“Everyone uses stories to define themselves and determine how they see others‚” said Michael Kott‚ vice president and director of the AED Center for Civil Society and Governance. “In the aftermath of a conflict‚ media provide powerful tools for making and remaking [people’s] stories to promote peace.”
Through Bridge Media‚ AED brings together multiethnic teams of media professionals to learn about conflict resolution while simultaneously creating programs for the general public.
The shows—including reality TV‚ soap operas‚ news magazines‚ and documentaries—share the stories of people on each side of the divide.
After years of strife in Kosovo‚ for example‚ Serbs and Albanians live side–by–side in segregated communities. They speak different languages‚ rarely interact‚ and often hold deep–seated prejudices about each other.
However‚ after viewing television shows produced using the Bridge Media approach‚ 91 percent of viewers interviewed said they were more interested in interacting with members of the other community‚ and 84 percent said they were more aware of the other community’s perspectives on social issues.
Related Resources
Using Traditional and New Media for Social Change
Bridge Media
DONOR: USAID
AED Center for Civil Society and Governance
http://ccsg.aed.org
Vice President and Director:
Michael Kott‚ mkott@aed.org
Project Contact
Robin Nelson
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