"You see poverty wherever you turn; citizens have lost their jobs and livelihoods, impoverished to the point where they don't even
question the meaning of war," said a war survivor from Yemen in an interview with The Guardian when she was asked to describe
how the war had affected her country.
People from all walks of life are affected by conflicts, violence, and wars. In most cases, they bring a country to its knees by making it
difficult for people to obtain basic necessities such as food, employment, and education. Consequently, people are driven into
poverty, which breeds more conflict, and the vicious cycle continues for generations.
To date, the world has seen countless examples of conflict, violence, and war causing inexplicable suffering to innocent people.
Nonetheless, such deplorable incidents are only increasing over time and it is predicted that by 2030, almost 50% of the world�s
poorest people will be living in conflict-affected areas. This is why studying various means of peace-building, both existing and
potential, has become essential for all countries, including Bangladesh.
Peace-building is a process that aims to resolve ongoing conflicts and prevent any future conflict by addressing root causes and
developing a comprehensive strategy to promote long-term peace. Instead of resorting to violence, peace building teaches the
parties involved how to handle their issues rationally, work together to find solutions, and detect new issues early enough to solve
them before further problems arise.
Peace-building and development are linked in the sense that new development efforts in conflict-torn countries are much more
difficult to undertake, and old initiatives are much more difficult to maintain than in countries with a peaceful environment due to
damaged infrastructure and the prevalence of social problems such as poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment. Furthermore,
businesses, schools, and hospitals may be forced to relocate or close down due to conflicts, damaging the prospect of development
even further.
However, communication, in all of its forms, can play an important role in peace-building and development.
Traditional media (such as newspapers, television, and radio) has long been recognised as playing an important role in providing
information that can shape public opinion. The same can be said about new media (includes digital media such as the internet and
social media).
Indeed, while the media can be a terrifying weapon of violence when it spreads messages of intolerance or disinformation that
distorts public perception, it can also be a tool for conflict resolution when the information it represents is trustworthy, respects
human rights, and represents diversity.
At this point, it is worth mentioning that in Bangladesh, at least 31 stories published by renowned news platforms in 2021 were
identified as fake by fact-checking organisations. Furthermore, on numerous occasions in the past, innocent people have been
murdered in Bangladesh as a result of rumours spread online.
Such incidents are clearly a major impediment to our peace building efforts, and immediate steps must be taken to prevent such
misuse of communication methods. Indeed, the need for such steps has grown exponentially as the Covid-19 has accelerated digital
transformation and increased mass exposure to communication methods at the national, regional, and global levels. To put this in
context, according to reports, mobile data users in Bangladesh will be twice as many as they are now by 2030, with pandemic-
induced lifestyle changes cited as one of the primary reasons.
So, how can this exploitation be avoided? Perhaps what is required is strict enforcement of relevant laws against perpetrators, as
well as steps to raise public awareness about detecting inaccurate information and the consequences of spreading inaccurate
information.
On the other hand, effective communication can increase the likelihood that a development project will be successful. It can assist in
involving stakeholders and policymakers, establishing supportive environments, evaluating risks and opportunities, and promoting
information sharing to produce a positive social change.
Again, various mediums can be employed here. For example, old and new media can be combined to educate people. In fact, during
the 1970s, El Salvador used instructional television to improve primary education, which is thought to have resulted in more
children attending school and higher graduation rates.
However, presenting coordinated communication through multiple formats is a significant challenge for the agencies involved in
peace-building and development initiatives. With the growth of AI technologies and intuitive software, communication methods and
processes have fundamentally changed. This begs the question of whether the Bangladeshi development organisations have been
able to adapt to these changes, and if not, what should be done.
Shahab Enam Khan, currently a Fulbright Professor at the University of Delaware, shared his thoughts on the same with us, saying,
"Bangladeshi development organisations are yet to grasp these changes to transmit effective and positive messaging. The digital
divide, in terms of the use of advanced and efficient technologies, is still a significant problem worldwide, and Bangladesh is no
exception."
"What is needed is to create more Human Resources able to deal with these changes and deliver practical data tools to the public. I
strongly suggest building a vast pool of data scientists in the country in which technical and vocational institutions should be the
foremost actors," he added.
Rubaiyath Sarwar, Managing Director, Innovision Consulting Private Limited believes that "communication is important in
development because disinformation, misinformation, asymmetric information and lack of information limit people's ability to act
and react to changes in the markets, social and political systems. Effective communication helps to bridge this gap in information."
In terms of current challenges and solutions, he stated, "Bangladesh lacks an organised and structured system that allows for
effective communication on issues of rights and leadership, entrepreneurship, and market opportunities to the poor, which presents
a challenge for development organisations. I believe that a concerted effort by policymakers, development organisations, and other
stakeholders to ensure that accurate information on these issues is disseminated to the poor will be extremely beneficial in the long
run."
- Nafisa Tabassum,LLB graduate of BRAC University; Arafat Reza, Research Associate at the Centre for Peace and Justice,
Brac University; Md. Wahidul Islam, Communications Officer at the Centre for Peace and Justice, Brac University
.
