The first day of the “Human Fraternity Initiative – Media Training”, organized by the Religion & Security Council (RSC), took place at the Safadi Cultural Center in Tripoli, North Lebanon, on Saturday, March 2. The proceedings were attended by over 20 journalists and media professionals, who were guided by leading scholars and practitioners in the discovery of the Human Fraternity Document to harness its potential in advancing interfaith relations on a local level.
“The goal of the program – as explained by RSC Chairman Emiliano Stornelli in the introduction – is to further strengthen the engagement of the media as a powerful tool to promote the transformational message of the Human Fraternity Document in the public sphere in Tripoli and North Lebanon”. “RSC has always believed in the major role of the media in promoting peace-building and social cohesion, involving journalists and media professionals in all its interreligious activities”, highlighted RSC Coordinator for Tripoli and North Lebanon Amin Brair, while illustrating to the participants the 5-year work of RSC under the Human Fraternity Initiative.
The first session of the training on “The Human Fraternity Document and Interreligious Dialogue in Tripoli and North Lebanon” was conducted by Dr. Ziad Fahed, President of Dialogue for Life and Reconciliation (DLR), Coordinator of the DLR Sustainable Network of Religious Leaders in the North of Lebanon, and Professor of Religious Studies, Notre Dame University-Louaize. Dr. Fahed outlined how the principles and guidelines of the Human Fraternity Document can be actualized in Tripoli and North Lebanon to foster and strengthen the “culture of tolerance, acceptance of others and of living together peacefully”.
Dr. Fahed also coordinated the second session on “Human Fraternity and the Role of Religious Leaders”, including as speakers prominent members of the DLR Sustainable Network of Religious Leaders in the North of Lebanon: Sheikh Firas Balout, Muslim Sunni Community, Head of Religious Affairs; Sheikh Mohamad Haydar, Muslim Alawite Community, Jabal Mohsen; Rev. Fr. Ibrahim Derbaly, Christian Orthodox Community, Principal of Mar Elias School El Mina. The three figures shared insights and views on the engagement of the Sunni, Alawite, and Christian religious leaders from Tripoli and North Lebanon in promoting dialogue and cooperation for the common good, according to the concept of “social religious responsibility”.
The third session on “The Role of the Media in Promoting Human Fraternity and Interreligious Dialogue for Peace-Building” was conducted by Dr. Elias El Halabi, Chairperson of the Christian Muslim Studies Center and Director of the Sheikh Nahyan Center for Arabic Studies and Intercultural Dialogue at the University of Balamand, where he is also Associate Professor of Cultural Studies. Dr. El Halabi examined how journalists and media professionals can facilitate the creation of spaces for the encounter and collaboration between different religious groups, acting as a bridge for communication and understanding, and as key actors in the development of positive and constructive interfaith relations based on “Human Fraternity”.
Media personality Zaven Kouyoumdjian addressed the fourth session on “Human Fraternity and Countering Hate Speech on Social Media”, featured by May Chidiac Foundation – Media Institute. Mr. Kouyoumdjian looked into the best practices for journalists to address online statements and narratives that target religious communities, moderate actors, and vulnerable categories, and to develop effective media contents to promote “Human Fraternity” on the web.
Mr. Kouyoumdjian also coordinated the first part of the workshop “Tripoli as Capital of Human Fraternity”, guiding participants in the development of articles, interviews, and video reports that describe the multiple examples of “human fraternity and harmonious coexistence” that characterize Tripoli’s social and cultural fabric. Their works will be presented during the second and final day of the training program on March 9.
The “Human Fraternity Initiative – Media Training” is organized by RSC with the support of the KAICIID Dialogue Centre and the De Gasperi Foundation, and in partnership with the May Chidiac Foundation-Media Institute (Media Advisor), Dialogue for Life and Reconciliation (DLR), DLR Sustainable Network of Religious Leaders in the North of Lebanon, Maison d’Entraide et de Développement Social (MEDS), Alawite Islamic Charity Association (AICA), Annas Linnas Association, and the Lebanese Center for Active Citizenship (LCAC).
Full Program (English, Arabic)
