MEDIALOGUE: Media as a Forum for Dialogue in Conflicts & Peacebuilding

Communication lies at the core of all conflicts and reconciliation processes. Today, communication environment is going through a deep transformation marked with the rise of new media. Mass media, which have traditionally been an implicit actor in conflicts, are also being challenged as a result of this transformation, where individual citizens are taking the role of media makers and challenging the hegemonies over discourse. Here, the question is how to transform the mediat(iz)ed communication into media aided dialogue, as new media is presenting novel opportunities for communication within and beyond borders by providing a participatory platform for dialogue and joint action. This study explores the avenues of change presented by new media in peacebuilding, examining the role of new media and social movements in formation of a democratic, transnational public sphere that would assist peaceful transformation of conflicts. New media, built around social networks, has the potential to act as an forum for dialogue connecting local with transnational; while civil society and citizen movements, building and organizing around peace media, are key for achieving social cohesion.