ActiveCitizensusingSocialMediatoPushforPeaceamongAfghanistan,Indiaand Pakistan

ThePuleJawanprogramkickstartedatKabulinSeptember2011whenfifteencitizenJournalists,five eachfromfromAfghanistan,IndiaandPakistanmet,debatedandcollaboratedtocreateacommon groundtobringpeaceinthisregion.TheKabulforumhasledtoPuleJawanforumswithinIndiaand PakistantoencouragemorecitizenstoexpressthemselvesincommonissuesrelatedtoIndia,Pakistan andAfghanistan. LastSaturday,on14thofApril2012,thePuleJawanIndiaforumwasheldatIndiaInternationalCentre, NewDelhi,whichbroughttogethercitizenjournalists,seniorjournalists,alternativemediapractitioners andrepresentativesofculturalorganizationspromotingpeaceindiversityandconflictsituations.

 OsamaManzar,founderofDigitalEmpowermentFoundation,begantheproceedingsbyhostingandthe anchoringthefirstsessionFreedomofExpression&Activism. DrMadanmohanRao,editoroftheAsiaPacificInternetHandbook,describedhowsocialmediais helpingactivistsworkoncauseswithinacountryaswellasbetweencountries.Itiseasytoprotest(at leastindemocracies)buttoughertogobeyondsmartswarmsandbuildstablemovements.Social mediahelpsactivistsandideasconnectviaexchangeandcirculationofideasandonlineandoffline meetups. BarunMitra,LibertyInstitute,indefenceofliberty.org,opinedthatpoemsaretheoldestformofsocial media,startingoffintheoraleraandforsocialmediatobesuccessful,ideashavetoconnect,notjust technology.ParanjoyGuhaThakurtajokedthatjournalismbeganwithamissionbuthasnowbeen convertedintocommission!Indiaistheonlydemocracyintheworldwheregovernmentstillcontrols newsonradio,thismustchange,hesaid.

 AnUrdustorytellingsessioncalledDastaneTaqseemeHind(onthePartitionofIndia)inmedieval formatofDastangoiwasperformedbyAnkitChadhaandDarainShahidi. DastangoiisalostartformofstorytellinginUrdubeingrevivedrecentlybyMahmoodFarooquiand DanishHusain.Thiswasahairraisingperformanceandshookallparticipantsasdifferenttalesand facetsofthetragicandgruesomepartitionofIndiawasretoldwithsurprisingelementsofhumor. AvideoconnectionwasestablishedwithShahzadAhmadofBytesForAll,Pakistan,whomadea passionatepleatoworktogethertowardspeace.Oneofhissuggestionswastodeliberateonthe possibilityofconvertingSiachenintoaPeacePark,ratherasymbolofconflictandanimosity. Inthenextsession,NewMedia&Technology:CreationofAlternativeSpaces,commentingonthe evolutionofmedia,JayVikramBakshi,SocialMediaEvangelist,saidthatdesktoppublishinghasnow evolvedtopushabuttoninyourhandpublishingandthechallengesindigitalmediaarenewnarrative skillsincreatingandfollowingmultiplethreadsofdiscourse.Cloudpowerisunleashingnewstreamsof consciousness,butweneedcurationontopofwisdomofthemasses,hesaid.

 JessicaMayberry,FounderDirector,VideoVolunteers.org,saidhermediaNGOisaddressingthosewho havebeenexcludedfrommainstreamjournalism.Wehad60journalistswhodocumentedthe presenceandimpactofUntouchabilityinIndia,shesaid,andshowedafewvideos,includingthatofof kidsbeingseparatedinschoolsduringlunchtimebasedoncasteanddalitsgoingtocitiesforahaircut becausethevillagebarberwouldnotcuttheirhair. ShubhranshuChoudhary,founderofCGNetSwarainChattisgarh,saidthatlessthan1%ofthestates populationisonline.Pre1947mediainIndiawasundemocratic,andruledbycolonisersand aristocraticclasses.Itisstillaristocraticcanwechangeitwithnewmedia?heasked.Marguerite MiailhefromImaginationForPeopleexplainedhowherorganizationisconnectingpeoplewith imaginationforthecommongood,usingwikiplatform.SocialmanagersinSouthAsiacanconnect withprojectsandcommunitiesviatheirportalimaginationforpeople.org. Duringthesession,CitizenMediaforCultureandCommunity,ArchanaKapoor,founderofCommunity RadioMewat,urgedthegovernmenttochangetherelevantlawsandletcommunityradiobroadcast news.ChintanGirishModi,writerandeducatorandpartofTheKabirProjectsaidKabirsworkhaslots ofrelevanceintodayscontextaswell.AcoremessagefromKabiristostoppointingfingersand blamingothersforproblems,buttakechargeactivelyoneselfincomingupwiththesolution.

 PialiBhattacharya,fromBreakthrough.tvsharedonBellBajao,showedhowsocialmediaandlocal communityinteractioncanbeusedtotackledomesticviolence.RajendraNegi,founder,Henvalvani CommunityRadio,saidhisradiostationwaslaunchedinMarchthisyearandhasalreadyreceivedmore than2,000listenercallssofar.RoshanNair,programdirectorofGramVaaniCommunityMedia,said thatIndiahasabigInternetliteracycurveinruralIndia.OsamaManzarobservedthatmobilephone convergescommunityradio,citizenmedia,andtheInternet,andcanhelpfillthisruraldivide. OnthefinalsessiononPeace&ConflictResolution,GautamChikermane,JournalistandBlogger,began byexplainingthatheblogsaboutreligion,andthatcanunfortunatelyattractalotofhatefulcomments. Religionisnotjustafaithbutanorganiserofsociety,hesaid.Onemustwatchoutfor unsubstantiatedstatementsonsocialmedia,saidGautamChikermane.Hewroteaboutthe deportationofPetersHeehs(biographerofSriAurobindo),andgotshallowreactionsfrommany twitterati.Buttherecanbeharmonybetweenlargeandonlinemedia,astheHuffingtonPostshows. SharibAli,researcherandcitizenjournalist,waspartoftheIndiateamwhichvisitedAfghanistan recently.ImetanAfghanfilmmakerwhomadevideosofdaytodayeventsandjoysinAfghanistan.He gotastandingovation,forshowingstoriesbeyondtheextreme,andnotfromforeignmedia,hesaid. RajuMoza,citizenjournalist,saidhisteaminterviewedpeopleinAfghanistanandtheywantstability fromthePakistanside.Weneedtoremovehatredtowardseachotherscountries,byalltoolsand mediumincludingsocialmedia,heurged.

 ShivamVij,journalistandfounderofKafila.orgsaidthat,Socialmediahelpsyoulisteninduringinternal conversationsofeachotherscountries,andgivesyounewinsights.Unfortunately,IndiaPakistanonline debatesoftenleadtoattackoneachothersfoundingleadersandfinallydegenerateintopersonal abuses. IknowoffamilymembersinIndiaandPakistanwhointeractedonlineafterdecades.APakistanigirl alsogottoIndiatowatchacricketmatchthankstosupportfromNetizensfortickets,visa,andtravel. Socialmediashowsyouthepowerofkindnessofabsolutestrangers,Vijobserved. DilipSimeon,ChairpersonAmanTrust,madeastrongappealtocitizensandjournaliststostandupfor fairjudgmentsfromcourtsandpoliticians.Citizenjournalismrequirescourage,andjournalistsmustbe preparedfortheconsequences.InIndiaweareexpertinchangingthesubject,andendupcondoning violentactslikedisruptionsofmovieshootings,headded.Hearguedagainstnotionsofcollectiveguilt. OnecantblameallMuslimsforIndiaPakistanpartition,orblameallHindusforDalitoppression,or blameallChristiansfortheInquisition. Keeptalkshopping,itwillgetyousomewhere.Thereisnothingwrongwithtalkshops!saidShivamVij. Usesocialmediatoorganiseonline,butgooffline,meetupandactuallydosomethingontheground, advisedSharibAli.Pickconcreteissuesaroundwhichtohaveadebate,notjusthotair,addedDilip Simeon. Weneedregionaltalkshopsnotjustonline,butfacetofacealso,concludedOsamaManzar.

PuleJawanisaninitiativeofInternewswithDigitalempowermentfoundation(DEF)ascountrypartner inIndia,BytesforallinPakistanandAfghanyouthvoicesinAfghanistan. Earlieron11thand12thofApril2012,PuleJawanPakistanwasheldinIslamabad,Pakistan,titled CelebratingdiversitySocialmediaconnectingPakistan&beyond!Theeventreceivedoverwhelming responseandinterestingpartoftheeventwasthetheatreperformancecalledAmanGirahEntangled peacebyWilliamParvezandgroupofartists. Influencedbytheincreasingroleofsocialmediaandcitizenmedianetworks,DEFinIndiahastakenPul eJawantothenextlevelbyinitiatingCitizenMediaNetwork,whichhasbeenformedasanumbrella activitytoconsidersocialmediaastoolsforfreeexpressionandtobeadvocatedtobeusedfor relationshipbuildingbetweenpeople,regionsandnations. AboutPuleJawan PuleJawanliterallymeansBridgesofYouthinDari,aswellasinUrduandHindi.TheaimofPule JawanistotransformtheconflictinSouthAsiabyhighlightingyouthperspectivesoncommon challengesandaspirationsinAfghanistan,PakistanandIndia.Byfacilitatinganexchangebetween citizenjournalistsofthesethreecountries,andprovidingaplatformtodiscussissuesusuallyignoredin thedebateaboutsecurity,Internewshopestocreateaparadigmshiftinthediscussionsaboutpeace andreconciliationintheregion.ThisinitiativeissupportedbyPloughsharesFund.

AmarendraSrivastava,cj@defindia.net CitizenMediaNetwork,3rdFloor,HouseNo.44,KaluSarai,(NearIITFlyover)NewDelhi110016 Tel:+911126532786|Fax:+911126532787|www.citizenmedianetwork.org