Participants in the dialogue camp “We Remain and Rise,” implemented by Masarat Foundation in partnership with the House of Coexistence and KAICIID, discussed the role of media in enhancing dialogue skills as a strategic tool for managing diversity in Iraq during an extensive visit to Al-Turath Private University in Baghdad.
The Role of Media in Enhancing Dialogue Mechanisms
Dr. Ziad Al-Attar, Dean of the College of Media at Al-Turath University, welcomed the camp participants.
Al-Attar discussed the importance of the media’s role in enhancing dialogue mechanisms and presented the methodology for teaching it to college students, aiming to empower new journalists with modern media tools and prepare a new generation of journalists committed to the values of dialogue and pluralism, capable of making a real and sustainable impact in their communities.
Dialogue as a Central Tool for Managing Diversity
Al-Attar presented the media empowerment pathway and the use of dialogue as a central tool for managing diversity and promoting peace. He emphasized creating safe spaces for discussion with officials, based on mutual respect and enhancing the values of shared citizenship, while rejecting hate speech.
The Reality of Hate Speech
The youth of the camp discussed with the Dean of the College his vision for the future of dialogue and the reality of hate speech in traditional media and social media in Iraq, as well as the role of higher education institutions in promoting diversity and acceptance of others by focusing on commonalities and values of citizenship.
A Rock from Mount Sinjar
At the end of the meeting, participants from Sinjar presented Dr. Dean Ziad Al-Attar with a rock from Mount Sinjar as a memento of this meeting and as an expression of their pride in this mountain, which symbolizes the resilience of the Yazidi community and their attachment to their land, country, and identity.
