Park University's Global Peace Journalism Center Marks Decade with Symposium event
The Center for Global Peace Journalism (CGPJ) at Park University is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a virtual symposium on March 2, 2022, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. (Central time). The event, titled "Peace Journalism Around the World," will feature panelists from Cameroon, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, and Uganda.
At the heart of this symposium is a discussion on conflict reporting, peacebuilding narratives, and media's role in fostering global peace. The keynote address will be given by Jake Lynch, Ph.D., associate professor and director in the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney (Australia). Lynch, who is one of the most published and most cited authorities in peace journalism, was awarded the Luxembourg Peace Prize in 2017 for his contributions to both theory and practice in peace journalism.
The concluding address will be given by Kathryn Johnston, deputy editor of VIEW, a magazine based in Northern Ireland that focuses on social affairs journalism.
The panelists and keynote speaker are all authorities in the field of peace journalism. The CGPJ, which works with journalists, academics, and students worldwide to improve conflict reporting, encourages media to reject sensational and inflammatory reporting, and produce counter-narratives that offer a more nuanced view of marginalized groups.
Since its founding in 2012, the CGPJ's director, Steven Youngblood, has conducted peace journalism workshops in 33 countries. Youngblood, a two-time J. William Fulbright Scholar, has been a member of Park University's faculty since 1997 and has taught peace journalism in 27 countries and territories, including conflict areas. He was awarded the Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Peace Journalism in 2020.
The symposium can be accessed at [this link](https://tinyurl.com/359chbk8). The event promises to promote awareness of peace journalism principles, create networks and collaborations among journalists, activists, academics, and policy experts, and contribute to shifting media discourse, advocating for greater inclusion of peacebuilders' voices rather than predominantly militarized or political perspectives.
[1] Center for Civilians in Conflict. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://civiliansinconflict.org/about-us/ [2] Institute for Economics & Peace. (n.d.). Global Peace Index 2020. Retrieved from https://www.visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2020/10/GPI_2020_Report_Web_Final.pdf [3] Peace Journalism: A Handbook for Reporters, Editors, and Station Managers. (2007). Retrieved from https://www.peacejournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Peace-Journalism-A-Handbook-for-Reporters-Editors-and-Station-Managers.pdf [4] Peace Journalism: A Sourcebook of Models, Principles, and Practices. (2006). Retrieved from https://www.peacejournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Peace-Journalism-A-Sourcebook-of-Models-Principles-and-Practices.pdf
- The keynote address by Jake Lynch, a renowned authority in peace journalism, underscores the importance of this field in the broader context of education-and-self-development, as he has been a significant contributor to the theory and practice of peace journalism.
- The CGPJ, an organization dedicated to improving conflict reporting and fostering peace through media, encourages a shift in lifestyle by advocating for balanced, nuanced reporting, aligning with the principles of peace journalism.
