April 11, 2016 Marianne

Peace Journalism


Do you want to show how peace and nonviolence are viable and even seductive options? Do you need a better way to tell people what’s going on? Are you frustrated that “the news” is mostly “bad news”?

Imagine a world in which your story was fully expressed, people understood the value of peace and nonviolence, of your organization, and that the news reflected what is actually going on in the world—including society’s real concerns and the constructive measures we are all taking to improve the situation. That is the world that Marianne Perez de Fransius is out to create and she is here to serve you in getting there through customized training, writing, and research tailored to your needs.

In working with Marianne, clients:

  • discover their own and others’ rich untold stories
  • are seen and heard deeply
  • connect across differences
  • identify points of collaboration
  • learn critical analysis skills which can bring ease in many areas of life

Marianne is available for:

  • training in peace journalism, dialogue facilitation, conflict mapping
  • writing for peace and development (research, policy papers, web content, marketing materials, speeches…)
  • dialogue facilitation, peacebuilding programs, keynote addresses, panel discussions

Aside from the Peace is Sexy blog, Marianne’s Peace Journalism writing and research can be found in the following places:

A Case for Peace Journalism: Fear and Propaganda in a forthcoming book edited by Tirse Erbaysal and Yasemin İnceoğlu

  • co-authored with Maria Ahmad and Aradhana Sharma
  • Foreword by Jake Lynch
  • Case study research into what happens when fear and propaganda rule a media environment and what possibilities that leaves for Peace Journalism

Peace Journalism Case Study: US Media Coverage of the Iraq War in Journalism: Theory & Practice (Peer reviewed article)

  • Peer review article for the premier academic journal “Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism,” indexed in 45 research databases and widely subscribed to by academic and research institutions.
  • This paper presents an in-depth analysis of Peace Journalism, using US media coverage of the Iraq War as a case study. First it lays out some of the basic tenets of peace studies, specifically Johan Galtung’s discourses. It then applies these theories to an analysis of Iraq War coverage in the American media. This analysis shows how an approach rooted in Peace Journalism could alter the way in which such conflicts are portrayed in the media. Such a strategy can move the public discourse away from a focus on violent means, to find creative conflict transformation mechanisms that allow different voices and interests to be heard.
  • Length: 8000 words

“Making Cents of Peacebuilding,” White paper published by the Peace Alliance Foundation

  • This paper provides a snapshot of the current state of violence in the United States and a sampling of proven, statistically verifiable programs that successfully prevent and reduce violence. While these programs remain hampered by inadequate and inconsistent funding, lack of resources and limited geographic reach, the fact remains that they are beneficial for Americans’ social well-being and for Americans’ financial bottom line.
  • 4 082 words (without appendices)
  • Cited in:
    • Maver, Dorothy J. and Michael Abkin, “Moving from a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: The Case for Ministries and Departments of Peace” in Earthrise: The Dawning of a New Civilization in the 21st Century, Ed.: Patrick U. Petit, Goi Peace Foundation, 2008.
    • At least 50 meetings with Members of U.S. Congress

“Moving Mainstream Media Towards a Culture of Peace”, Masters thesis for the European Peace University

  • The U.S. Department of Peace will anchor the peace discourse, nurturant parent frame, peace media, peace journalism, and democratic ownership structure, thus helping move mainstream media from a culture of war to a culture of peace. Using a framework which combines peace studies, cognitive linguistic theory, communications and media studies, this thesis demonstrates how this is possible.
  • 36 430 words
  • Cited in:

Additionally, Marianne is a regular contributor to Peace Journalist magazine, a biannual publication edited by Steve Youngblood.

What is Peace Journalism? 

The easiest way to understand it is via analogy. We are all familiar with medical reporting which covers not only the findings and research related to disease, but also of health and ways to cure or prevent diseases. In fact, in many publications, it comes under the rubric “Health” rather than “Illness”.  Peace Journalism aims to do the same thing with reporting on conflict. Rather than focusing solely on violent responses to conflict, peace journalism aims to report on how violence can be prevented and reduced and to make visible peaceful responses to conflict. For more information on Peace Journalism, read this introductory article.

 

Writing can be delivered in English and French. Other services can be delivered in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish.

Ready to get started? Contact Marianne.

What others have said about Marianne Perez de Fransius:

“Marianne is an expert in peace media, especially peace journalism. For us at the Peace Alliance Foundation, she researched and wrote a white paper on relative costs and benefits of violence and peace in our society and organized an academic roundtable, hosted at Georgetown University, on strategies for creating peace. In sum, Marianne is outstanding as a scholar, peace activist, organizer, and all around human being.” –Mike Abkin, Board of Directors, The National Peace Academy

“Marianne is a rare find – she’s self directed, highly organized, resourceful, detail oriented and follows through to get the job done (whatever the job may be!) She does it without fuss or drama and collaborates with and manages others easily, efficiently and equitably. She’s passionate about conflict resolution and peacebuilding and brings those principles to bear in all her dealings. I highly, highly recommend Marianne.” –Carol Hillson, Chair, New Yorkers for a Department of Peace

Conflict mapping“Marianne is a trusted and valued member of the Jewish Dialogue Group’s team of facilitators. Over the past few years, she has organized and conducted successful dialogue sessions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in synagogues, colleges, and other venues in locations across the US. She has also led training workshops to enable people to facilitate dialogue programs in their own institutions, a communication skills workshop that empowered synagogue members to communicate more effectively with friends and family members about challenging issues, and participatory workshops about the practice of conflict-mapping.
Marianne has carried out all of these roles with great integrity and care. Marianne is highly knowledgeable about conflict transformation and group process, and she is skilled in a wide variety of facilitation methods. Marianne plans each program that she leads thoroughly, with careful attention to detail. When teaching and facilitating, she treats each participant with respect and compassion. She balances humility and assertiveness, empowering participants to take ownership of their conversations and learning experiences. She is flexible, responding quickly and creatively to unforeseen developments. Participants in the programs that she conducts benefit greatly from her leadership.
As a colleague, Marianne is supportive, dependable, and easy to work with. She shares power gracefully with co-leaders and provides helpful encouragement and feedback. I and the Jewish Dialogue Group’s other leaders have enjoyed work with her.” –Mitch Chanin, Director, Jewish Dialogue Group

“It has been and continues to be a pleasure to work with Marianne. She is tenacious, committed and extremely creative. She brings to projects what seems unlimited energy and a sincere desire to produce results. I would not hesitate to recommend her for any project for which she has the passionate desire to contribute.” –Douglas Hoffman, Principal, ALS Consulting

Contact Marianne.