Communiqué de presse | 25 Oct, 2010

Promoting media as partners in achieving sustainable development

Amman 24 October 2010 - Realizing the importance of media in shaping public opinions and in being a catalyst of change in addressing the root causes of ecological degradation, UNESCO Amman Office in cooperation with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) – Regional Office for West Asia are holding a 4-day training workshop under the patronage of H.E Minister of Environment Hazem Malhas. The event, entitled Media as Partners in Education for Sustainable Development, gathers more than 20 journalists and media professionals to be trained on environmental reporting techniques on sustainable development issues. The workshop is held from 24-27 October, 2010.

 

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Photo: UNESCO Amman

“UNESCO regards the media as essential partners in educating the public on the environmental situation in Jordan and globally and hope that in the future we can work as a team for Jordan. I am also particularly happy that together we will explore possibilities on how to use social media tools and new media formats towards the objective of educating the public opinion on the environmental challenges of our time,” said Anna Paolini, Director of UNESCO Amman Office.

“Enlightened education and media are considered conditions and prerequisites for achieving sustainability and they are also key agents in transforming traditional mental models towards a sustainable future,” said Dr. Odeh Al-Jayyousi, IUCN West Asia Regional Director.

The training utilizes the UNESCO’s Media Training and Resource Kit, which attempts to provide media professionals with basic information about prominent priority issues for sustainable development. It also provides practical exercises to inspire investigative reporting, and draws links to existing experience that may enrich the information resources of media professionals. Issues like climate change, biodiversity, extinction, resource depletion as well as other environmental challenges will be addressed throughout the training. In addition, presentations from active community members in Jordan will be delivered to showcase the real grass-root level efforts in regards to sustainable development.

On the other hand, the role of social media in sustainable development will be addressed on the third day of the training, where 7iber Inc. will give hands-on training on using social media and multimedia tools to raise the awareness on sustainable development issues. A social network will be created among the participants as part of the training workshop, where all the participants will become members of this network and further learn how to utilize and harness this network to deliver the environmental message.

The case of Aramex International greening policy will be highlighted on the last day of the training through a field trip to Aramex premises, where participants will learn about the role of the private sector in greening the economy and reducing their ecological footprints.


Media team:
Maaly Hazzaz, Communication and Information Officer, UNESCO Amman Office
Mobile +962 797116864, e-mail m.hazzaz@unesco.org Website: www.unesco.org/en/amman  

Rania Faouri, Communications Officer, IUCN Regional Office for West Asia
Mobile +962 777888522, e-mail rania.faouri@iucn.org Website: www.iucn.org/westasia