Even if social media nowadays feel to be very influential in our life, still most of the information that we receive daily are coming from traditional media, that are also present in our social networks. The way the news is represented and the way the narratives we receive daily will influence our way of thinking. In this regard, after the 2001 attack on the Twin Towers, the attention of media over the so-called “Islamic terrorism” literally boosted in the whole Western World. The day after the September 11 attack, Bush made a speech that remained in history, usually referred to
Category: Dialogue
Sport as a social cohesion and redemption tool for the damned of the periphery
The most common image of Europe in the eyes of foreigners is one of the perfect and beautiful old country, filled with art, culture, and technology. The most common image Sicily in the touristic guide is that of an island full of beauties and history, which is true but is just one part of the story. The ancient island from one century to the other is passed in the hands of many dominators: the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Germans, the French and so on. All we have now is a rich cultural and historical heritage that belong to
The clashing narratives of women’s clothing
The problem of the burka is not a religious problem, it’s a problem of liberty and women’s dignity. It’s not a religious symbol, but a sign of subservience and debasement. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France. In our country, we can’t accept women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. That’s not our idea of freedom. (Former French president Nicolas Sarcozy in his first state of the nation speech) In a world plagued by humanitarian crises, environmental turmoil and political polarization, women’s clothing may appear to be
Negative peace… Positive peace…
The smoke is clearing, the fires have been put out. There are no guns firing in the background, no bombs that loudly explode somewhere near. The opposing forces have made an agreement to lay their weapons down and stop the violence for now, – the physical violence that is. They call it a peace treaty when they lay down their weapons and stops the bombing. Is it peace though – after wars have come to an end, or is temporarily stopped? Many people stand back without housing, without proper healthcare or school systems. The opportunities to get jobs are few
A timeline for main fake news incidents and how it was handled
Fake news is nothing new. But, especially during the last presidential election in the United States in 2016, it has become something big. Here are some of the biggest fake news stories around the world over the past few years. “The War of the Worlds”, Orson Welles’ masterpiece, 1938 Before weighing on the most well known fake news in the past few years, let us go back to a significant event that may be considered as one of the first fake news of the contemporary era. During a cold evening of late October 1938, in the United States, an American
Kim Noble: Minds challenging minds
As we all know, the world of today is not the world of tomorrow. Every day, new issues come out to challenge our sense of tolerance and respect. But do you think the society of today is ready to handle these questions? We can find the answer online… opening the Facebook, YouTube or Twitter app and reading the comments that people post about everything. The untouchable idea of free speaking “gives” to everyone the freedom to say or comment on what they want when they want and how they want. Being able to have a critical mind and express your
Do you “tolerate” or “respect” the diversity?
“Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity”. John Hume Very often, when we have to deal with issues such as diversity, pluralism, prevention of hate speech and violence, counting against racism, xenophobia and all other types of discrimination, we come across the words “tolerance” and “respect” in the sense of “accepting the different”, or rather what we perceive as different from us. These
Filo Arabic fascism: “an enemy is a good as bread”
As we have seen in my (last article) illustrating Chomsky and Herman’s Propaganda Model theory, one of the filters media get sifted through is the “common enemy filter”. A recent study by the University of Kansas has found that the concept of an enemy helps to provide us with comfort when we are faced with uncertainty. Quoting; “Social psychologist Daniel Sullivan and colleagues describing the US government and economic structure as chaotic and disorderly, people were more willing to attribute greater influence to an enemy in their life. In a follow-up study, the researchers found that presenting people with information about