10 journalists from Northern Ireland and 10 journalists from Kosovo have come together in Kosovo for this insightful exchange. The day started with Professor Steven Youngblood discussing the portrayal of conflict in media.
Paul O’Conor, Deputy Ambassador of the British Embassy Pristina, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “Kosovo and Northern Ireland both have unique and complex histories. This is more than just a professional exchange; it’s a unique opportunity to understand the power of media in promoting peace, reconciliation, and mutual respect.”
Xhemajl Rexha, AJK’s chairperson, highlighted: “We are very grateful for the UK Embassy’s support in enabling the program to exchange best practices of peace journalism, in both Kosovo and Northern Ireland. This will be a valuable lesson for both sets of journalists to understand how each country has dealt with its past when reporting on war and conflict.”
Allan Leonard, managing editor at Shared Future News, also noted, “Today was a great start for an exciting project for journalists from Northern Ireland and Kosovo to meet and begin a journey of shared learning and collaborative working, drawing on their personal and professional experiences in their places of conflict and work towards a better future.”
AJK’s longstanding partners Forum Civil Peace Service – Kosovo were part of the opening ceremony of the week-long events. Nehari Sharri, Director of forumZFD’s Kosovo Office, shared: “Independent media and journalists are key actors in supporting pluralistic developments in Kosovo. In particular, when facing the challenges of the past, it is vital for journalism to be based on facts and to offer diverse perspectives, especially in covering historical events and reporting on the ongoing impacts of conflicts and peace processes.”
The group visited the “Once Upon a Time and Never Again” exhibition, hosted by Vesa Qena from the Humanitarian Law Center, and also saw the “One Day” exhibition. Professor Steven Youngblood reflected on the experience: “The exhibit ‘Once Upon a Time and Never Again’ was eye-opening and very moving. It underscored the importance of the work we’re doing here on responsibly reporting the past.”
