorous data analysis to facilitate evidence-based decision-making and advocated for engaging stakeholders to develop comprehensive peace policies.
Panel discussions
Two panel discussions were held which were the integral components of the event. The first discussion, titled "Media Diplomacy in Pakistan: Shaping Peace Narratives for Regional Stability", was moderated by Dr Shafqat Munir of SDPI.
The panelists included senior broadcast journalist Hamid Mir, Managing Editor of Independent Urdu Haroon Rashid, anchorperson Ms Nayyar Ali, Syed Masood Raza, and Prof Dr. Moazzam Hashmi from the National Defense University (NDU).
The second, titled "The Ripple Effect: Local Tales Defeating Extremism", was moderated by Komal Dilshad of USIP and the panel included Hamayoun Khan from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Pakistan, Mumtaz Mughal from Aurat Foundation Islamabad, Ghulam Murtaza from Peace Education Foundation, Aftab Alam from IRADA, and journalist Lubna Jerar Naqvi.
The conference ended with an award-distribution ceremony.
