Presentation at SAFMA regional conference, June 2006

1. Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka Is there a role for media in peacebuilding?

3. TV today – Is more choice is less choice?

4. Radio today (mostly with incomprehensible DJ’s)

5. Statistics

6. Modes of Information in Sri Lanka

7. The conflict

8. “ It is bad today” “ My god, not again”

10. Biased & Divided Mono-lingual State vs. Private

12. Media roles in Conflict Transformation

13. Framing and defining the conflict Encouraging a balance of power Identifying the interests underlying the issues Channel of communication between parties Confidence-building Counteracting misperceptions Face saving and consensus-building Analyzing the conflict Media Roles in Peacebuilding

14. Process Events

17. Four Ideas

19. Public Service Broadcasting Public service broadcasting is based on the principles of universality of service, diversity of programming, provision for minority audiences including the disadvantaged, sustaining an informed electorate, and cultural and educational enrichment. See www.voicesofpeace.lk

21. New Media / Citizens Media “ As media proliferate and as the world becomes the more volatile and unpredictable, the greater becomes the need to organise citizens’ media associations and to promote community based media which alone can serve as balancing factors to check the unhealthy dominance of State-media and corporate media.” Javid Jabbar, Convenor, Citizens Media Commission, Pakistan http://www.wiredet.com/cmd/files/studies.asp

22. Thank You