Promoting Reconciliation in Iraq through Journalism

archived

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s Public Affairs Office (PA) is seeking an implementer to assist the Embassy in building the capacity of existing grassroots media organizations working in the areas of Iraq liberated from ISIS (Anbar, Salahaddin, Ninewa) and their surrounding multi-ethnic communities to use their programming to allow citizens a platform for discussion on topics related to tolerance, peace building, peaceful coexistence, and countering and preventing extremism. The program, to take place between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019 should benefit a select group of existing, community-based media outlets (television stations, radio stations, online news platforms, newspapers, etc.) that are working in or broadcasting to/targeting the liberated areas by investing in equipment and infrastructure, as well as training in journalism by competent experts. The media plays an important role in promoting dialogue within communities. Additionally, unskilled or irresponsible journalists often fall prey to or are guilty of perpetuating fabricated or fake news stories from malign sources. ISIS’ occupation of the areas in question led to the freezing or deterioration of local media entities. Those media outlets that survived or that have sprung up post-liberation are fledgling, underfunded, and often under-trained entities that are, however, working to advance a top U.S. priority in Iraq: post-conflict reconciliation, inclusion of minorities, and preventing the resurgence of violent extremism. These outlets do their programming in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkoman, Assyrian, English and other languages to reach all members of these multi-ethnic areas, and their programming is centered around promoting dialogue, discussing differences, processing the damage done by ISIS – both physically and psychologically – and planning for the a peaceful future. The goals of this project are to attempt to support these community-based media outlets at their outset and during the vulnerable post-liberation period. Through investments in grassroots media infrastructure and training in responsible journalism, the project aims to offer communities responsible journalists through which to learn to engage in civil discourse and build peace with their neighbors in a post-war era.

High