Negative attitudes towards foreigners in Czech society are often caused by a lack of information and a distorted media image. That is why a series of seminars for future journalists is being created, under the patronage of the We Are Not Strangers project. In cooperation with the Faculty of Social Sciences, lectures will be held, during which students of journalism will have the opportunity to get closer to the reality of migration policy in the Czech Republic, as well as to the specific stories of foreigners living in our immediate vicinity.
The project We are not strangers has long supported the integration of foreigners from third countries on Czech territory. At the centre of the many activities that fall under the project is the effort to bring foreigners closer to the majority and thus to refute the stereotypes. Most of us encounter foreigners mainly through media messages, which are often focused on security risks and messages about inadaptability. The need for quality information has led to the creation of seminars for journalism students who, by being more receptive and sensitive, can become agents of change in the media environment.
The six meetings began at the start of the semester with Professor Dušan Drbohlav's lecture on the history of migration on Czech territory. Students also had the opportunity to meet representatives of the Vietnamese community in Prague, who spoke openly about growing up and struggling with their own identity. Other lectures on the agenda include a presentation of the Arab and Ukrainian community as well as performance of the theatre of the oppressed, during which the students themselves get involved in the action and experience the issues that foreigners in our country are facing.
"I chose this subject because I am not well informed about migration policy in the Czech Republic and what it is like for people who have lived here for a long or short time. So I want to educate myself more and learn more about the lives of foreigners." answered student Emma, when asked why she decided to take the course. The output of the seminars will be: articles in the form of interviews, reports or commentaries focusing on topics related to migration. Through this, students will learn in practice how to report on these topics in a sensitive and respectful way.
"We believe that education and open dialogue are the way to mutual understanding." stands on the We are not strangers website, as the core motto of the project. Cooperation with students, who can bring quality information to the public, can fundamentally help to create a social environment in which mutual understanding will be truly achievable.
The article was created in the framework of the project We are not strangers, co-financed by the European Union.
