"The Role of the Media in Dialogue between Arabs and the West"

The Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain’s prize for creativity is proud to announce it’s seminar to discuss the ‘Role of the Media in dialogue between Arabs and the West’ on the 30th – 31st of March 2008, in the library of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain, Kuwait.

With prominent members of the press world wide, media specialists, high-profile international commentators, politicians and activists in cross-cultural dialogue, coming for this distinguished occasion, the Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain’s prize for creativity is honored to host an event of such global significance. Never has a time come in modern history of such a need to discuss the role of the media, and its influence on the dialogue between these two vast civilisations.

With a wide array of top international journalists coming to participate and speakers including highly respected journalists, who are regularly interviewed on top news channels like the BBC, CNN and Fox News: Adel Darwish (Senior Journalist, UK), Michael Binyon (The Times, UK), Mamoun Fandy (Author/Expert, UK), Paul Halloran (Senior Journalist, UK), Dr. Farhan Nizami (Oxford University Professor/Expert, UK), H.E Mr. Per Stenback (Former Foreign Minister of Finland), Christopher Dickey (Director of NewsWeek Office in Europe, U.S.A), Mr. Jihad Al-Khazen (Author and Media Expert, Al-Hayat Newspaper, London), Mr. Roger Hardy (Journalist, BBC World), Mr. Alain Grech (Director of Lemonde Diplomatic, France). The seminar has been prepared in order to bring to Kuwait and subsequently to the Middle East, a real chance of understanding the process of dialogue through the Western-Arab media and to dispel misunderstandings that these two cultures have had to endure.

In a recent Press conference held by Mr. Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain for the Kuwaiti press, Mr. Al-Babtain stated “This seminar is considered as a continuation of the previous seminar we held in March 2007 entitled ‘Arabs in the Western Media’. For this seminar we have invited 35 top international journalists to achieve our ultimate goal, of delivering our sincere message of peace, through dialogue. The world is facing consistent clashes and wars, in these times it is essential for the benefit of our global community to reach peaceful solutions through the practice and discipline of dialogue. In this seminar we hope to achieve these great hopes.”

With four sessions spread over two days, involving participants from America, Britain, France, Germany, Scandinavia, and the wider Middle East, the Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain’s for Dialogue Between Civilisations will be hosting it’s first session in the English and French language in order to meet the challenge of fermenting dialogue between the Arabs and the occidental world.  Previous seminars from the Foundation have been orientated around similar themes; since we recognised dialogue as the main bridge of understanding between different cultures.

If you would like to receive more information on the seminar and speakers or would like to receive free press coverage (in article form) from this event please feel free to contact Toby Halloran on  tr2@albabtainprize.org  /  tmfhalloran@gmail.com. Updated news and info about the session can be found on the Foundation of Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Babtain’s website.

www.albabtainprize.org ,   http://www.albabtainprize.org/Seminar-e.html