International Group Trains Journalists on Media’s Role in Peacebuilding

By Chika Kwamba 

An international peacebuilding media organization, Search for Common Ground(SfCG), has underscored the crucial role of the media in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

This was highlighted during a three-day capacity-building training held in Asaba, the capital of Delta State , with the theme: “A Community-Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta”.

The training marked the no-cost extension stage of the organization’s 18-month project, which covered Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa States, engaging 66 communities across the region.

The high-profile session attracted journalists and media practitioners from Delta State and beyond.

Discussions centered on the need for objectivity, balance, inclusivity, transparency, sustainability, and peace promotion in media practice.

In an overview of the project and training, the Mass Media Officer at Search for Common Ground, Mrs. Folashade Seye-Ojo, outlined its objectives and stressed the expectations of the media in advancing the project’s goals. 

She emphasized the importance of adopting early warning and early response mechanisms, building trust in government and stakeholders, leveraging art and culture for peace promotion, and advocating for policy change.

Similarly, Mass Media and Information Coordinator, Mr. Sunny Dada, in his lecture, contrasted the adversarial approach, which often fuelled conflict and loss of life, with the collaborative approach, which focused on shared humanity and encouraged conflicting parties to find common ground.

Additionally, practical steps for reporting communal crises and conflict resolution more responsibly were shared, including the application of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental (PESTLE) techniques, providing pragmatic tools for analyzing real-life scenarios.

Other facilitators were: Mrs. Ngozi Imoukhede, Mr. Peter Ogege, Chidi Ndukwe, and Mercy Neme, who, in their respective presentations, highlighted other critical areas such as identity, visible and invisible dynamics in conflict, conflict analysis, digital peacebuilding, and the role of journalists in conflict management.