The 7th ASEF Journalists’ Colloquium registered concern for the distrust that characterises the working relationship between faith leaders and the media, and called for deep reflection on the need to build mutual confidence, understanding and respect on both sides.
A select group of Asian and European faith leaders and journalists gathered in Seoul on 21-22 September 2009 to discuss the challenges and opportunities of their collaboration in promoting interfaith dialogue.
Amongst the recommendations to the ASEM Interfaith Dialogue partners were a call to invest in education programmes for both faith leaders and journalists that can reduce the considerable knowledge gaps on both sides, and to focus on the youth in programmes that include elements of exchange, debate and training.
The 7th ASEF Journalists’ Colloquium registered concern for the distrust that characterises the working relationship between faith leaders and the media, and called for deep reflection on the need to build mutual confidence, understanding and respect on both sides.
A select group of Asian and European faith leaders and journalists gathered in Seoul on 21-22 September 2009 to discuss the challenges and opportunities of their collaboration in promoting interfaith dialogue.
Amongst the recommendations to the ASEM Interfaith Dialogue partners were a call to invest in education programmes for both faith leaders and journalists that can reduce the considerable knowledge gaps on both sides, and to focus on the youth in programmes that include elements of exchange, debate and training.
The two-day Colloquium was a unique opportunity for faith leaders and media representatives from the two regions to gather on the eve of the ASEM Interfaith Dialogue that concluded today. Organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) with the support of the Foreign and Culture Ministries of the Republic of Korea, the ASEF Colloquium provided vital civil society input to the ASEM Dialogue partners with a set of concrete recommendations for action (see Annex for details).
Gus Miclat, Executive Director of the Davao-based Initiatives for International Dialogue, facilitated the two-day Colloquium. Describing the exchange, he said, “It’s about time that journalists and faith leaders took the bull by its horns and tackled the issues bedevilling their oftentimes antagonistic relationship.”
Participants included leading Irish theologian Dr Eamonn Conway, who was recently elected President of the European Society for Catholic Theology; Azzedine Gaci, President of the Rhônes-Alpes Regional Council of the Muslim Faith in France; BBC religious affairs correspondent Christopher Landau; Spanish TV journalist Lola Banon, who is known for her coverage of the Middle East conflict, and other prominent journalists, faith leaders and experts.
The Colloquium is part of ASEF’s multi-stakeholder dialogues that were designed to provide a neutral venue for open and non-confrontational discussion, and to counterbalance the misconceptions and cultural contradictions highlighted in the public by facilitating meaningful and resonating exchanges.
More than twenty ASEF dialogues have been organised in the past six years across Asia and Europe, engaging diverse audiences on issues of cross-cultural significance – ranging from the tension between press freedom and religious freedom, to the management of emotional and at times violent public responses to external conflicts. More information and reports of the Colloquium and past ASEF dialogues are available at www.civdialogue.asef.org.
For further information, please contact:
Tan Qiuyi – +65 9833 4647 | qiuyi.tan@asef.org
Malgorzata Klimowicz – + 65 6874 9747 | malgorzata.klimowicz@asef.org
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The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) advances mutual understanding and collaboration between the people of Asia and Europe through intellectual, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges. These exchanges include conferences, lecture tours, workshops, seminars and the use of web-based platforms. The major achievement of ASEF is the establishment of permanent bi-regional networks focussed on areas and issues that help to strengthen Asia-Europe relations.
Established in February 1997 by the partners of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), ASEF reports to a board of governors representing the ASEM partners. ASEF is the only permanent physical institution of the ASEM process. Since 1997, the Foundation has initiated projects engaging 14,000 individuals from Asia and Europe. ASEF works in partnership with other public institutions and civil society actors to ensure its work is broad-based and balanced among the partner countries. www.asef.org
1 The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an informal process of dialogue and co-operation. It brings together Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam, the ASEAN Secretariat and the European Commission. (www.aseminfoboard.org)
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