Participants' Bios
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International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East [Virtual Event] 8-9 December 2020 Organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications PARTICIPANTS’ BIOGRAPHIES Walid Batrawi An award-winning Palestinian media and communication practitioner, trainer and consultant. With a M.A. in Mass Communication, Mr. Batrawi has built 29 years of experience across television, radio, print and online media, in addition to management of media development projects with organizations across the Middle East and around the world. He worked as a Country Director in Palestine with BBC Media Action from March 2012 until July 2017. Prior to that, Mr. Batrawi worked as the Deputy Chief of Party for Internews Network in Palestine. From December 2007 through January 2010, he served as a Project Director for the BBC World Service Trust (BBC Media Action). Mr. Batrawi also worked as a correspondent for Al-Jazeera English, as well as a correspondent for BBC Arabic Service Radio. In 2003, the European Commission and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) named Mr. Batrawi winner of the IFJ’s 2003 Natali Prize for “Excellence in reporting Human Rights, Democracy and Development” (in the category of the Arab World, Iran and Israel.) @wbatrawi Nanette Braun Chief of Communications Campaigns Service in the Strategic Communications Division, United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC). Ms. Braun joined the United Nations in 1995. Prior to the current appointment, Ms. Braun headed the communications and public advocacy departments at UN Women, the women’s rights organization of the UN, and at UN Volunteers, which facilitates the deployment of thousands of volunteers annually in support of the United Nations’ peace, humanitarian and development efforts. A journalist by training, Ms. Braun worked for print media and broadcasters in her native Germany and abroad, reporting with particular interest on international politics and humanitarian issues. She holds a M.A. in Modern History and North American studies from Free University Berlin and Technical University Berlin respectively. #UNMediaSeminar PAGE 1 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East [Virtual Event] 8-9 December 2020 Organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications PARTICIPANTS’ BIOGRAPHIES Melissa Fleming Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the United Nations, having taken up the post in September 2019. Ms. Fleming previously served the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) as its Head of Global Communications and Spokesperson for the High Commissioner for 10 years, and before that worked in senior communications roles for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). She is author of the book, A Hope More Powerful than the Sea, and host of the award-winning podcast, Awake at Night. @MelissaFleming Allyn Fisher-Ilan Editor with Haaretz on the web site, a supervisor of the daily print edition in English and an occasional content contributor. Born in New York, Ms. Fisher-Ilan worked as a journalist in Israel, and parts of the United States for more than 37 years, with a special interest in the Palestinian and Arab world conflict with Israel, and Israeli politics. In both print and new media work she has covered some of the major conflicts and milestones of the past several decades, notably Israel’s wars with Gaza, two wars in Lebanon, two Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation, the events leading up to these outbreaks, and the Oslo Accords. A graduate of Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Ms. Fisher-Ilan has worked for the New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Associated Press, and Reuters News Agency, as well as two Israeli media outlets, Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. @AFilan Rabbi Michael Melchior Rabbi of a vibrant community in Jerusalem in addition to being Chief Rabbi of Norway. In 1999, he was elected to the Knesset and served for 10 years in a number of key governmental positions, such as Minister for Social Affairs and World Jewry, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, among others. Rabbi Melchoir is the founder and Chairman of Mosaica, the Middle East Religious Peace Initiative, which actively works to build a religious peace between leaders of all religions in the Middle East and Europe. He is also an internationally renowned Jewish leader, thinker and activist and a leading advocate for social justice in Israel, interfaith dialogue and a voice for peaceful co-existence. #UNMediaSeminar PAGE 2 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East [Virtual Event] 8-9 December 2020 Organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications PARTICIPANTS’ BIOGRAPHIES Ambassador Cheikh Niang A career diplomat who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Senegal in 1993. Currently serving as Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations and Chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Prior to that, Mr. Niang was Senegal’s Ambassador to Japan (2014 to 2018), concurrently accredited to Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore. He served as Ambassador to the United States (2012 to 2014), also accredited to Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay, and as Senegal’s Ambassador to South Africa (2010 and 2012), with jurisdiction extended to nine other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. He was also, among other previously held positions, Consul General of Senegal in New York, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of Senegal, and Head of the African Division at the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Niang holds a Diploma in Diplomacy from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration of Dakar, Senegal, an M.A. in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom, another M.A. and a M.Phil in English studies from Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal and a Certificate in French-English Interpretation from the University of Westminster, London, UK. Nour Odeh Media professional and communications consultant, specializing in public diplomacy. Ms. Odeh is the CEO of Connect, a strategic communications consultancy firm which she founded in 2014. Prior to that, she served as a senior communications advisor for the Palestinian leadership, ahead of Palestine's application for membership at the United Nations in 2011. Ms. Odeh then served as Director of the Palestinian Media Centre and Spokesperson of the Palestinian Government. Before her work in public service and as a consultant, Ms. Odeh was a career journalist, covering the Israel-Palestine conflict extensively for over 11 years in English, Arabic and Spanish (which she speaks fluently) for several Palestinian and international media organizations, including Al-Jazeera English. In 2003, Ms. Odeh set up and led Ramattan News Agency, Palestine's first video news agency, based in Gaza, serving clients #UNMediaSeminar PAGE 3 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East [Virtual Event] 8-9 December 2020 Organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications PARTICIPANTS’ BIOGRAPHIES worldwide. In 2008, her reporting was recognized in the Monte Carlo Television Festival and won Al-Jazeera Network’s first Golden Nymph award. Ms. Odeh writes opinion and analysis in English and Arabic and is a regular guest in international news outlets. @nour_odeh Julie Posetti An award-winning journalist and academic. Currently Dr. Posetti leads the global research program at the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). Based in Oxford, England, she researches and writes at the intersection of journalism safety, media freedom, media and gender, journalism and disinformation, and the digital transformation of journalism, drawing on an international career spanning three decades. She is the author of UNESCO’s Protecting Journalism Sources in the Digital Age (2017) and co-editor of Journalism, ‘Fake News’ and Disinformation (UNESCO 2018). A native of Australia, Dr. Posetti was a documentaries and features reporter, news editor, national political correspondent, and presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), following a traineeship in commercial radio news. Dr. Posetti holds a PhD from the University of Wollongong in Australia. Her dissertation focused on the intersecting themes of journalistic source protection, privacy, media freedom and digital rights. Dr. Posetti remains affiliated with Oxford University through the Reuters Institute, and is also a senior researcher with Sheffield University’s Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM). @julieposetti Damian Radcliffe The Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, a Professor of Practice, an affiliate of the Department for Middle East and North Africa Studies (MENA), and a Research Associate of the Center for Science Communication Research (SCR) at the University of Oregon. Alongside holding the Chambers Chair at the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), he is also a Fellow of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies, and a fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). An experienced digital analyst, #UNMediaSeminar PAGE 4 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East [Virtual Event] 8-9 December 2020 Organized by the United Nations