After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 and the socio-economic tensions in the country, Lebanon-based NGO Media Association for Peace organized its fourth Media, Peace and Human Rights Annual Regional Conference.
It was held in collaboration with the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Beirut and in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Rule of Law Programme in the Middle East and North Africa.
The conference addressed the role of media in fighting corruption and fostering civil peace, freedom of expression, and democracy in Lebanon, the Middle East, and North Africa.
It was attended by a notable audience of media professionals, academics, students, and activists from Lebanon, Palestine, Bahrain, and Egypt.
UNIC Beirut Director Margo Helou hailed the Media Association for Peace for their perseverance in organizing the conference despite all the challenges the country is going through.
She called for ending impunity, ensuring a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, and guaranteeing freedom of expression for all.
Media Association for Peace President and Executive Director Vanessa Bassil said, “Through this conference, we renew our commitment to creating a free space for discussion and exchange of ideas and opinions, and to finding joint solutions to the obstacles affecting the rights of every human being.”
Philipp Bremer, Director of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Rule of Law Programme in the MENA Region, tackled the importance of strengthening the rule of law in Lebanon and the Middle East and North Africa.
Participants engaged in an open debate on the media’s role in reporting news, unveiling corruption, and shaping public opinion. They talked about new approaches to media practices.
