Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
A seminar on ‘The Role of Journalists and Media in Preventing Violence, including Violent Extremism in West Africa and the Sahel’ is to begin tomorrow, Monday, June 12, 2017 to end on Wednesday, June 17, 2017 in Dakar, Senegal.
The event, scheduled to take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel by 8:30am, is organised by the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
This meeting follows the conference organized by UNOWAS in partnership with the International Institute for Peace (IPI) and the Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Dakar on June 27 and 28, 2016, titled ‘Investing on peace and preventing violence in West Africa and the Sahel: Conversation around the Plan of Action of the UN Secretary General.’
It also builds on existing initiatives of UNESCO to promote journalism education and a culture of peace.
This seminar aims at strengthening journalists and media capacities to better contribute to preventing violence, including violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel. It will bring together some thirty journalists and experts from West African and the Sahel countries.
Press agencies and representatives of media are invited to cover the opening ceremony, with the participation of Mr Mbagnick Ndiaye, Minister of Culture and Communication of Senegal; and Mr Ali Demba Jawo, Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure of the Republic of The Gambia.
Others are Mrs Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, Ambassador of the Switzerland in Senegal; Mr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Chief of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS); and Mr Gwang-Chol Chang, Director a.i. of UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar.
