DICID Attended the 4th Al-Jazeera Annual Forum

31 Mar DICID Attended the 4th Al-Jazeera Annual Forum

Head of Public Relations, Mr. Hamde Blackic, attended the Fourth Al-Jazeera Annual Forum in Doha as a representative of Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue.
As the political and social landscape of the Middle East continues to become more complex in the context of a changing multi‐polar world there is a need for media to better understand the realities on the ground. From March 14th to 16th, Al Jazeera’s Fourth Annual Forum was exploring the dynamism behind these changes along with their impact on the region and beyond, and examing the ways in which the world of journalism can better reflect and report on these changes.
This year’s Forum debated and extended the discourse on the critical dynamics of the Middle East in the context of the globalized world.
Al-Jazeera hosted an international mix of journalists, analysts, academics, and intellectuals to help bring these issues into focus as well as leading thinkers and strategists who were exploring the changing face of the region, its place in the global landscape.
The war on Gaza exposed the complexity of political changes taking place in the Middle East and the consequent complexity of reporting the conflict. The war highlighted the differences among global media in terms of strategy of reporting on the war and on the political divides across the region: Al-Jazeera opted for a much bolder presentation of realities of the war on the ground while most of the other media presented a sanitized picture of the war by choosing not to air the terrible images of civilian casualties. This session explored the challenges faced by media institutions in reporting this highly sensitive and complex war and the impact on regional power politics.
During the forum, Mr. Blackic also met with visiting guests and exchanged views related to the interfaith dialogue. He had a fruitful discussion with Mr. Oliver McTernan, director of the British NGO, Forward Thinking. The Forward Thinking is dedicated to empowering individuals and grassroots communities across the UK. In addition, the organization works to build long term and sustainable relationships between various government departments and policy makers.
In the Middle East the organization works to create an inclusive climate where previously unengaged stakeholders in the region can be heard and involved in improving the prospects for peace.