Report on Ray's Internet Media panel.
I have to say that Ray Hanania’s panel discussion on Internet media was really constructive today. We have Ray and his Comedy Tour to thank for putting it all together.
I think it really was a testament to contact theory; people representing print journalism, online media, Palestinians and Israelis sat together and discussed how to connect better using internet media and journalistic values.
I was really proud to represent Mideast Youth to the rest of the participants. In fact, a few were interested in learning more; perhaps we’ll get around to expanding in the Palestinian-Israeli realm.
Face-to-face conversation is the only thing we cannot easily replicate on the internet; reading facial expressions and looking into each others’ eyes are certainly lacking. More public events like this would really help take our powerful conversations here to higher levels. Of course, there are challenges to overcome, so meanwhile, let’s keep the cyber lines of communication open and operating.
Check out my breakdown of Mideast Youth here – it’s a basic agenda I used to explain the site to the audience.
Thanks to all our wonderful authors and contributors for making this site an example of tolerant conversation and eye-opening dialogue!
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This is excellent. It seems to be in the same vein as the ZMI conference I was meant to attend last summer, but was unable to leave Heathrow airport due to inappropriate (lacking an electronic barcode) British passport.
They will hopefully be holding another 10 day conference in June 2008, maybe we should all attempt to get together there?! Just an idea.. but I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for us all to meet and discuss our interests in such a diverse and productive environment.
Looks like Ray did an amazing job brainstorming and putting this all together. As I write this he’s probably performing with the Comedy Tour now! But it’s active members like you Liz, Ray, and Mohammad (who is going to represent us in Beirut in just a week!) that make networks like these work.
We’re very proud to have passionate people like you amongst us.
Tamara:
That would be great! In June, Tori and Miriam will also be representing MEY in a panel somewhere in Colorado.
I hope there will be one conference where all of us get to meet. I’ve been working with some people here via Skype and e-mail for over a year now. I’m dying to meet them!
Great job! Will we be seeing a video of this anytime soon?
I think Ray took video… And photos…
Thanks so much Eliesheva. I had a chance to meet Eliesheva and her husband and what great people they are. They also came out to an impromptu performance that SHerif Hedayat and I made at the Off the Wall Comedy Club on Ben Yehude Street and King George V street, owned by a friend of mine, David Kilimnick. We had a blast, although I know a few of the packed Israeli crowd at the club may not have liked my “Palestinian” humor. In the end, though, nearly everyone enjoyed it. Sherif was a big hit, too.
Here’s a link to a report I filed for the National Arab American Journalists Association (www.NAAJA-US.com):
http://www.NAAJA-US.com/Con2007.html
Hey, well done!