London
Images and Voices of Hope Meeting of 19th May 2002
More than 30 people from different media backgrounds gathered for the
event in London's West End. They included journalists, producers,
advertisers, artists and educators. Among the media outlets and organisations
represented were: the BBC, New African magazine, the New Straits Times of
Malaysia, Caduceus magazine and the International Communications Forum.
Three special guests visiting London from America were present: Judy
Rodgers, Director of the IV of Hope project; Professor David Cooperrider, who
leads the Social Innovations for Global Management (SIGMA) programme at Case
Western Reserve University, the academic partner to the IV of Hope project;
and Sister Mohini, the North America co-ordinator for the Brahma Kumaris, the
spiritual partner to IV of Hope.
It was the first meeting of the IV of Hope group in the UK following the
inaugural event in January. Judy Rodgers, formerly with the American
television network CBS in Los Angeles, outlined the impact the project has
had internationally since it began in 1999 as a series of conversations
between media professionals about the values and attitudes they put into
their work. She also gave her vision of what it could achieve.
Rodgers highlighted the enormous impact images have on people's emotions,
citing research showing that negative emotions such as sadness, fear or anger
diminish the human capacity to respond creatively and effectively.
She explained that Images and Voices of Hope had a sub-title: "A Question
of Choice". The project was based on the premise that at each moment in our
careers when we are involved in any part of the system of image-making and
story-telling, there are critical choices to be made.
Dr Cooperrider expanded on this theme. He highlighted other research which
showed that positive emotions - such as hope and courage - had the opposite
effect to negative ones. They were found to heighten and cultivate
intelligence and creativity.
He said this further emphasised the opportunity those working in the media
have to educate, inspire and develop the experiences of those they reach.
Dr Cooperrider then led everyone through an "appreciative inquiry"
process, exploring times in peoples' lives where they had critical
developmental moments and realisations about their purposes and goals. This
led on to a sharing of individual visions of the future and of what type of
role the media could play in it.
Finally, Lynne Franks led a discussion on ideas for taking the IV of Hope
conversations forward in the UK. Ideas included:
- Creating small meeting groups for working journalists to get together
- Examining which types of journalists networks could be contacted
- Developing a personal values seminar specifically aimed at media
professionals
- Attracting younger people to the group. The IVH project would be
linking up with a specific project taking place in Birmingham in which
young people would be asked to create a model of their media of the future.
Report of the Images and Voices of Hope event:
Thame, Oxfordshire
13th January 2002
The gardens at the Oxfordshire home of the Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb and
wife Dwina, an artist and author, formed the picturesque backdrop to a
gathering of nearly 100 media professionals, launching the Images and Voices
of Hope (IVOH) project in the UK on January 13th, 2002.
Journalists, broadcasters, presenters, producers and programme makers
participated in a day of talks, interactive discussions, silent reflections
and inspirations on the potential of the media forging positive change in
society and the world.
The project began three years ago in the United States. Judy Rodgers,
Director of the IVOH, said the initiative was based on a series of
discussions, "a discourse of possibility". "When you terrify people, you
limit their ability to act. When you inspire them, it increases their
capacity for action," she said.
The project comprises three convening partners: The SIGMA programme
(Social Innovations in Global Management) at Case Western University,
Cleveland, Ohio; the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University and the
US-based Visions of a Better World Foundation.
Neville Hodgkinson, the IVOH co-ordinator in the UK, said the event had
followed a series of small exploratory gatherings in London over recent
months. It led to the conviction that the project could make a contribution
to people working in UK media and related fields and through them, to British
society.
Martyn Lewis, one of Britain's best known broadcasters, having worked for
the BBC and ITN, was one of the main speakers on the day. "The greatest
journalistic challenge is to create the balance between weighing the positive
and negative. It is lazy journalism to concentrate just on the negative," he
said.
Lewis himself made the news in 1994 with two controversial and
widely-debated speeches arguing for a shift of the news agenda of TV news
programmes, calling for a greater analysis of achievement rather than just
focussing on failure.
He went on to give a series of examples where editors and news
organisations around the world had shown a greater desire to bring stories of
inspiration and hope as part of a widening of their news agenda.
He identified the kind of journalism he wanted to see in the 21st century
by quoting from the Sarajevo Commitment, a document signed by hundreds of
journalists and media professionals at the conference organised by the
International Communications Forum (ICF) in Sarajevo on September 30th, 2000.
It said: "We (the media) shall inform you to the best of our ability, with
clarity and honesty, with independence of mind, of what is truly happening
in the world at the level of the individual, the family, the community, the
nation and the region. We shall present the facts and explain the facts, and
some of us will aim with modesty to interpret them. As we succeed in doing
this, we believe that you, the people, will be enabled to make the right
decisions, to elect and appoint the best leaders and to build a fair, just
and compassionate society."
Hugh Nowell of the ICF, added that the values of the journalist greatly
affected the way they reported events: "It is the integrity of the individual
that counts".
It was a sentiment that was illustrated practically by Anna Whyatt, a
former adviser to current government ministers, who inspired everyone with
her story of triumphing over adversity through finding the inner strength and
determination to succeed.
Part of the role of the media was to be the "interface between the
inquiring mind and the searching soul", said Olga Edridge, Director of Joint
Ventures and New Channels for BBC Worldwide. "We have to help sustain what
has meaning in our society and to question that which does not... safe space has
to be created to allow what the Sarajevo commitment stated".
The speakers were interspersed with discussions in small groups, allowing
participants to reflect and share on high points in their careers which had
beneficial impacts on others. The groups went on to explore the possibilities
of raising the profile of the media's constructive role and sharing ideas for
how this could be achieved.
Martyn Lewis went on to interview Dadi Janki, co-administrative head of
the Brahma Kumaris, and a world-renowned speaker on developing spiritual and
core human values.
Lewis asked her what she saw as the obstacles people who wanted to effect
change in the media faced. "The expectation that we have to do what others
want us to do," she said. "You shouldn't be afraid to tell the truth, it is
because of this that people prefer talking about problems but not the
solutions."
Lewis asked if there was any "magic formula" to help those working in the
media to effect a change in the news values of their own organisations
without being sacked!
"If we all were to have courage, everything will happen very fast. If your
work shows the genuine desire you have in your heart, you will receive
admiration from many, particularly among your colleagues in the media. The
public will then say that the media is telling them such wonderful things,
that they are learning how to live again. If you just decide to act slowly,
then things will just stay as they are...it requires that first step of
fearlessness."
The event, which was interspersed by harp music from award-winning soloist
Gwyneth Wentink of the Netherlands, ended with a reflective meditation spoken
by BK Jayanti, European Director of the Brahma Kumaris.
Update: September 7, 2001
Meeting highlights
We have now had three gatherings, each with a superb lunch to close, on a
weekday morning in central London - not an easy time or location for some.
Average attendance has been 12-14. There have been several new faces at each
meeting.
Responses suggest that all have found the meetings interesting and
valuable, in a variety of ways.
A consistent thread has been the evidence, and shared conviction, that the
project can make a direct and lasting contribution to people working in UK
media and related fields, and through them, to British society. This is
despite recognition that media professionals already do an amazing job, given
the constraints of time and money within which they work.
Experiences of journalists practising within mainstream media demonstrate
that the frame of mind of the individual makes a significant difference in
the way stories come across to the public. Events may seem disastrous and
dispiriting when presented so as to manipulate people's feelings of anger or
cynicism, or even an easy compassion. They can take on a different hue if the
reporter catches touches of greatness amidst disaster, and remains alive to
the human potential to learn from mistakes. As well as being constructive
socially, this kind of approach strengthens and enriches the story itself.
For example, a recent CBS television investigation into the neglect of
holocaust survivors in Miami, Florida became a catalyst for an outpouring of
sympathy that transformed their situation. The administrator of an
institution that was supposed to be supporting them was culpable, but the
reporter resisted the temptation to demonise this person. Instead, he was
shown making good the deficiencies in the service. The part that the
investigation played in prompting that change was played down instead of
highlighted. This positive approach encouraged the administrator, elicited
widespread community support for the old people, and brought lasting
improvements in the care arrangements.
Another example concerned coverage of corruption allegations against a
former French Prime Minister. The London correspondent of the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation spoke directly to investigating magistrates in
France and found that the story was much less black than most media stories
had conveyed. When her news desk demurred over the more complex line she
proposed taking, the correspondent insisted that this was the story her
researches revealed and if they wanted a more sensational approach she was
not the person to write it. The item appeared, and was welcomed by many
viewers who perceived a note of truth missing from other reports on the
scandal.
It is clear that considerable self-respect, as opposed to arrogance, is
needed to step out of line successfully in this way. The fruits can be very
rich. One of the main functions of IV of Hope could be to improve confidence
levels among media professionals by enabling them to share such experiences
with one another. Such sharing also increases understanding of the
possibilities for constructive reporting presented by events.
The meetings highlighted the fact that any attempt to put a falsely
positive spin on events would be counterproductive and insulting. People want
and need to know what is going on. However, there is also the feeling that an
unremitting diet of critical and accusatory reporting has a cumulatively
depressing effect, and that this has become an issue with many readers and
viewers.
Next steps
At the third of the meetings mentioned above, attendees decided it was
time to widen the conversation. It was felt that one way forward would be a
lunch or dinner for perhaps 50-60 people, to include guests who would be
invited to speak on an IV of Hope-related theme. After consultation, it was
realised that we do not at present have an ideal venue in central London for
such an event. One of our number does have a large home which they have
offered to make available but their travel schedule will not allow this in
the near future. We could hire a function room at a hotel, but then may have
difficulties maintaining the intimate and hospitable flavour of the
gatherings to date.
Another idea, raised at the first meeting by Dwina Gibb, is to hold an
out-of-town event one weekend. Dwina is a poetess and artist who has already
made significant contributions to the IV of Hope programmes in the US. She is
married to Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, and the couple have family homes in
Florida and in Thame, Oxfordshire. The Thame house is a former 12th century
monastery in beautiful grounds, with a refectory capable of accommodating up
to 70 people. Dwina has offered to make this available and we are looking at
the possibility of a date in January, probably a Sunday. That would allow us
to plan something more than a lunch party: perhaps a chance to enable
everyone to experience the Appreciative Inquiry (A.I.) process, as well as to
learn about IV of Hope and hear from some distinguished guests.
As most of you are aware, Images and Voices of Hope is an international
dialogue started by three "convening partners". The academic base comes from
the SIGMA programme (Social Innovations in Global Management) at Case Western
Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The head is David Cooperrider,
professor of organisational management and initiator of the A.I. process. The
spiritual partner is the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, based in
India with US headquarters in New York and an international office in London.
>From the social sector there is the US-based Visions of a Better World
Foundation.
If there is support for the idea of the January event, it would be ideal
to have senior representatives from all three organisations present, as well
as one or more of those responsible for establishing IV of Hope as a national
project in the US over the past two years. I'm proposing to attend an IV of
Hope "summit" in the US in mid-October and will try to invoke the
highest-level support for a UK programme on that occasion.
Other ideas
Any comments on the above, suggestions for invitees for a January event,
partnership proposals, or further suggestions for how we may move forward,
will be most welcome. Please write to Mona Wadhwani,
ivofhope@bkwsugch.demon.co.uk.
IV of Hope
Inaugural Meeting, UK
8 May 2001, London
On Tuesday morning May 8th, about 20 people gathered in an
apartment in the Park Lane district of London to talk about
convening an Images and Voices of Hope conversation in London. The
group included seasoned journalists such as Olga Edridge from BBC
Worldwide and Neville Hodgkinson formerly of the London Times and
Sunday Times; international publicist and marketer Lynne Franks of
London and Los Angeles; and poetess and artist Dwina Gibb. There was
a representative from the National Health Service (Cambridgeshire
Health Authority), Hillary Spiers, an independent visual artist,
Julian Burton, an independent writer & producer, Gerard Brown
and a number of people who work in a broad range of general
communication fields. There were also representatives from the three
groups that first convened the international conversation two years
ago, Rita Cleary from the Visions of a Better World Foundation,
Maureen Goodman, Mona Wadhwani and Arti Lal from the Brahma Kumaris
and Anne Radford, a communication professional and Appreciative
Inquiry practitioner representing the SIGMA program at Case Western
Reserve University.
The group spent much of the time introducing themselves and
exploring their relationships, history and thoughts about the world
media. Judy Rodgers, project director, introduced the core concepts
of Images and Voices of Hope and offered some historical context
about the conversation to date. About two hours into the meeting,
the group paired up for a short Appreciative Inquiry interview to
familiarize themselves with the "engine" for these
dialogues as well as to generate some initial thinking about what
might make sense for this particular conversation.
The interviews generated close connections among those in the
room and a range of interesting ideas as to what kinds of actions
might make sense for this group to explore going forward: a
story-telling festival, partnerships with organizations with related
ideals such as Women in Journalism, a forum for people from
politics, healthcare, media and the arts, series of dinner parties
given by the core group for their friends and colleagues, a
by-invitation-only gathering for 250 influential people from media,
journalism and the arts, a public event to be hosted by (or attended
by) Robin Gibb of the BeeGees. The recurring theme of the
conversation was a preference to move slowly and thoughtfully with
the idea of bringing about real and substantial change in the images
and stories created and distributed in the public media.
The group broke at 1 o'clock for a buffet lunch prepared by the
Brahma Kumaris and agreed to reconvene in a month at the same place
to further develop the conversation. There were several people who
have expressed an interest in being a part of this group who were
unable to attend this first meeting, and those who were in
attendance expressed a desire to invite selected friends and
colleagues to the next meeting.
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