Violence in media and entertainment: Challenges and Opportunities
Boston, United States of America
International Consultation on
Violence in Media and Entertainment:
Challenges and Opportunities
Background: An expert consultation focusing on the issue of media and entertainment gaming violence is being called for June 2010. The participants in this conference will work toward a goal of contributing concrete perspectives and ideas on media and entertainment violence for consideration at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) being held in Jamaica in May 2011. The recommendations from this group will be used by the IEPC planners to shape a series of workshops, training sessions and discussion groups at the IEPC. The convocation is being sponsored by the World Council of Churches as the culminating event to the Decade to Overcome Violence initiative which began in 2001.
Conference Theme: This consultation intends to explore how violence is fostered by media and entertainment games with specific reference to the degradation of persons and women in particular, how media and electronic games encourage violence and ways in which violence is celebrated and valued and the question of whether the portrayal of violence in media and entertainment games can be therapeutic or reinforces violence.
Conference Structure:
- Violence and humanity: The violence in us (theology and anthropology); how violence manifests itself (sociology and politics); cycles of violence (historians).
- How does entertainment media fuel violence in films, gaming and the Internet.
- How does the news media reporting of violence impact the creation and reinforcement of stereotypes and degradation of women and children? How does it impact violence in entertainment media?
- What are the alternatives to violence in media? How do we take violence and give it an appropriate development and outcome?
- In Games, e.g. A Force More Powerful
- In Films: Walden Media, e.g., Prince Caspian (note their other films like Narnia, Wilberforce, Charlotte’s Web, etc.)
- How do we handle political violence “for a good end”? (Georges Sorel to Andrew Bacevitch)
- Interactive Games – Wii – and the variety of their games….
- Through the news media, i.e. Peace journalism.
- Help shape the workshops, training sessions and discussions on media and entertainment gaming violence at the IEPC. What framework does this group suggest? What should the workshops and training sessions provide?
Conference Goal
This group will offer specific ideas for the IEPC planners to develop convocation inputs providing specific skill sets, ideas, projects (e.g., Handbooks on Forgiveness and Reconciliation; Engage Conflict Well).
To get a full text of the report, click here.
