The Proceedings of the Fifth Arab Reform Conference Begin
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Alexandria—
The Fifth Arab Reform Conference was launched on Sunday, 2 March 2008 with a plenary session on Media, Democracy, and Social Responsibility, chaired by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the BA and Chairman of the Fifth Arab Reform Conference. The participants pointed out that freedom of expression and democracy must be tied together and that different communities should understand that freedom of expression must stop at the point where others are offended.
There was a session on the fringe line of the conference entitled “Launching of the Arab Reform Observatory Report” which was a recommendation from the First Arab Reform Conference, held at the BA in March 2004. Participants pointed out that the importance of this Observatory Report lies in measuring the state of reform in the Arab world in various aspects with high degree of objectivity and transparency.
The Conference addressed the following themes: media throughout freedom and responsibility, Arab media: professionalism and political inclinations, role of the media and civil society in the development of democratic practices, media for citizenship and community rights, electronic media and open skies and satellite channels.
Five parallel sessions were held on the second day of the conference, Monday 3 March 2008, in which participants discussed: Freedom of Expression and the Media; News and Opinion; Promotion of Tolerance, Advancement, Public Freedoms, and Human Rights; The Media and Political Participation; Contribution of Arab Satellite Channels to the Promotion or Hindrance of Arab Reform, where each session tackles one of the Conference themes.
In the afternoon, there were five other parallel sessions tackling the Balance between Individual Freedom of Expression; Community Interests and the General Order, Media and Promotion, Social Responsibility (Challenges, Problems, and Methods of Treatment through the Media and Civil Society), Media and the Right to the Expression of Interests, Capacity of Arab Satellite Channels for Political Influence Among Citizens and Decision-makers.
At the end of the second day, the last parallel sessions were held under the following titles: Professional Parameters and Limits, and Means for Handling Deviations; The Media: Private Property or Collective Ownership; Impact on the Culture of Generations; Media as a Source of Culture, the Impact of Media on the Cultural Scene; Different Forms of Electronic Media (websites, blogs, broadcasting); in addition to a session on “Reissuing the Classics”.