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INFORMATION, PRICELESS

7/16/2013

“Everything we see hides another thing. We always want to see what is hidden by what we see.”

Rene Magritte, influential Belgian Surrealist artist of the early 20th century, was ahead of his time yet also timeless when he said this.

The 21st century is a thirsty generation for more of anything, especially information. Many call this era the information age with particular recognition to how easily it can be exchanged or explored with technology.

Information is both satisfying and elusive, however. It always leaves one wanting to see or know more than what has been presented. Like most physical or mental observations, there is a trigger to know what it is hiding or using or where did it stem from.

Magritte was tapped into our natural curiosity and lust for more insight.

In this information age, there is a power in seeing or knowing more than others. Information embodies an empowerment from which groups or individuals can state their claims and needs.

When meeting with NGO leaders in Morocco, they said there is a privilege of information, which bypasses small associations. This lack of knowledge isolates them from the rest and bats down their timeliness and effectiveness.

Essentially, they are eternally playing catch up or are all together disconnected.

Journalism’s pulse is information and the sources of. Journalists are not only empowered by the ability to influence others with their reports, but this also makes them incredibly responsible for that power and the people’s story in which it relates.

If peace journalists are to work within the NGO network, then it is critical to highlight and analyze which organizations need access to more and better quality information.

This is essential for their efforts to be effective, because without the authority of being connected and updated of important societal factors affecting their issue and their objectives, then they will continue to paddle more than upstream, probably attempting to climb up a waterfall.

There is always more to see, more to learn, more to share, but there is also an increase in responsibility of publishing gained information with those who need it most. It cannot be harbored and guarded as if it is money; the power is in the priceless value knowledge can enable to make change. It is a privilege but one that should be universal.

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WEAVING

7/16/2013

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Career advisers drill two things for preparation to graduate: internships and networking.

As a communication major, I have especially internalized the importance of networking, but it wasn’t until my second Saturday at The Nation newspaper I realized exactly how many doors it can open if done right.

The fact I was sitting at a desk preparing questions for an assignment later in the day at The Nation was a miracle of networking in itself. I would not have had that opportunity without my professor’s and dean’s connection with various literary figureheads in Sri Lanka, particularly Malinda Seneviratne, the editor in chief of the paper.

I had a written a few short pieces to give him as samples of my work that day. One of them was my bit about fluidity to describe the people of Sri Lanka. In that piece, I referenced Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda, a researcher and author who presented one of our finest lectures of the trip at Helga’s Folly.

The news reporter who spoke with me and helped me the most, Chamara, came to my desk a little while after I emailed Seneviratne my writings.

Chamara asked how I knew Tammita-Delgoda, because he did his research under him and was considering going to one of his lectures on India that afternoon.

While dumbfounded by the small world moment yet trying to stay composed as if this sort of coincidence happens regularly, which it can in a journalist’s career where connections are the very fuse of the job, I explained how I knew the famous researcher.

Chamara said he was invited to attend the lecture but didn’t know if he wanted to go. However, he had finished his work early and said if I was interested, he would happily attend, and I could join.

Off we went to the lecture. I met Tammita-Delgoda again and was astounded by his lecture, again. Then, on the way back, Chamara was able to answer many of the questions I had about the 13 Amendment feud sweeping the country and other news topics in Sri Lanka.

The day continued to disappear in a whirl of reporting excitement when I was sent to cover the fusion dance event.

Name after name was shared that day, and each time it moved me somewhere new to a fresh opportunity.

Networking is more than gathering business cards or shaking hands. It is a continual exchange of names and information, which multiplies the various strands one can pull from for sources.

It’s only half way successful unless you learn to use the contacts provided and prove you know their worth. Eventually, it creates a web around you, and the construction of more strands, in a way, it becomes a lifestyle.

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mad lib

7/16/2013

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Each day here at Sarvodaya, I develop my theory of what it means to be a volunteer for an NGO. Though my theory and thoughts are still being collected, there are a few aspects I have narrowed down, which include the interchanging use of intern and volunteer.

Even though I was warned multiple times from various testimonies that volunteer work should not be approached with the attitude of being some great person who saves the world and I did not enter the situation with that mindset, I also did not expect to be totally responsible for demanding and somewhat creating my own work.

Before arriving, there was an exchange of emails of my interests, and after stepping foot in Sri Lanka, I was assured there was plenty of work for me to do.

So, as I traveled with the group, I was eager to see what assignments were waiting for me or what Sarvodaya had planned for me to do when I stayed for my internship.

To my sweet surprise, nothing had been framed for me, and it took a week of asking for work and eventually meeting face to face with the person I should have spoken with on the first day who promised to have to-do list ready after the weekend.

That week taught me to view myself from their perspective.

I was an outsider who came here on my own accord with my own reasons, so whatever those may be would be the ones I pursue. If I just wanted to use my days doing my own research, which was what I did my entire first week, then they would have happily let me do that for the following three. I was paying to be here, and I was on my time, so of course they would not force work upon me.

This was the initial test not only of my work ethic but my confidence to figure out where I could apply my skills.

I was learning a lot just from observing Sarvodaya workings and interacting with staff, but it was not fulfilling the work experience I had hoped for.

Volunteering or interning is a matter of seeking out and taking on what you want and handling in the way you want to. Quick lesson of what you put into an experience is what you will get out of it.

After a few days of anxiously asking for assignments from both the media and international offices, I was finally given an outline of work, which would easily fill my time here.

Those who show a willingness and desire to work are rewarded with responsibility.

The next shake up of my expectations of my Sarvodaya internship was learning to call it volunteer work.

Intern and volunteer are equal here.

When I first agreed to an extra month in Sri Lanka, I was only thinking of checking off the internship box on my resume. Yes, I knew I would be rewarded in experience, but I was preparing for some elevated internship position, something separate from volunteer.

Now, I see internship equally with volunteer worker. Essentially, that’s what it is.

Sarvodaya doesn’t know it, but it snapped me into a state of humility from the get go. I am just one of countless international volunteers who trickle through this NGO dedicating small chunks of their time here for whatever personal reasons they were inspired by.

As my time closes in my volunteer work, I am now sweetly humbled to contribute all of the work I can and reminded that I am here as a student, a student of the self and of the world.

I am here for a learning experience, which is instilling values in me stretching far beyond what anyone could ensue from reading “media intern” on a piece of paper.

I am placing an expectation on myself to write “Sarvodaya volunteer,” nto i on the resume. If a future employer doesn’t inquire or respect it the same as it reading “media intern,” then it’s a boss I would rather not work for.

My time here has proved these words as equals.

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WISE WORDS OF WINDSOR

7/16/2013

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A humble Sarvodaya retiree was an insightful character in our group’s Sri Lankan journey.

Windsor is great friends with Dr. Siegle and quickly became one of our most cherished personalities of the trip. He answered any question we posed with thorough background and an adorable grandfather-like smile.

Though my word for Windsor was typically adorable, because he exuded the energy and enthusiasm of a young boy, he also shared wisdom and understanding with stories of experience beyond our years.

Not only was he a wonderful friend and humble shadow in our group, he was also a treasure chest of information regarding Sri Lanka and Sarvodaya.

Over tea at Helga’s Folly, he explained some of Sarvodaya’s media history and also his aspirations for its future.

Windsor said the media unit used to be massive, which it still is, but there is a lack of finances to ensure its quality and strength today.

He explained the main traditional media methods of the organization were, one, at the ground level with inter-village or community networks. The Sarvodaya society carried the messages of shared experiences so different areas could learn from each other, especially about development methods. The most valuable level was in the districts.

The next addition was the newspaper, which was and still is published in Sinhala. The paper focused mostly on Sarvodaya news and events, but there were also articles of national news that could aid people’s efforts for business or development.

The media, Windsor said, plays various roles for the organization, and those are expanding with the need for international attention.

The organization’s media, both print and interpersonal, is a way to inform people of local efforts and mostly highlight developmental progress or goals. What is interesting is outside networks, some which are huge in comparison, contact Sarvodaya for information or sources for their own reports.

During the war and tsunami, Windsor said Sarvodaya journalists were untouchable. As long as the worked within the realm of the NGO, they were safe. He also added that local media worked with the army during the war, which were the sources BBC was most connected to.

Windsor added print and communal media is not enough for today’s time, however, no matter what the focus.

He wants Sarvodaya to have its own radio and television programs to highlight events and publish the agenda. He said even the government could benefit from Sarvodaya having more media attention.

He explained that if attention was given to our groups like ours who engage in volun-tourism, it could attract more like us, which the government would want highlighted to increase one of the nation’s most profitable sectors.

More publicity would also, more importantly, expand Sarvodaya’s influence and awareness. Like the organization’s mission, Windsor aspires the media to be for the people and by the people.

Though Windsor did not specifically say social media and an online presence, these should be included in his theory that more media leads to more financial support.

At a time when Sarvodaya is planning to become self-sustainable due to a decrease in donors, the organization could be reaching out and sending their message they are still in need of support. The country itself is not as developed or high-incomed as reports are saying. There is an imbalance of wealth in the nation, and Sarvodaya still needs funding.

As Windsor said, media is critical for any financial endeavors of Sarvodaya, because it publishes success and attracts more interest.

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CONSTRUCTION

7/16/2013

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The phrase “building peace” is much like “building bridges,” which sounds similar to “constructing cultural bridges,” which then spirals into “cross-cultural communication.”

All of these interchangeable phrases were used throughout our trip, and solidified my belief in communication as the immeasurable solution enabler, an answer to preventing future conflicts.

Lotfi Lamrani said during our discussion with various NGO leaders in Morocco that generational divides of cultures is what leads to wars. The choice our generation makes between international division or understanding will depict how future cultures interact.

Peace through communication is the message continuously embedded in our lectures, and the NGO leaders provided a clear outline of how to use it.

First, a lesson I covered in a previous post is the understanding of languages. Good intentions can only go so far in international work; there must be an effective translation to make effort result in change. There is a cry for more language skills, which is something our country must face immediately.

Next is to sustain curiosity and learning of others. This is the only way to understand different societies thoroughly, and there is always more to learn. Also, a more refined understanding of others’ history and layering will enhance one’s ability to converse with knowledge of their background and cultural context.

There is also immediate respect when a foreign culture is rehearsed in the culture and history of the place they are visiting or conversing within.

Cross-cultural communication requires practice and a dissolving of the negative focus on differences. Peace communicators can only develop their skills through practice and transform through successful and failed attempts to build a communal bridge.

The NGO leaders painted people and cultures as different rivers. They explained these rivers all lead to the same ocean, so we are to keep floating and build strength in our differences through acknowledged respect and interest in each other.

Sri Lankan poet Jean Arasanayagam used the term sweeping her country in its post war era, reconciliation, to explain how various ethnicities or social groups can come together. There can be a metamorphosis of the human experience so we connect with each other instead of polarizing from our dissimilarities.

Bringing this all together, peace communication, which is the umbrella term under which peace journalism falls, is the key to mending or preventing future conflicts.

Effective communication is the key to any successful situation. As our century poses cross-national obstacles, there must be a shift to want to understand each other and doing so through hospitable engagement instead of distanced observing through our own unfiltered purviews.

The media, undoubtedly, could play a role as a facilitator of cross-cultural communication that celebrates differences instead of feuding them.

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LIKE A LOTUS

7/15/2013

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There is a difference between complaining and discussing.

Discussion of a problem produces a result instead of exasperating energy to get nothing done but making people around you unhappy.

This not only pertains to interpersonal communication and problem solving, but it applies to the societal and global scale too, especially in peace journalism where solution finding is key.

Sumana Ratnayaka, a professor at the International Buddhist Academy, said if we complain, then life will provide us with more to complain about. Instead of throwing away the negatives with useless talk or action, we should see into and study them, so we can learn and share the insight with others.

Rooted in Buddhist philosophy, he added that suffering is part of transformation, but to survive the struggle, one must work for a solution.

Journalism can take multiple routes to highlight a situation, person or debate. What can separate peace journalism is sifting through the facts and interviews and instead of being satisfied with just portraying the issue, there should be questions and ideas for how to solve the problem or transform from the situation.

This would spark a dialogue of sharing potential ways to approach the problem instead of causing more angst toward it. This could avoid more to complain about, because people could become accustom to defining a resolution instead of stewing over it.

Embracing negatives is the efficient way to target a problem. Peace journalism may sound sweet and savory, but it actually entails diving into conflicts and tensions wholly to understand the most appropriate and logical solution to cure both sides of the issue.

Instead of writing to complain and foster disgust or anxiety, the writing should expose information and stories that contribute to the eventual found resolve.

Remember “face your fears, don’t run away from them?” Same moral can be applied. Complaining is a louder method than running from an issue, but it’s just as inefficient and unsustainable for transforming and sharing experience for finding solutions.

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MEDIA MEETS MILITARY

7/15/2013

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After a day of Shramadana in the village Kabithigollawa, we had an unexpected discussion with the local police commissioner and an army officer.

This was not only a new perspective of Sri Lanka that we had not heard yet, but it was particularly interesting, because the village bordered areas heavily affected by the war.

I asked the military officer a few questions about the media during the war.

He said there was a mixture of local and foreign media; the locals got the facts right, and he refused to comment on the international reporters.

He said the military protected the journalists who traveled with them, and there was a mutual respect from both sides. Whether he meant this of both local and international reporters or just local ones, there was no clarification.

This snippet of interaction revealed a few things, one is common knowledge that military personnel do not talk to the media unless it is in a pre-determined fashion. They also do not elaborate on their answers.

It was also interesting, because journalism was a life-threatening pursuit during the war in Sri Lanka. There was an eventual exodus during the war of reporters due to the threats on both sides and various cases of journalists being killed or disappearing. So I need to narrow down a timeline of when reporters may have been with troops or if only government favored reporters were protected.

It sparked my curiosity to do specific research on military protection of reporters and that relationship in general. Obviously a key to peace journalism is being researched in war journalism and knowing how to interact with military personnel.

Conflict journalists escorted by military units are given strict rules and restrictions as to where they can go and when. The tricky balance is gauging the importance of protection with the killer curiosity to break the bounds and report what is usually taped off.

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MEDIA IN NEW DEMOCRACY

7/15/2013

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Moroccans are learning how democracy works, how they can use it and the power it offers. After emerging out of colonization they relied on their monarchy and disconnected government, but now there is a search for a definition and understanding of democratic rule.

A key aspect of democracy is public discourse based on the people’s observations, assessments and opinions in regards to governmental actions. A society learning how to communicate and carry out this forum is in a trial and error process, which can be frustrating for initiating action, however it is a critical learning curve for their future endeavors. Practice makes as close to perfect as possible.

Abdelhay Moudden, Consultative Council on Human Rights, said the Moroccan society must realize what it can realistically achieve in connection to exercising efficient communication in this political arena.

It may be a slow process, but it is one being internalized.

An example was the music festival held in Rabat our first weekend there. Moudden explained it was a democratic experimentation, because it challenged the regime on how to handle the diversity of opinions in the society.

The festival sparked both political and social tension as to whether it would be allowed. Society members in various sectors exercised their rights to express their opinions, and despite the authoritative disproval, the festival still went on and the audiences were massive.

Like any aspect of Morocco’s transformation, learning democracy will take time. It is a gradual practice of reacting to politics and demanding a voice. There is also a need for the majority to realize they have rights and empowerment through democracy.

To build the confidence of the civil society the various groups must network to learn how their leadership and experiences have worked or failed in their democratic exercising.

Collective knowledge leads to training and mobilizing of people, which builds up human leadership within communities as well as capacity. This was a lesson Sarvodaya has instilled in the various villages it works within.

The organization believes that empowerment is gained as the communities practice politics in association with each other.

Sarvodaya’s networking of villages has indirect influences on the government, because they provide individuals opportunities, which result in a ripple affect to the village then the society and eventually the government.

The self-help attitude linked with the collective knowledge is a sharing of experiences and opinions, which in practice, is a type of democracy.

In the U.S., the media acts as an important player in the democratic society. It is even titled as the fourth estate.

As these civil societies adapt to democracy, which has yet to be fully implemented in their countries, the media could work for or against them in various ways.

Local and independent media could benefit them as an outlet for their issues and as an exercising platform for their voice. If media is a limb of democracy, then a growing democratic society must learn how to use it properly.

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audience attraction

7/15/2013

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Abdelhay Moudden, Consultive Council on Human Rights, gave a prologue for a message that would continue to ripple through our Moroccan discussions-Morocco rarely makes headlines, because it’s boring.

My experience in Morocco stated the opposite, however, which made me question the other reasons this country in movement does not receive more media attention.

Moudden was speaking in regards to its politics as boring, but the problem seems to lie not in the lack of interest but in the style of message.

Mimi Bradley claimed that they need researched American journalists to report not only to reach more people but to tailor or design the news in a way that appeals to the masses.

This tied into the marketing strategy the women in the rural Azrou co-op were concerned with sending their mission out for recognition.

They discussed the difficulty of marketing effectively and in ways to reach more buyers of various places.

I am not concluding that news is a type of marketing, but I am noticing the effectiveness of a message is just as reliant on the delivery as it is on the quality of the story.

Today’s news is a competitive atmosphere for reader’s attention. It requires knowledge of aesthetic appeal and how readers choose what to read or watch. This is a savvy skill, which demands just as much observation and experience as writing the actual story.

These countries, Morocco case in point, see the U.S. and many large countries as a goldmine of connections to help their cause and as the essential place to reveal their issues. They will not land in our headlines, however, unless reporters are not only knowledgeable enough to report accurate news but also know how to reach the audiences at home in an effective platform and with a captivating style.

This speaks not only to alternative styles of journalism but any genre of the profession. There are levels to journalism to make the article considered truly effective.

Not only does it need to be thoroughly researched and covered, it must be published. It not only needs to be published, but people need to see it and want to read it. Once they begin to read it, there must be enough to either increase their knowledge of the issue and eventually, the golden ticket, be moved enough to research it more then take action in some way.

Without an accurate design or style strategy, the effort will only climb about half way up this ladder.

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Alternative understanding

7/15/2013

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Alternative forms are one aspect of peace journalism, and it was preached to most in Morocco with the film “475” and in Sri Lanka with Jean Arasanayagam’s poems.

The “475” documentary is a bold inside look to rape and the abuse of women in Morocco and the country’s laws that indirectly guard the perpetrators from being prosecuted.

It was directed and produced by an inspiring young woman, Houda, who was a rape victim and now dedicates her efforts to giving Moroccan women a voice.

Though documentaries are placed in their own category of journalism, they could easily overlap into one of the platforms peace journalism utilizes. It is also an example of using attachment to a situation instead of being the objective observer.

The way it counters peace journalism is the victimization it portrays instead of weighing both sides of the issue. One message captured by an interviewee in the film, however, is no one ever asked the women for their side of the story until “475.”

The director also said the film is risky, because the societal codes wire women to handle this abuse “like everything else here, you just do it and don’t say anything.”

When writing stories from both sides, there must be preparation for approaching this type of silencing found in various groups in societies. Questioning the voiceless is challenging, however writing their story is essential.

The other alternative example was the defiant and active phrases Arasanayagam used to bring her country’s issues to light through her poetry.

In one of her poems she asked, “how will you write peace?”

To write effectively, she said you must be open to everything around you and remember that no matter where it is written, it is applicable to all.

The beauty of her philosophy is she feels carefree, un-censored, because she goes unrecognized and unaccepted by politicians. She said they don’t read her, but it doesn’t matter. A two to three person congregation is enough.

Though reaching the masses or at least people with authority is an important step to changing issues, Arasanayagam taps into her own right to do what she can to spread the message of war and suffering.

If peace activist artists like her are to succeed in expanding their congregation, it is important to receive publicity and attention. There must be a shift to respect and analyze platforms like poetry or documentaries with the same value as other journalistic platforms.

Alternative mediums can be just as affective as mainstream ones, if not more, however there is a serious demand for people to acknowledge them as such.

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INFORMATION, PRICELESS

WEAVING

mad lib

WISE WORDS OF WINDSOR

CONSTRUCTION

LIKE A LOTUS

MEDIA MEETS MILITARY

MEDIA IN NEW DEMOCRACY

audience attraction

Alternative understanding

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