Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

Seoul, South Korea:

President of the Press Association of Jamaica, Desmond Richards, and a small contingent of Jamaican journalists, were among 350 foreign journalists, from 70 countries, calling for worldwide peace at the special conference hosted by the Journalist Association of Korea and the International Federation of Journalists, in downtown Seoul, South Korea, yesterday.

The participants were asked to speak about the role of the press and peace and reconciliation, according to the situation in their own country.

Executive director of the Asia Institute of Development Communications, Khairul Bashar, who spoke about the role of the media in promoting peace in the world, emphasised that the media can play a major role in conflict and peace.

"Human beings are still struggling to settle international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace. Every man wakes up in the morning with news of violence, war or conflict somewhere around the world, and retires to bed with the same tension for tomorrow," said Bashar.

He also said the media has active influences on the strategy and behaviour of the stakeholders to the conflict.