Using the media for conflict transformation: the Common Ground experience

The focus of this paper is to explore initiatives through which the media of a conflict-ridden country and region can potentially effect cooperation and even conflict resolution.

The report explores the potentials of media in transforming conflict situations, and also presents some possible avenues through which NGO’s can develop these potentials.

The authors highlight the following as some of the ways of using media to promote conflict resolution:

• media can serve an informing and education function by securing free flow of accurate and constructive information, counteracting misperceptions, identifying the interests underlying the issues, and helping to build a consensus
• media can further build confidence and mediate between conflicting parties by fostering communication, generating alternative options to violent conflict
• media may act as a watchdog on leaders to help ensure long term accountability and provide some early warnings on potential escalations of the conflict.

The paper offers insight into how to initiate the work on the ground in a step-by step process of pre-project assessment, implementation, and post-project evaluation. The guidelines also include examples from the work of Common Ground (CG).

The authors conclude by exploring some of the challenges and questions faced when promoting the potentials of media as tools for conflict resolution.

This article was commission and first published by the Berghof Handbook for Conflict Transformation, www.berghof-handbook.net, an online cumulative resource on conflict transformation, development cooperation, human rights works and humanitarian aid.