Break-out Session 4: Diversity of Media Content Panelists: Malu Viana Batista, Executive Director of Television America Latina Milica Pesic, Head of the Media Diversity Institute Patagaw Talimalaw, Secretariat General of World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network Galina Petriashvili, President of Gender-Media Caucasus Pascale Thumerelle, Vice President of Sustainable Development Vivendi Moderator: Mario Lubetkin, Director General of the Inter Press Service
Session Summary The session dealt with questions concerning the role of the government in ensuring diversity and media, how journalists can diversify the media’s approach as well as best practices developed by the media industry. One of the best practice examples was mentioned by Malu Viana Batista who highlighted the cooperative exchange of content between all Latin American countries on Television America Latina to build cultural bridges and strengthen cultural and public communities in the region. Within this context of strengthening cultural and indigenous communities and their media, Patagaw Talimalaw stresses the need to understand who these people are and give them their own independent media to promote (or restitute) their culture and language, which will bring insight and perspective to the general public. In the following discussion, the need to strengthen local capacities for content production, including minorities in the mainstream media on issues that are relevant for the whole society were brought on the table. It was stated that diversity in the media room would result in the diversity of the media content. Bussiness interest may serve as a catalyst for sustainable integration of diversity in media and arts. Finally, Mr. Lubetkin concluded with two recommendations for the media business, suggesting the creation of synergies to push for diversity and developing a glossary on alliance and diversity to be shared upon media. February 27, 2013 2
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Quotations Patagaw Talimalaw: “Indigenous people are an essential and critical part of the pluralistic society. “ Pascale Thumerelle: “We need to invest in diversity to be competitive and successful in our businesses.” “Culture is everywhere. It is a resource.” Milica Pesic: “The media in the EU has a lot to learn – they believe that Europe is still only white and only Christian.”
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Break-out Session 5: Communicating better by drawing on the evidence about migration - contributing to a new narrative for migration Panelists: Lacy Swing, Ambassador, Director-General International Organization for Migration Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie, Co-founder African Foundation for Development John D. Skentny, Centre for comparative immigration studies University of California at San Diego Iryna Ulasiuk, European University Institute in Florence Christian Strohal, Austrian ambassador in Geneva and former chair of the IOM Council Dipu Moni, foreign minister of Bangladesh Moderator: Ali Aslan, Talk show host Deutsche Welle
Session Summary Politicians as well as the media should guarantee a fair evidence-based representation of migrants. Therefore Lacy Swing suggested positive migration models should increasingly been shown on the media. People should come to the conclusion that migration has historically been overwhelmingly positive and will be necessary to fill job gaps in the future. The media should care more about the coverage on migration, but Chukwu- Emeka Chikenzie does not want to leave the responsibility to the journalists alone. He recommended organizations to engage the media into writing in a neutral way by providing data as well as training diaspora groups to raise their voice. Media shapes our societies and so we need to be aware of their responsibility. Iryna Ulasiuk explains that media’s responsibility is built on two stacks: First of all, media groups should provide trainings for their journalists to enhance a fair coverage of migration issues. Secondly, media groups should itself act inclusively by employing journalists with a migration background and they should invest in investigative journalism to lower the amount of xenobhobic sensational coverage. The studies of John D. Skrentny show that there are three different perceptions on migration in the public. The first group regards migration in a positive economic-growth-perspective, the second one considers migrants as individuals and cares about their human stories and the third perspective does not sympathize with immigrants even if they contribute positively to their community. Dipu Moni pointed out that the media should help to create a discursive dialogue promoting social inclusion and exchange in order to change the paradigm into a positive one; One that respects the
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human dignity of migrants, that turns the image of migrants from cheap workers to catalyzer of economic development.
Quotations John D. Skentny: “The role of academics is to provide the facts and to emphasize the fact that we are living in a phase of demographic decline and we need to face and deal with that.” “I think balance is important, but also very hard to do.” Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie: “Decision-makers need data.” Iryna Ulasiuk: “One out of three people does not live where he was born. Today’s problems show that people still have to find ways how to deal with this situation. Media can help with that, especially mainstream media. The most important thing is to send a positive message to the public about migration.”
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Break-out Session 6: Diversity, multiple identities and social inclusion. Best practices in integration
Panelists: Michael Girardi, (on behalf of State Secretary Sebastian Kurz), Federal Ministry for the Interior Austria Christian Strohal, Permanent Representative of Austria to the UN Office at Geneva Loren B. Landau, Director of Forced Migration Studies at the University of Witwatersrand Hass Dellal, Executive Director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation Howard Duncan, Executive Head Metropolis Project Ibrahim Kalin, Deputy Undersecretary of Turkey Moderator: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Journalist and Author
Session Summary The enlightening debate focused on the definition of the term integration and the role of the institutional framework facing questions of diverse societies and identity. The participants of the panel discussion tried to define the difference between immigration and migration within borders, as well as pointing out that the majority of migration is taking part in the southern hemisphere. They underlined the paradox, that western standards in integration politics adopted the assumption that the vast of migration takes part to Europe and North America out of developing countries. The various perspectives of dealing with topics of inclusion and exclusion were shared and discussed. Diversity and identity are important, but it does need work to bridge the gap between social groups to evolve and build innovation. The perception of citizenship reached from its use as a reward for achievements to a precondition of successful integrative way. Parts of the panel group suggested to reformulate the concept of integration towards a more comprehensive way of creating healthy society without labeling people and limiting people to their origin. In terms of responsible leadership it was addressed by the whole panel group that the government needs to set a political framework and ensuring participation in politic processes or in public life. The comments from the audience raised the question about the youth agendas which often seem to be February 27, 2013 5
unheard in public decisions and in high level conference. It was underlined that youth is not only the future but it is the presence of a society and it needs representation and a basis to negotiate within political decisions. Summarized it could be said that integration within responsible leadership isn’t about “Top-Down” decisions, it is about the ethics of coexistence, networked collaboration between various stakeholders of the society and furthermore the inclusion of groups who don’t have a voice in the political process to cover the dynamic aspect of a globalized world within the borders of nations.
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