Exploring theories of change that UNESCO could implement in its media strategy to most effectively contribute to post-conflict and peacebuilding
Beccalli, Andrea
2011
- Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Abstract: Peacebuilding is a word loaded of meanings and yet still does not have a common shared understanding. It is a word at the center of international debates and academic investigation, however, if asked to a general audience what are the defining elements of ... read morepeacebuilding is highly plausible that words like development, reconciliation, democracy, election, would be used but media would not be on the top of the list. If we ask to the same audience the definition of warfare and war making, we would find that the general understanding about the meaning is far clearer, and the role of media would be easily identified and substantiated by clear historical cases. The present research wants to shed some light about the role of media in peacebuilding, it originates from a personal experience in the field of media and international communication as well as from an academic interest and prospective involvement in the field of conflict resolution. The investigating question lies at the crossroad of the conflict resolution and media practice: is a more structured media intervention in post-conflict going to effectively improve the UN led coordinated peacebuilding process? This document aims at providing a theoretical framework that could better drive and support the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) contribution to peacebuilding through its programming and multilateral coordinated interventions. As history shows media is often among the first target of a conflict, communication is diverted to influence news and opinions in the interests of the conflicting parties, mass media are used for fostering propaganda and feeding the conflict attitude. The literature in the field is extensive, but far less documented is the reverse of media harm. The assumption of the present work is that a reliable, independent and pluralistic media has a huge potential for contributing to conflict transformation, through counteracting propaganda, helping in framing issues, defusing mistrust, providing a space to voice emotional reactions, confront positions and interests, and ultimately as an important tool for joint conflict analysis. Because today's wars are prevalently intra-state conflicts, the humanitarian agencies often have to undertake their tasks in the chaotic and lawless conditions. In some, but not all, such cases the resulting horrors explode on to the world's television screens and create political pressure for the United Nations to deploy troops to facilitate and protect the humanitarian operations. While such images can help build support for humanitarian action, such scenes also may create an emotional environment in which effective decision-making can be far more difficult. This aspect of media and UN intervention also defined as the "CNN effect" plays an important role in the peacebuilding process, although influential is not the object of the present investigation.read less
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- tufts:UA015.012.078.00014
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