Baghdad:A specialized training course focusing on ‘Peace Journalism, Social Cohesion and Safe Reintegration in Iraq’ has begun in the capital. This three-day initiative is led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It forms part of a joint project to bolster social cohesion and ensure safe reintegration across Iraq.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the course gathers young journalists from various Iraqi governorates, aiming to enhance their ability to create conflict-sensitive media that respects the dignity of displaced individuals, returnees, and affected communities. The training also seeks to foster trust, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.
On the first day, participants examined the ties between journalism and social cohesion, including the media’s role in the safe return of displaced families. They distinguished between peace-oriented journalism and reporting that could exacerbate polarization or reinforce stereotypes, fear, and division.
The course introduced participants to the core principles of peace journalism and conflict-sensitive reporting, equipping them with tools to analyze local contexts and identify divisive factors. They also learned to recognize community connections that aid reconciliation and peacebuilding.
Interactive discussions and group exercises focused on choosing appropriate angles for stories about displaced people, returnees, and host communities. These activities underscored the importance of presenting individuals as rights holders with agency, rather than merely as victims.
Diaa Thabit, Head of UNESCO Iraq’s Communication and Information Sector, emphasized the crucial role journalism plays in helping society comprehend the complexities of displacement and reintegration. He highlighted the importance of accuracy, fairness, and the principle of doing no harm in reporting.
The first day concluded with a pre-training assessment to gauge the participants’ existing knowledge and skills regarding social cohesion and reintegration issues. This assessment will be compared with results at the course’s conclusion to evaluate progress.
Future sessions will cover a broad range of topics, including reporting ethics, privacy, informed consent, source protection, trauma-sensitive interviewing, information verification, countering hate speech, assessing publication risks, and creating human-rights-based stories.
This training is part of UNESCO and UNDP’s ongoing efforts to enhance the role of Iraqi media in supporting peace and social cohesion, while developing the capabilities of a new generation of journalists to produce professional, human-centered content.