Our mission statement
The Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University promotes the concepts of peace and peace journalism. The center does this through seminars, courses, and projects both in the U.S. and abroad, through its website and semi-annual magazine, and through partnerships with like-minded organizations and individuals.

What is Peace Journalism?
In Peace Journalism, reporters and editors make choices that create an atmosphere where peace becomes possible. This includes avoiding inflammatory language and framing stories in such a way as to not exacerbate already volatile situations. (Adapted from Lynch/McGoldrick)

The Center's director
Steven Youngblood is a two-time J. William Fulbright Scholar (Moldova 2001 and Azerbaijan 2007). He has taught in 12 countries for the U.S. State Department, UNICEF, USAID, and People to People International.

Contact
Email:
 Steven Youngblood
Twitter:
@PeaceJourn
(816) 584-6321\

Uganda link
 Uganda peace journalism project

Other links
 Steven Youngblood PJ blog

Park Univ. Home

Peace Journalism Facebook Group

 Resources
 Peace Journalism handbooks, issues, multimedia, etc.

            
    Center for Global Peace Journalism: Summer 2013 Activities     
     May: Workshop presentation, Fulbright Association: Generation Peace-New Media Technologies for Central Asia, Kyrgystan (central Asia).
    June: Peace Journalism project, Beirut, Lebanon; Peace Journalism boot-camp, Bronx, NY.
    --Follow the Center's director this summer at http://stevenyoungblood.blogspot.com

    April edition of "The Peace Journalist" is published
     For a free download of the April, 2013 edition of The Peace Journalist, click here or on the photo of the cover.

    The April 2013 edition features a piece by peace journalist Professor Jake Lynch about the International Peace Research Association's latest research on PJ, and articles about PJ projects in Uganda and Kenya.

    Archives:  April 2012   October 2012

    Recent Center for Global PJ Activities
     1. Keynote speech: "The Ethics of Peace Journalism: Serving a Higher Calling."  Communication and Media Days, Univ. of California-San Marcos, April 24, 2013. (Pictured, right)

    2. "The Crisis in Mexico: Is Peace Journalism Possible?" A special symposium considering this important issue was held on Feb. 22 at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. The event was co-sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.  Expert panelists includes Cristina Zesatti (Zacatecas, Mexico), who described how her Peace Correspondent project is inspiring her community, and Mary Sanchez (Kansas City Star). Sanchez said that most professionals don’t know about peace journalism, although they should, since peace journalism is, in fact, just fundamentally sound journalism. Sanchez said that American journalists can learn a great deal from their Mexican counterparts.

    A video of the event is archived at: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/parkadmin.portal#

    2. In the News-Center Director Steven Youngblood appeared on KCUR-FM (NPR in Kansas City) in December to discuss peace journalism and his book about teaching in Uganda, "Professor Komagum".
    Click here to listen to this archived broadcast.
    3. Bronx Peace Media Project--A peace media project was held in October 2012 in the Bronx, NY. It featured two peace journalism seminars for journalists and students at BronxNet. Among the discussions: the concept of forgiveness, even for the worst among us. See video below, students went out into the streets to initiate a discussion about if Osama Bin Laden should be forgiven.

                                  

    4. International Peace Research Association—Youngblood presented two papers on peace journalism at an international conference in November in Japan. For details, see the April, 2013 Peace Journalist magazine.

    Center for Global Peace Journalism: Other Activities

    1. Peace media/counterterrorism project--A peace media and counterterrorism program launched in Dec., 2011 and is continuing this fall. The project (click here for details) is bringing together media and security officials to in Uganda to establish frameworks of cooperation on anti-terrorism efforts. It is funded with a $150,000 State Dept. grant. For more information, go to: http://stevenyoungblood.blogspot.com. (Pictured: Criminal Justice Prof. Ken Christopher in Uganda).

    2. Kenya peace journalism project—PJ seminars were being taught for radio journalists in two Kenyan cities in June, 2012. See more at: http://stevenyoungblood.blogspot.com.

    3. "People Building Peace 2.0"--A story about the Uganda PJ project is featured in the book "People Building Peace 2.0". The Uganda story by S. Youngblood was selected for the book as part of a "Stories of Peace" contest sponsored by the Peace Portal.

    4. Peace Journalism lectures (and a lecture about social media and the Egyptian revolution) presented by S. Youngblood in 2011 at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Outstanding university, receptive, engaged audiences. Click here for audio of an interview about PJ given on Voice of Cape FM in May, 2011.