Around 50 media directors from Côte d'Ivoire attended the seminar entitled "Addressing hate speech and violence during the electoral period", which took place on the 6th October 2020.
In addition to the Directors of KAS and UNJCI, the seminar was officially opened by Mr Martial Adou, Director of the Cabinet of the Ministry of Communications and the Media. Mr Adou praised the initiative and stressed that, in view of the current electoral context, journalists should commit themselves to peace. He encouraged all media professionals to refuse to "be drivers of hatred and social division" and instead to work to strengthen social cohesion.
During his speech, the President of UNJCI, Mr Jean-Claude Coulibaly, stressed that this year's presidential elections represent a crucial event for Côte d’Ivoire and that journalists should play their role as agents of peace and thereby help prevent another political crisis.
The Director of the Regional Programme Political Dialogue West Africa of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Mr Florian Karner, also expressed this view, pointing out the worrying signals in the run-up to the 2020 presidential elections. Mr Karner reminded the participants of the accusations made against the media during the severe post-electoral crisis in 2011 and urged them to assume their civic responsibility by promoting a culture based on the rule of law.
The training included three lectures:
"Freedom of the press and hate speech: international standards and the reality in Côte d'Ivoire", chaired by Moussa Zio, President of the Committee of the Observatory on Freedom of the Press;
"Addressing hate speech and fake news on social networks: comparative analysis and food for thought", chaired by David Youant and Yves Youant;
"Better communication: non-violent communication techniques for peaceful elections", led by Father Martial Boni, a former Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (CEI)
During the various presentations, the experts called on the participants not to manipulate any texts as well as video, photo and audio material to avoid fake news. The participants were also urged to verify every piece of information before publishing it. Furthermore, journalists should avoid discourses that discriminate against any ethnic group, they should observe impartially, insist on facts, always act democratically and advocate political tolerance.
At the closing ceremony, Mr Théodore Golli, Project Manager at KAS, stressed that "The press is a powerful instrument for dialogue that can serve to consolidate peace, with those responsible encouraging everyone to contribute actively to the elimination of hate speech and violence. It is therefore important that the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung organises such seminars for media representatives in the context of promoting democracy".