NEW & SOCIAL MEDIAIN ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION

Onnik Krikorian
Caucasus Regional Editor, Global Voices Online
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org
onewmphoto@gmail.com
caucasus@globalvoicesonline.org

What is Global Voices?

Global Voices is a community of more than 300 bloggers and translators around the world who work together to bring you reports from blogs and citizen media everywhere, with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in international mainstream media.Global Voices is translated into more than 15 languages by volunteer translators, who have formed the Lingua project. Additionally, Global Voices has an Advocacy website and network to help people speak out online in places where their voices are censored. We also have an outreach project called Rising Voices to help marginalized communities use citizen media to be heard.

Global Voices Family

Global Voices
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org

Rising Voices
http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/

Global Voices Advocacy
http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/

Background

Armenia
February 2008 presidential election left 10 dead
Media censored during a 20-day state of emergency

Azerbaijan
Foreign radio stations taken off the air in January 2009
Arrest and imprisoned of two video blogging youth activists

Georgia
August 2008 war with Russia
Internet fastest and cheapest in region

Regional Developments

Growth in Internet penetration and mobile Internet

Emergence of progressive youth movements in Azerbaijan as well as alternative voices in Armenia and Georgia

Impressive use of new/social media by alternative voices in Azerbaijan as Internet penetration rapidly increases

$4 million USAID in Armenia for alternative resources in the media over the next four years

Obstacles to Peace

Civil society ineffective in outreach

Mistaken notion that Armenians and Azeris are ethnically incompatible put into widespread circulation

Communicating with the 'enemy' discouraged

Political forces in Armenia and Azerbaijan exploit Nagorno Karabakh conflict for short-term domestic political gain

Media generally perpetuates negative stereotypes of the 'enemy'

Media practices self-censorship

Stereotyping the 'enemy'

[A] negative context [is set] in the public consciousness, which hinders dialogue and mutual understanding [] Without more accurate and unbiased information [] free of negative rhetoric and stereotypes, Armenians and Azerbaijanis will continue to see themselves as enemies without any common ground.
Report on media in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Caucasus Resource Research Center

Another Perspective

Nowhere in the world can you find two groups of people closer to each other. That is why we often have these stupid disputes between Armenians and Azeris. "This house is Armenian" or "this house is Azeri." Or "this music is Armenian or Azeri." This is exactly because the two have so much in common. [...] I normally say, and people don't like this, that Armenians are just Christian Azeris and Azeris are just Muslim Armenians. That is how much they are alike.
Azerbaijani journalist, Re-arming the Caucasus, Al Jazeera English

Digital media and conflict

Throughout history, war has affected media, with conflict often creating an information void. In the 21st century, media has begun to affect war more than ever before. Digital media technologies [...] have increased communication and information dissemination in conflict settings [...]. These new tools can be used to foment violence or to foster peace, and it is possible to build communication systems that encourage dialogue and nonviolent political solutions.

Ivan Sigal, Global Voices Online Executive Director, Digital media in conflict-prone societies, Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA)

Catalyst for change

Increased use of Facebook, Twitter, and blogs such as Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines (http://www.flyingcarpetsandbrokenpipelines.blogspot.com)

Global Voices Online coverage

Arrest, detention and eventual imprisonment of Azeri video blogging youth activists, Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli

Discovery of existing, but unknown, Armenian-Azeri online/offline relationships and networks. Natural growth in communication

Potential use of online tools for fact-checking by journalists in Armenia and Azerbaijan

Crossing the ceasefire line

Facebook, Internet chat, email

Skype for secure communication

Skype for interviews

Online discussion of common problems

Twitter Contact

Potential

Viral nature of online, social media

Civil Society needs contacts for its conflict resolution, simulation, transformation programs

Increased communication and networking

Cooperation in Georgia and other third countries, such as a project on Armenian and Azerbaijani co-existence in Georgia

http://www.oneworld.am/diversity/

http://peace.facebook.com

Words of caution

New media tools will certainly help in getting people better acquainted with each other, but at the same time can also be used to reaffirm existing biases. Just search on the Internet for Armenian and Azerbaijani web sites and you can find a lot of trash and very harmful discourse from nationalist websites. Im mildly optimistic, but at the same time think we should be very cautious about what we find on the Internet as well.Bart Woord, International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) Secretary General

Holistic approach

I think you cant do it just with social media tools, but as weve seen over the past 15 years, you definitely cant do it by meeting in Tbilisi for a weekend every summer. It becomes an entertainment and Ive had experience with those conferences in Georgia where its just one big coffee break and a waste of money. However, I think that both approaches combined could propel things along.
Micael Bogar, Projects Manager at the American University's Center for Social Media

What next?

I would very much like to see more debate among bloggers in Armenia and Azerbaijan. We really need some kind of initiative for this because I would really like to see borders opened and conflict resolved. My mother says that when she went to school she had Armenians among her friends. I would very much like myself or my children when they grow up to be able to say the same kind of thing to their children.
Arzu Geybullayeva, Regional Analyst and Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines blogger

Recent developments

http://threatened.globalvoicesonline.org/

Barcamp Yerevan
Yerevan, Armenia, 4-6 June 2010