Diversity - the Media - Dialogue

DIVERSITY – THE MEDIA – DIALOGUE

Kraków, 27-28 November 2007

Wyższa Szkoła Europejska im. ks. Józefa Tischnera
      (Tischner European University)
      ul. Westerplatte 11

A project organised as part of the program ‘Bridges of Tolerance’

Along with the opening of borders, increased freedom of movement and, above all, a growth in both the access and amount of information available to us, we find ourselves more and more to be global ‘neighbours’ and the media has played a pivotal role in this process. On the one hand the strongest actors on the global stage dominate the political, economic and cultural spheres. On the other hand, there are those who are keen to tell us of the complexity of the world and to make us aware of the existence of the ‘other’. This has awakened a desire to define a fuller sense of the self, to seek a deeper identity which, when entrenched, may lend us the drive to strengthen our sense of dignity and security in the face of the avalanche of change that we are confronted with. Finally, as an intermediary, the media of the respective groups are in a position to build and reinforce the sense of community amongst their members and, at the same time, show others their values, beliefs and lifestyle. Thus the media can play a role in influencing public opinion and highlight the concerns of those groups who feel discriminated against by society.

The modern world is seemingly torn between two conflicting trends: uniformity and diversity. The idea of the global village, which does not appeal to some, encompasses this complex phenomenon. We become more conscious of the existence of differing value, belief and judgement systems, of those groups around us who fight over one or another ‘truth’ and this creates a potential minefield of tension. If there is an absence of shared knowledge and understanding, which are the basic conditions for dialogue, there can only be conflict. A basic challenge is to work to the example of ‘managed diversity’ which can ensure peaceful interaction between conflicting groups, provide each with the opportunity for growth and development and, at the same time, ensure that self respect is retained.

The EU has designated 2007 as ‘European Year of Equal Opportunities for All’ and 2008 as ‘European Year of Intercultural Dialogue’. In light of these initiatives we wish to gather together in Krakow representatives of global media and to pose them the following questions: who can be a guide for the media in producing a shared understanding? Can and should that function be played by the media alone? Does the media need and indeed want to build a dialogue concerning the issue of diversity? What contribution can it make to the promotion of good standards? How can the media deal with people of diverse backgrounds in a constructive manner? How to respect others whilst retaining our own self respect, to be open to different perspectives without falling into the trap of political correctness which may limit free discussion? 

The conference will be divided into 4 main sessions.

The conference is accompanied by a photographic contest titled “Lapidarnie”, for the picture corresponding with a selected quote from Ryszard Kapuściński.

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