The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, will organize, from 12 to 14 June 2017 in Dakar, a seminar on "The Role of Journalists and the Media in Preventing Violence and Violent Extremism in West Africa and the Sahel".

Context:

This meeting follows the conference organized by UNOWAS in partnership with the International Institute for Peace (IPI) and the Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Dakar on 27 and 28 June 2016, on: “Investing on peace and preventing violence in West Africa and the Sahel: Conversation around the Plan of Action of the UN Secretary General”. It also builds on existing initiatives of UNESCO to promote journalism education and a culture of peace

This seminar aims at strengthening journalists and media capacities to better contribute to preventing violence, including violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel. It will bring together some thirty journalists and experts from West African and the Sahel countries.

Press agencies and representatives of media are invited to cover the opening ceremony, with the participation of:

• Mr. Mbagnick Ndiaye, Minister of Culture and Communication of Senegal,
• Mr. Ali Demba Jawo, Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure of  the Republic of The Gambia,
• Mrs. Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, Ambassador of the Switzerland in Senegal,
• Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Chief of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS),
• Mr. Gwang-Chol Chang, Director a.i. of UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar.

Where: Radisson Blu Hotel                                      

When: Monday, 12 June 2017 at 8.30 AM

Contacts: Marion Piccio, UNESCO, +221 33 864 96 00 / m.piccio@unesco.org and Angelita Mendy Diop, UNOWAS, +221 76 721 7892 / mendya@un.org.