Mr. Stephan Nellen, on behalf of the Swiss Embassy in ... - medienhilfe
Mr. Stephan Nellen, on behalf of the Swiss Embassy in ... - medienhilfe
Mr. Stephan Nellen, on behalf of the Swiss Embassy in ... - medienhilfe
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<strong>medienhilfe</strong>PO Box, CH 8031 ZürichTel: +41/(0)1/272 46 37Fax: +41/(0)1/272 46 82,<strong>in</strong>fo@<strong>medienhilfe</strong>.chwww.<strong>medienhilfe</strong>.chGeneva Centre for <strong>the</strong>Democratic C<strong>on</strong>trol <strong>of</strong>Armed Forces (DCAF)CH 1211 GenevaTel. +41/22/741 77 00<strong>in</strong>fo@dcaf.chwww.dcaf.chOpen<strong>in</strong>g remarks <strong>of</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>Mr</str<strong>on</strong>g>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Stephan</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nellen</str<strong>on</strong>g>Ambassador <strong>of</strong> SwitzerlandPaper prepared for presentati<strong>on</strong> at <strong>the</strong> C<strong>on</strong>ferenceMilitary and <strong>the</strong> MediaC<strong>on</strong>fidence Build<strong>in</strong>g between Armed Forces and <strong>the</strong> Civil SocietyCo-organised by<strong>the</strong> Geneva Centre for <strong>the</strong> Democratic C<strong>on</strong>trol <strong>of</strong> Armed Forces (DCAF)and <strong>medienhilfe</strong>Skopje, January 24/25, 2003
- 2 -<str<strong>on</strong>g>Mr</str<strong>on</strong>g>. M<strong>in</strong>isterDear Participants to <strong>the</strong> C<strong>on</strong>ferenceLadies and GentlemenIt was with pleasure that I accepted to make some open<strong>in</strong>g remarks to this c<strong>on</strong>ference and it was withpleasure aga<strong>in</strong> that I noticed <strong>the</strong> cooperati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> two organizati<strong>on</strong>s that are based <strong>in</strong> Switzerland: DCAF andMedienhilfe.DCAF as <strong>on</strong>e <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> important <strong>in</strong>struments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Swiss</strong> Government, toge<strong>the</strong>r with o<strong>the</strong>r found<strong>in</strong>gmembers like <strong>the</strong> Republic <strong>of</strong> Maced<strong>on</strong>ia, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> field <strong>of</strong> peace promoti<strong>on</strong> and human security has takenover a lead<strong>in</strong>g role <strong>in</strong> advis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Maced<strong>on</strong>ian Government <strong>in</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g a security strategy for <strong>the</strong>country and <strong>in</strong> clarify<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> military <strong>in</strong> a modern civil society.Medienhilfe, <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side was <strong>in</strong>strumental, as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Internati<strong>on</strong>al Media Fund, <strong>in</strong> support<strong>in</strong>g freemedia <strong>in</strong> Maced<strong>on</strong>ia dur<strong>in</strong>g and after <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>flict <strong>of</strong> 2001 through channel<strong>in</strong>g funds from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Swiss</strong>Government <strong>the</strong>re were <strong>the</strong>y were most needed.The cooperati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se two <strong>in</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>s today and tomorrow is really a lucky co<strong>in</strong>cidence. It willguarantee that experts put <strong>the</strong> focus from two angles <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> same subject: military and media. And it iscerta<strong>in</strong>ly evident to everybody <strong>in</strong> this room, that c<strong>on</strong>flicts and media are closely <strong>in</strong>terwoven. We are allaware that c<strong>on</strong>flicts <strong>on</strong>ly start to exist when <strong>the</strong>re is <strong>the</strong> media mak<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs public. We all know about <strong>the</strong>CNN phenomen<strong>on</strong> that is wherever CNN puts its focus, <strong>the</strong> world attenti<strong>on</strong> will follow. Often, those publicmedia put <strong>the</strong>ir focus <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong> those places, where c<strong>on</strong>flicts have already become violent because “bloodsells”. O<strong>the</strong>rwise c<strong>on</strong>flicts are ei<strong>the</strong>r forgotten or not recognized. A drastic example is <strong>the</strong> Sudan, where formany years genocide could take place without hav<strong>in</strong>g been noticed by <strong>the</strong> world public.But let me speak about <strong>the</strong> media <strong>in</strong> c<strong>on</strong>flict areas. I spent <strong>the</strong> last three years <strong>in</strong> this country and haveobserved all phases <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>flict <strong>of</strong> 2001. I was <strong>of</strong>ten shocked and saddened with <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong> mediahandled <strong>the</strong> crisis and its underly<strong>in</strong>g causes. And I could recognize myself how import <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> media<strong>in</strong> crises time is. Of course th<strong>in</strong>gs did not deteriorate so bad as for <strong>in</strong>stance <strong>in</strong> Rwanda <strong>in</strong> 1994, when RadioMille Coll<strong>in</strong>es was push<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> masses for ext<strong>in</strong>cti<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tutsis. But it was a shame to see how “BotaSot” was falsify<strong>in</strong>g a photo <strong>in</strong> order to prove that a rebel fighter <strong>in</strong> Tetovo who was stopped by <strong>the</strong> policeand who wanted to throw a hand grenade was an <strong>in</strong>nocent victim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> regular security forces. O<strong>the</strong>rmedia even claimed at that time that <strong>the</strong> man was <strong>on</strong>ly try<strong>in</strong>g to throw his mobile teleph<strong>on</strong>e.Media has <strong>the</strong> power to be an <strong>in</strong>strument to fight aga<strong>in</strong>st war, to c<strong>on</strong>tribute to rec<strong>on</strong>ciliati<strong>on</strong> and to make<strong>the</strong> atrocities <strong>of</strong> a war transparent. But it can also do <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trary: c<strong>on</strong>flict<strong>in</strong>g parties can <strong>in</strong>strumentalize***Military and <strong>the</strong> Media - C<strong>on</strong>ference <strong>on</strong> C<strong>on</strong>fidence Build<strong>in</strong>gbetween Armed Forces and <strong>the</strong> Civil Society, Skopje, January 24/25, 2003C<strong>on</strong>tact: Pr<strong>of</strong>.Dr. Biljana Vankovska biljanav@s<strong>on</strong>et.com.mk / Tanja Popovic tpo@<strong>medienhilfe</strong>.ch
- 3 -media, for example by spread<strong>in</strong>g nati<strong>on</strong>alistic hatred and anger. Media can c<strong>on</strong>tribute to <strong>the</strong> war, a war <strong>of</strong>words, before <strong>the</strong>re is a war <strong>of</strong> weap<strong>on</strong>s. The role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> media before <strong>the</strong> outbreak <strong>of</strong> an armed c<strong>on</strong>flict is<strong>of</strong>ten decisive and can become <strong>the</strong> real trigger to <strong>the</strong> real shots.What we need, are str<strong>on</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>dependent and resp<strong>on</strong>sible media. Media that are str<strong>on</strong>gly based <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> civilsociety and who have a solid f<strong>in</strong>ancial background. Media, who are made by <strong>in</strong>dependent, well tra<strong>in</strong>ed andresp<strong>on</strong>sible journalists. Media that can c<strong>on</strong>tribute to a real civilian c<strong>on</strong>trol <strong>of</strong> armed forces as <strong>the</strong>y arerespected by <strong>the</strong> armed forces. Media that can c<strong>on</strong>tribute to <strong>the</strong> public discussi<strong>on</strong> about <strong>the</strong> strategies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>armed forces, and that can carry <strong>the</strong> acti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> security sector <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> public debate.And what we also need are armed forces who are composed <strong>of</strong> resp<strong>on</strong>sible <strong>of</strong>ficers who are will<strong>in</strong>g toparticipate <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> public debate, who respect <strong>the</strong> supremacy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> civil society and who are <strong>the</strong>mselves part<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> civil society.Medienhilfe has c<strong>on</strong>tributed to <strong>the</strong> streng<strong>the</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ancial base and <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> media <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>last two years, and it will do so even more so <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> future. DCAF is support<strong>in</strong>g this country <strong>in</strong> improv<strong>in</strong>gits civilian c<strong>on</strong>trol over <strong>the</strong> armed forces. This sem<strong>in</strong>ar today and tomorrow is a jo<strong>in</strong>t effort comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>best energies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two.I wish you two days <strong>of</strong> challeng<strong>in</strong>g discussi<strong>on</strong>s.Thank you very much.***Military and <strong>the</strong> Media - C<strong>on</strong>ference <strong>on</strong> C<strong>on</strong>fidence Build<strong>in</strong>gbetween Armed Forces and <strong>the</strong> Civil Society, Skopje, January 24/25, 2003C<strong>on</strong>tact: Pr<strong>of</strong>.Dr. Biljana Vankovska biljanav@s<strong>on</strong>et.com.mk / Tanja Popovic tpo@<strong>medienhilfe</strong>.ch