Reflection and transformation from narratives to communication in a world in conflict

On 24 April the Faculty of Communication Studies hosted a conference that was also streamed live on the UAB's YouTube channel, entitled “Communication in a World in Conflict: narratives and resistance”.

The day began with an institutional presentation by Anna Fajula Payet, Vice-Dean of the Faculty; Andrea Costafreda, Director General of Cooperation of the Government of Catalonia; and Esther Zapater, Secretary General of the UAB. The need for critical education and the importance of building new narratives in the face of the invisibilisation of feminist and global justice agendas were highlighted.

The first dialogue of the day was entitled “Journalism of Peace and Struggle” and moderated by Mònica Figueras, professor of the UPF Department of Communication and researcher of the JOVIS research group. It brought together Xavier Giró, journalist expert in conflict coverage, and journalist Patricia Simón, reporter and researcher specialising in human rights. In their dialogue, Giró defended that “the problem is not the conflict, but how we manage it” and pointed out the importance of a journalism that contributes to a fair and non-violent resolution of conflicts. Patricia Simón denounced the impunity with which journalists are murdered in different conflict zones, pointing out the racism and colonialism that permeate media coverage. Both speakers agreed that journalism cannot be neutral in the face of human rights violations, and that its function should be to create critical awareness, while avoiding the emotional disconnection of the public.

The second round table, entitled “Narratives for a Decolonial and Feminist Communication”, included the participation of Florencia González Brizuela, researcher in interculturality and feminisms, and Santiago Giraldo, expert in communication on conflicts in Latin America, under the moderation of Montse Santolino, journalist and communicator of Lafede.cat. Florencia González and Santiago Giraldo defended a decolonial and feminist communication that questions the hegemonic logics of the West and gives voice to the Global South. González criticised the use of feminism by some states to legitimise colonial and war practices, and pointed out that “power is remade, but its structure of dehumanisation persists.”

After a break with snacks, the third round table entitled “Hate Speeches, Disinformation and Power” was held, with Nereida Carrillo, expert in disinformation, David Bou, journalist of La Directa and Carles Pont, specialist in risk and crisis communication, moderated by Sonia Herrera, expert in feminist studies, peace journalism and educommunication. Nereida Carrillo highlighted the importance of tools such as LearnToCheck to promote critical media literacy.

Finally, the fourth dialogue entitled “Protection of Journalists at Risk”, moderated by Lluís Caelles, head of the International section of TV3 and lecturer of the Department of Communication of the UPF, was held with the participation of Alfonso Bauluz, president of Reporters Without Borders Spain, Isabel Pérez, expert in the Palestine/Israel conflict and head of communication for the International Projects of the Euro-Arab Foundation, and Mónica Cerbón, Mexican journalist specialising in politics, human rights and the environment, correspondent of the magazine Revista Proceso, and temporarily hosted by the Barcelona Protects Journalists programme. Mónica Cerbón explained the critical work situation of journalists in Mexico, one of the most dangerous countries to practice this profession, and remarked that journalism in Mexico is sustained thanks to the solidarity and organisation of independent journalists themselves. Isabel Pérez, with experience in Gaza, warned that “when you are outside the truth, you are in danger”, and described the pressures and limitations suffered by journalists in areas of serious conflict.

The day ended with two practical workshops. The first, entitled “Build the Foundations of an Impactful Communication Campaign”, was led by the communication co-op Quepo and provided tools to design transformative communication strategies. The second workshop, “Tools to Act Against Digital Wars”, was led by the organisation Verificado and offered resources to detect disinformation campaigns and learn how to verify online content.

The event, which was attended by almost 300 people in the different spaces, demonstrates the importance of continuing to generate spaces where communication is used as a tool for resistance, denunciation and social transformation, thus promoting change in our society.

The conference was organised within the framework of the UNIACT! (Universities in Action for Transformative Cooperation) project, promoted by all public and private universities in Catalonia. Led by the University of Girona and the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, it includes significant participation of the UAB, UOC and UPF. The conference was organised by the Fundació Autònoma Solidària with the support of the Faculty of Communication Studies of the UAB.