MELBOURNE, Australia - AussieJournal -- The international peace NGO Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) hosted an online workshop titled "Beyond Conflict to Harmony: Peaceful Media, Connecting the World." The session explored how media professionals can promote unity through balanced, ethical, and empathetic reporting.

Centred on Article 9 of HWPL's Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)—which emphasises religious and ethnic harmony—the discussion reinterpreted the clause as a moral guideline for journalists. Participants reflected on how media coverage of religion and ethnicity shapes public perception, and how responsible reporting can prevent division and conflict.

The event also highlighted HWPL's International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA), which connects journalists from diverse faiths and cultures to co-produce stories on interreligious dialogue, strengthening the media's role as an educator for peace.

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Regional sessions followed, featuring insights from Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa. African journalists discussed "conflict-sensitive reporting," stressing careful use of language to avoid fuelling ethnic or political tensions. Middle Eastern participants explored using Article 9 as a foundation for future journalist training programs to bridge long-standing divides. In Oceania, speakers noted that peace journalism requires empathy and a shared editorial vision that goes beyond mere coexistence.

Ethiopian journalist Bizuayehu of Amhara Media Corporation shared, "As a journalist, I wish to leave a voice that builds bridges, not walls. I aim for my reporting to amplify the voices of peacemakers, focus on solutions rather than just problems, and contribute to a more informed and empathetic global community."

The workshop followed the 11th HWPL World Peace Summit held a month earlier in Cheongju, Republic of Korea, where over 800 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to lasting peace. The DPCW gained further global momentum, with new parliamentary resolutions and the expansion of peace education in countries such as Zambia and Mongolia. HWPL also launched the Solidarity of Religions' Peace Committee (SRPC) to strengthen interfaith cooperation.

Looking ahead, HWPL announced plans to host biannual forums, beginning with pilot collaborations among journalists from Ethiopia, Egypt, Palestine, and Australia, to develop a sustainable media network that advances responsible journalism and supports the institutionalisation of peace.

www.hwplvic.com.au