Pressing for peace: Media, peacebuilding, and taking responsibility

By Fabian Kuzmic

“Growing up during the nineties, we were always looking to how others would write about you. Because the way that the New York Times, or CNN or BBC or Euro News wrote about you during the nineties, ended up determining what would be the future of your country – whether there would be an intervention or whether there would not be an intervention.”

With this powerful story, Besa Luci, the editor-in-chief of Kosovo 2.0, sets the tone for our podcast ‘Pressing for Peace’, our final project for Peace Lab. She reminisces about a time when she felt like the future of her country was in the hands of media platforms. This poignant memory delves into the far-reaching impact of media. It reveals the media's potential not only to ignite turning points in conflicts but also to contribute to peacebuilding, paving the way for lasting peace.

 

For our podcast, we explored the question: ‘What is the role of media in the context of long-term peacebuilding?’and had the privilege of meeting with inspiring journalists and experts from civil society organisations and activist groups. Among many other findings, we discovered the dangers and shortcomings of media which often neglect minority voices and sensationalise stories for the sake of profit.

 

For instance, the Roma communities form a minority group that is largely dismissed in the Kosovar media landscape. We interviewed a representative from the NGO Roma Versitas, whose stories about hate speech on social media shocked us. He expressed his grave concern about the levels of discrimination Roma communities face, especially online. Yet, his unwavering commitment to challenge these injustices stood as a testament to human resilience and deeply inspired us. “That's why we exist. We are great, crazy defender fighters, human rights fighters, and we have to walk,” he told us.

 

Elizabeth Gowing, the current Advisor on Community Affairs to the Prime Minister Albin Kurti, further emphasised that everyone is part of the media nowadays, especially because of social media. “We all have to take responsibility for the impact of the stories we tell,” she told us. With recognising this responsibility comes a great deal of possibility to contribute to positive transformations. We all are media creators now, and this gives us the power to use the media as a catalyst for progress and social change. Elizabeth pointed out:

“You are contributing to people's perception of Kosovo, to people's perception of conflict, to people's perception of the international community, the role of civil society; you are shaping that narrative. Do it intentionally.”

Witnessing the passion of our interviewees and their steadfast belief that change is possible was profoundly moving. They made it clear that everyone has a role to play and that the power to contribute to societal transformation lies within us. They reminded us that the time for action is always now, and the person to act is always oneself.

 

The journey also taught us about the dual role we possess - for society and for ourselves. We learned that we not only have the responsibility to recognise our role in the wider peacebuilding effort, but that we also have an important role to play for ourselves. Peacebuilding starts from within, and over and over again, activists underscored the importance of taking care of yourself first before you can fight for others.

 

These insights only scratch the surface of our exploration into Kosovo’s media landscape. If these narratives intrigued you, delve deeper into the conversations we had with these changemakers in our podcast episode. We invite you to listen, share the episode with your friends, and take our experts’ advice to heart. By engaging with their stories, you are part of this journey of transformation. You can find our podcast here. Will you join us in shaping the narrative around Kosovo for the better?