Speeches
Opening Ceremony of Regional Media Workshop
“Role of the Media in Conflict Resolution and the Promotion of Peace and Democracy”
Remarks by Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic
December 18, 2008
I am pleased to join you for this regional workshop. Though we represent many different nationalities, we are united in our shared belief that journalists have a critical role to play in promoting peace and democracy in this region and throughout the world.
December 10th marked the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For the past sixty years, brave men and women have raised their voices in support of what President Bush has termed “the non-negotiable demands of human dignity” that are enshrined in this document. Many of those defending human rights have been members of your profession, sometimes – in countries that are weak in rule of law and democracy-- at great personal cost.
Where media freedom prevails, journalists have extraordinary power and opportunity to influence the public. With that power, however, comes the responsibility to use it wisely. Journalists of course have the obligation to report accurately and fairly to the best of their ability. Those of you who are TV or radio journalists, and are assigned scarce bandwidth or frequencies to broadcast your stories, have a special obligation in terms of public service.
It has also been said that information itself is power, and it is clear that modern technology and global communications increase the power of information exponentially. As journalists and media professionals, how you choose to exercise your profession will have a profound and lasting impact on your societies and your region.
As I understand it, this regional media workshop will look at practical ways in which you can serve the public trust by using your skills as journalists to support the democratic process within each of your counties as well as to foster peaceful dispute resolution in your communities. Presumably, the first element in both efforts is that basic of good journalism: accurate, factual, unbiased reporting that correctly informs the reader or listener.
In situations of tension, where misunderstandings can grow into conflict, there is the added need for responsible reporting that calms tensions and fosters peaceful problem solving. Though this may not be an easy job, it can be a critical one, demonstrating in very practical terms why journalism has often been called the FOURTH ESTATE.
Clearly, the issues of peace, security and democracy are interdependent, and the media has a key role in all of these. Thank you all for participating in this workshop. I am sure you will find the discussions stimulating, and I wish you all great success in your work.
