Democracy and Governance

Where communication and media are central to Democracy and Governance

DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE| Approaches| Tools| Issues| Regions/Countries| MDGs| Polls / Discussions

Average Rating: no ratings submitted

Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP)

Country

Liberia

Region

Africa

Programme Summary

The Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP) is an organisation that aims to foster peacebuilding, freedom of expression, democracy, and development - in large part by increasing the space for participatory governance of the media in peace building and development in Liberia. CEMESP provides training and research for the media, and works to provide information to members of this profession through a website that contains information relevant to the media and their role in building a peaceful society. Core goals include:

  • enhancing the capacity of the media to promote peace, advocate for freedom of the press, and consolidate democracy and development at the community and state levels;
  • providing a platform for participatory governance and the advancement of ideas on media rights and free speech;
  • developing effective and comprehensive early warning mechanisms through the use of the media to prevent the outburst of conflict;
  • conducting research on lessons and challenges facing the media in resolving conflicts, the development of interventions and building of bridges for peace, growth, and development;
  • devising strategies for peace building and de-escalation of conflict at local, regional and national level;
  • serving as a resource base for research results, data, and information to the mass media, professional organisations, governmental, non-governmental, and inter-governmental agencies;
  • providing training and other support to strengthen the professional capacity and independence of the mass media;
  • supporting the development, growth, and strengthening of the mass media for peace, democracy, and development.

Communication Strategies

CEMESP draws on the use of both the internet and face-to-face connections to reach out to media personnel in order to serve as "a motivational force for making media and peace building relevant anchors for the development of Liberia." For example, the project website offers a documentation centre which is designed to be a one-stop destination for information about media and peacebuilding activities in (and related to) Liberia. Visitors to the site may access information about various sectors of the media, practitioners and their areas of competence, media organisations, media laws, and issues generally related to freedom of expression. To cite one example, the centre provides information on peacebuilding activists, activities, and institutions in Liberia. Daily headlines from Liberia and elsewhere are offered, and visitors may connect to relevant websites and media development/peacebuilding portals.

In addition, CEMESP supports the institutional development of the media (both traditional and modern) in the area of peacebuilding and conflict resolution mechanisms. The centre has conducted training for journalists, traditional communicators, and local leaders in the area of peacebuilding and development since 2000. Here are a few examples:

  • With the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), CEMESP held a workshop entitled "Preparing Women for Leadership Roles in the Liberian Media." As part of this effort, 30 participants were selected from the print and electronic media and mass communications departments of the University of Liberia, African Methodist Episcopal University, and the United Methodist University. Topics addressed at the workshop included: female media makers in democratic societies, women in media and leadership, reporting gender and development issues, balancing family and work, managing change, media law and ethics, news writing, and interviewing techniques. The participants adopted a resolution through which they called for institutional policies that would encourage "women leadership" in the media, amongst other calls to action.
  • In partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), CEMESP conducted the following training programmes: two 6-week intensive journalism skills training workshops for beginner journalists; a 6-week media management skills training workshop for managers of radio stations, newspapers, and television stations; and a 6-week intensive journalism skills training workshop for middle-level journalists. (The latter training course is ongoing).
  • In partnership with Norwegian Human Rights Fund, CEMESP conducted 2 workshops for urban and rural journalists on economic, social, and cultural rights.


CEMESP also conducts research into media and peace-related issues. For example, following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Liberia in Accra, Ghana (August 2003), CEMESP undertook a survey to gauge the public perception of the participation of the Liberia media in the implementation of the peace accord. In addition, in its role as a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), CEMESP has been involved in documenting and reporting on attacks on freedom of expression in Liberia. As a result of this process, in January 2008, CEMESP released a publication titled "The Perennial Tragedy of Democracy in Liberia: Attacks on Freedom of Expression 2006-2007".

Development Issues

Democracy and Governance, Conflict, Human Rights.

Key Points

CEMESP was founded in March 2000 by a group of Liberian journalists interested in sustaining peace, democracy, human rights, free expression, and development in that country.

"The culture of silence perpetrated by the long years of misrule in Liberia has weakened the Liberian media's drive to improve their technologies. At the same time, tough media rules restricted attempts by the media to go online, limiting their audience coverage to only Liberia and mainly Monrovia, the country's capital."

Contact

Center For Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP)

Fofana Building, Benson Street
(Off Lynch Street)
Adjacent Defense Ministry Annex
Box 10-3480

Monrovia
Liberia
Tel: 231 6 14357

Malcolm W. Joseph
Executive Director
Center For Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP)

Fofana Building, Benson Street
(Off Lynch Street)
Adjacent Defense Ministry Annex
Box 10-3480

Monrovia
Liberia
Tel: 231 6 14357

Calixte S. Hessou
Program Associate
Center For Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP)

Fofana Building, Benson Street
(Off Lynch Street)
Adjacent Defense Ministry Annex
Box 10-3480

Monrovia
Liberia
Tel: 231 6 14357

Source

CEMESP website on July 20 2006 and April 22 2008; and email from Malcolm W. Joseph to The Communication Initiative on August 5 2008.


Placed on the Communication Initiative site July 20 2006
Last Updated August 05 2008

How useful did you find this page to your work?

1 - not useful    5 - very useful

Feel free to leave us comments

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Help Seed The CI Network

Login / Regisiter

Subscribe to The Drum Beat, Contribute to Forums, Get Poll Results etc
New to CI? » Start here

Development Classifieds

Free and Plural Media

What is your answer to James Deane's blog question: "Is a free and plural media more important than elections in securing democratic development?"