Theologian, writer, professor and former World Service broadcaster, Dr Jolyon Mitchell has rounded off a series of lectures at Ripon Cathedral on Peace and Reconciliation, by highlighting the role of the media in conflicts around the world.
A former BBC World Service journalist and producer, Jolyon Mitchell has directed a number of research projects on peacebuilding and religion. His most recent book is entitled: Promoting Peace, Inciting Violence: The Role of Religion and Media.
In the final St Wilfrid Lecture of 2014, (held November 13th), Professor Mitchell, who is Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues at Edinburgh University, spoke about his recent research on peace building, violence and communication. In an illustrated talk, he used examples from the Sudan and spoke of his own experiences meeting people who had suffered during the genocide and civil war between Hutu and Tutsi tribes. “Radio”, he said, “was used to galvanise people to kill others.”
As well as showing examples of how radio and TV have provoked violence in conflict, he also illustrated the role media and the arts could play in promoting peace.
The 2014 St Wilfrid Lectures took the 100th anniversary of World War I as an initial reference point to reflect on what happens beyond war and conflict. The City and the Cathedral have strong historical connections to the Great War through people like the poet Wilfred Owen, who spent his last birthday in the Cathedral reflecting on his imminent return to the trenches and the war chaplain ‘Woodbine Willy’ who trained at the Ripon Clergy College.