By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Communication is a central feature of all conflicts, and interestingly of all conflict management and transformation strategies, the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation said.
Speaking at a Conflict Sensitive Reporting Training Thursday in partnership with Zimbabwe Online Content Creators, the CCMT urged journalists to use various strategies to avoid conflict.
“Communication, peace and conflict are therefore related and interconnected in terms of how individuals can approach conflict resolution and conflict transformation.
“Communication means sharing. This includes sharing of knowledge, needs, feelings, values, thoughts, perceptions, ideas, opinions, and interest etc.
“Communication is the tool and if used effectively creates a bond between people, communities and nations,” CCMT said.
“People rely on appropriate forms of communication to achieve their intended goals through articulation, analysis and interpretation of the concerns of the parties involved.”
Over 35 Journalists attended the online training where they learnt sensitive interviewing skills as well as strategies for conflict sensitive reporting.
Some of the strategies include: profiling peace-makers or key people in the process, joint interviews, exchanging questions, asking the same questions of all parties, helping people understand each other’s values, broadening the search for solutions, avoid labelling and watch the language.
Over and above this, journalists also learnt how to debunk disinformation about pandemic such as Covid-19.
This is usually a result of (the lack of accurate information or abundance of it) unavailability relevant and accurate information causes in which case people fill in gaps.
Journalists were also able to learn about types of conflicts.
The training was also aimed at assisting media to professionally and effectively share lifesaving information, and debunk disinformation on Covid-19 in conflict prone environments while also enhancing capacities of partner media professional to report on Covid-19.
A brief of the causes of conflict was also part of the training.
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