On October 19, Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication, in partnership with the Tsinghua Center for Global Development and Health Communication Research, hosted the 3rd Global Development and Health Communication Forum. The event, under the theme “Media for Empathy and Equity,” brought together over 150 global leaders, scholars, and media experts from the United Nations, government agencies, NGOs, academia, media, and the corporate sector. The forum underscored the indispensable role of communication in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and how it could unite global efforts to forge a more inclusive and equitable world.
Yang Bin, Vice President of Tsinghua University, spoke about the widening inequalities in global health and development, despite technological advancements in fields like robotics, AI, and life sciences. “The technology reshapes our lives with unprecedented speed, the disparity in global health and development is becoming increasingly prominent, posting more challenges to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” Yang said. He underscored the critical role of communication in addressing these global issues and further emphasized Tsinghua’s commitment to enhancing global health and development through partnerships and effective communication.
Zheng Zhi-Jie, Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation China Country Office, pointed out the pressing global issues such as climate change, pandemic control, and food shortages that demand a cooperative global effort, stressing the importance of empathy and equity. “Historically, empathy has been crucial for humans as social beings to survive and thrive; in modern society, it not only helps us understand dilemmas on a global scale, prompting transnational cooperation but also drives the achievement of global health and development goals,” Zheng explained.
Cui Shixin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of People’s Daily, talked about embracing cultural diversity and fostering international cooperation in the humanities as foundational to overcoming global conflicts and disparities. “We must harness the strength of media to dissolve cultural barriers and foster international cooperation, making the media a bridge to connect different civilizations,” Cui said.
Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, emphasized the critical need to combat misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech in a video address. In an increasingly polarized world, he underscored the importance of ensuring inclusive access to the internet and effective communication. “As we strive to ensure no one is left behind, the media must amplify the voices of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups,” Chatterjee stated. He added that responsible communication can promote mutual understanding, alleviate tensions, and support a pathway towards peace and prosperity.
“In a world grappling with misinformation and the rapid changes brought on by geopolitical tensions and technological advancements, the media’s role in fostering empathy and ensuring fair access to information has never been more critical,” stated Zhou Qing’an, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University during his keynote speech. He stressed the necessity of nurturing a community that values shared understanding and equitable information dissemination to combat the growing polarization and risks associated with digital misinformation.
At the plenary session, notable communication leaders from global organizations shared actionable insights on leveraging strategic communication to address global challenges. Gabby Stern, Director of Communications at WHO, suggests, "The advances in digital communication media and the support of the younger generation should not lead us to despair but rather encourage a shared empathy through which we see numerous opportunities." Christy Feig, Head of Communications at The Global Fund, emphasized that what we must do now is ensure that everyone truly understands the urgency of these issues and involve all relevant parties in addressing these global challenges. Doulaye Kone, Interim Director of water, Sanitation & hygiene at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, discussed the importance of communicators collaborating with scientists and engineers to engage audiences and support development projects. Najum Iqbal, Head of Communications for East Asia at the ICRC, underscored the necessity of delivering context-sensitive information that respects local nuances, pointing out the vital role of tailored communication strategies in effectively managing diverse global scenarios.
The second panel, moderated by Chen Liang, Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, featured Hao Yang, President of the Chinese Association of STD & AIDS Prevention and Control, Zhou Taidong, Vice President of the China Center for International Knowledge on Development, Dina Yang, Deputy Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation China Country Office, Zhao Guocheng, Vice President of Tencent’s SSV, and Zhang Shilei, Director of the New Media Editorial Department at CGTN. They discussed their organizations’ efforts in effectively narrating health and development stories respectively. They also called for deeper interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborations to tackle the opportunities and challenges media face in the digital age, ensuring that technology and ethical standards in content production and distribution contribute to societal cohesion rather than division, thereby enhancing empathy and equity.
In the afternoon sub-forums, 15 experts and opinion leaders from sectors including government, academia, research institutions, businesses, and the media explored how emerging technologies like machine algorithms, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality can enhance health equity advocacy. The two topics discussed were: “Empowering Health Equity Advocacy through Media Technology Innovation” and “Storytelling and Empathy: Bridging Divides in a Fragmented World.”
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Writer: Evender Hsu
Editors: Ma Mingwei, Fang Si, Gillian Tang
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