Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication
Promoting Communication Technology for a Fairer World
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The Spirit of Bali –using new and traditional communication technologies to build peace

More than 200 participants - representatives of UNESCO Member States, government ministers, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, the private sector and media - adopted “The Spirit of Bali” declaration at the end of an international conference in Bali, Indonesia, on 23 January.

We the participants of the Global Forum, Power of Peace – Building Peace through Communication and Information, Bali, Indonesia January 21 – 23, 2007 declare our commitment to contribute to build mechanisms through which media and information technology can contribute to enhance mutual  understanding, further dialogue among peoples and cultures and build peace.

Today’s world holds many challenges to peace: In several quarters of the  globe in the last decade, there have been wars, civil wars and increasing  domestic ethnic and religious tensions. More than ever we are aware that  conflict, whether internal or between nations, is linked directly to poverty, despair, and disenfranchisement and that peace cannot be build without  addressing these issues. Ignorance, prejudices and stereotypes are obstacles to mutual understanding and peaceful dialogue.

We recall the text from UNESCO’s Executive Board in April 2006, which formally resolved respect for freedom of expression, sacred  beliefs and values, and religious symbols, saying “Dialogue, founded on  mutual respect and understanding…constitutes the best way to overcome ignorance and promote peace, tolerance, and the dialogue among  civilizations, cultures, peoples and religions”.

Mutual understanding can only be achieved through a continuous exchange  of information and knowledge – through the “free flow of ideas by word and  image,” as UNESCO’s Constitution puts it. Indeed, this free flow of  information is the basis of mutual understanding, which in turn is a sine qua  non for eradicating misconceptions about the “other” – one of the root causes  of conflict and wars.
If the defenses of peace are to be constructed in the minds of men and  women, we do well to recognize that our minds and hearts are increasingly  influenced by mass media and new and emerging information tools.

And so, in an age of information and communication technologies, we have new  opportunity to find the practical ways of using these tools of expression for  sharing our diverse lives with an eye to building peace. We have known for a  long time the importance of dialogue and the exploitation of communications  tools for these purposes, and now we find ourselves in the fortunate position  of being able to carry on that dialogue on a global basis more efficiently than  ever before. We have the means, motive and opportunity to be everywhere at once.
The Power of Peace Network will contribute to enhance cultural self  expression and interaction, inter-faith dialogue, and to bridge the information  gap between people in line with the UNESCO convention on Promotion of the
Ref:

News : UNESCO

Communication and Information Sector's daily news service

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AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication(BNNRC)
&
Member, Strategy Council
UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID)

House: 13/1, Road:2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh

Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105

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www.bnnrc.net