GENEVA, 29th June, 2024 (WAM) -- The Jusoor International Center for Media and Development held an international workshop at the University of Geneva in Switzerland under the title “The Role of the Media in Supporting and Advocating for Refugee Issues”.
An elite group of specialists and researchers took part in the workshop, with the aim of exploring methods for addressing the challenges faced by refugees, the displaced, and victims of conflict through media, advocacy efforts, and development initiatives.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, President of Jusoor International for Media and Development; Prof Dr h.c. Mehmet Sükrü Güzel, Founder and President of the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies, and Patrick Taran has been President of Global Migration Policy Associates participated in the workshop.
In his intervention, Al Hammadi emphasised that the role of the media has become extremely important and influential regarding the issue of refugees. He pointed to the criticisms and differing opinions about the role that media and social media platforms play in this regard, highlighting the shortcomings in raising awareness in host countries about the necessity of providing protection and assistance to refugees.
Al Hammadi discussed reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which confirm the increasing number of refugees worldwide, whether fleeing conflicts or suffering from difficult economic conditions in their home countries.
He also stressed the need to find a way to encourage media outlets that do not give enough attention to these issues to play a positive role, especially given the noticeable increase in anti-refugee rhetoric on social media that incites communities against them and sometimes labels them as terrorists or economic burdens on the host countries.
He emphasised the importance of the role of the United Nations and its refugee agency in supporting refugee issues and the necessity of working from the countries sending refugees to eliminate the causes that drive people to seek refuge or migrate in search of a better life. This can be achieved by supporting these countries to boost their economies and development processes.