Social Media: Beirut Exchange

BY: SIMBA RUSSEAU

BEIRUT, JULY 2008 – Good journalism is an effective means of analyzing and discussing the social, economical and political developments in the MENA region. Ultimately, critical and responsible journalism has the power to shape peoples’ understandings of their realities, and foster political engagement and awareness.

“What is media? Media is a tool and in the West it”s mostly a private tool. This media speaks from a certain position of power and of course it’s going to be slanted,” says Firas, a Lebanese currently studying in the UK who chose not to provide his last name.

“I can appreciate this program as a tool for people from the West to get a slightly more complex view of things.”

In an effort to further its commitment to promoting dialogue and understanding through cultural exchange, Mideastwire.com founder Nicholas Noe established the Beirut Exchange to engage undergraduate and masters level students from around the world in a multifaceted discussion of some of the key issues facing the Middle East.

“Our aim is of course not to politicize students one way or another, but we are very much focused on the idea of better informing folks, which will allow participants to develop their own opinions,” says Nicholas Noe, founder of Mideastwire.com and Beirut Exchange.

“I think a number of the students, especially the American students, left the program with a deeper understanding and appreciation for what motivates Islamist movements and how Islamist movements conduct themselves on the ground.”

Media has played a major role in controlling how we stereotype one another. Media stereotypes are inevitable, especially in the advertising, entertainment and news industries, which need as wide an audience as possible to quickly understand information.

“You can try and change the perceptions of people through media but the problem is that most people use only one or two sources and don’t bother to look,” says Syracuse University student Jason Kim.

“The best way to deal with the media is to view as many sources as possible and find the discrepancies and then create your own conclusions on the issue.”

During the three-week session participants had the opportunity to meet, listen and engage social, political and economic leaders from across the spectrum in Lebanon.

“As a Lebanese it’s some what a pity that it’s through programs like these that are created by people from the West that are living here and wanting to do something that we have more of a chance to speak to our own politicians,” adds Firas .

Many of the students attending the workshops discovered the Arab world while attending University or via mainstream media, which often provides a slanted view in regards to Islam. According to students, traveling the region allowed them to challenge these general stereotypes.

“Robert Fisk from the Independent touched on the issue of pro-Israeli bias in the media and I think it comes out. Some brilliant examples were: it’s disputed land and not ‘conflict land’ it’s ‘settlements’ and ‘colonies’ it’s a security wall instead of a barrier,” says University student Matt Thompson from Boston, MA.

“This is a war, this is a conflict and it’s real and if one side is always made out to be rational, logical and very peaceful people i.e. the Israelis on one side, then the surrounding people will always be violent, extremists or terrorists and this is one misconception in the West.”

Located off the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon’s economy is still in the process of recovering from the widespread loss of life and destruction to its infrastructure during Israel’s 2006 military campaign.

According to figures released last year by the World Bank, expatriate remittances to Lebanon totaled $5.72 billion, or 25.8 percent of GDP, in 2006.

The cost of bread has doubled, jobs are scarce and the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that over 8 percent of the Lebanese population lives in poverty.

“I think the program was really good because it provided some insight into Lebanese politics but it doesn’t give us an idea of Lebanon’s economic or social situation,” says Italian University student Mikela Rossi.

In preparation for it’s second Beirut Exchange scheduled for September 2008, Mideastwire.com is raising scholarship funds to attract participants from India, South America and Africa.

“We hope also to attract students from the Arab and Islamic worlds as well – all with the idea that Lebanon is ideally situated for exposing people to a better understanding of what is going on in this part of the world,” adds Noe.

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