It is difficult to get any media attention for positive news, including Interreligious Dialogue activities. When Lance Trumbull came to Amsterdam to show his inspiring movie Everest: a Climb for Peace, I tried to get some media attention for this movie. But as usual, I experienced that GOOD NEWS IS NO NEWS. Travelling back from Amsterdam, I wondered why a negative movie about the Islam and the Qu’rán, a Dutch man is preparing is daily news, even before the movie is available.United Religions Initiative Europe met the same lack of media attention when being awarded last November, with a Golden Star Award from the European Commission on Education and Culture for our project Overcoming irritations and prejudices between people of different cultures, religions and convictions in the EU enlargement process. I sent press papers, the European Union had prepared*), to different media. Without any result. However, I also sent this information to members of Dutch and European organizations in feminist theology. That resulted in an invitation to give a lecture at the University of Groningen on the theme Beyond stereotypes - religion, gender and the public debate. After my lecture, I will give one of the DVD's I bought from the Everest movie to the University of Groningen. *) From the Jury report: Our jury had the most interesting task to study a sample of quality projects attracting all possible audience across frontiers and identify among them the ones that could be used as inspiration for making Europe more tangible for its citizens" remarked Mr. Takkula. To conclude: "I was personally impressed by the accomplishments of the projects, notably the commitment to concrete common goals, the zeal of their participants and the final outcomes, and to my mind such efforts could inevitably encourage others to emulate their success and culminate to the promotion of a community of values among the people concerned".
Interreligious Dialogue and the problem of Media Attention
Featured Cooperation Circle(s):
“Our purpose is to promote peace, teamwork, and cultural understanding; and to further interfaith dialogue.”
“Our purpose is to create enduring cooperation among the people of the world. To honor the sacred to end violence, to promote justice. To build community and to generate new possibilities for a dignified human life for all women, children and men.”