INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ETHICS ORGANIZES PANEL DISCUSSION ON FILMS MEDIA AND VIOLENCE.
CRITICAL AWARENESS ESSENTIAL TO CHECK VIOLENCE IN FILMS AND MEDIA
The International Academy of Ethics organized a Panel Discussion on 9th July, moderated by Professor Parneet Jaggi.The PD was chaired by President of the IAE Dr Jernail Singh Anand.
Panelists were Prof Dijana Milosevic, a theatre personality and a Fulbright Scholar from Serbia, Professor Prasenjit Biswas from Central Univ of Shillong, and Dr Tayron Achury from Colombia, South America.
In his introductory address, Dr Anand questioned the crass violence in films which is dished out in the name of entertainment. He also questioned the role of the media for it’s soft corner for bloody news and ignoring finer aspects of life. He pointed out that when films and media try to deviate from the narrative, they are causing intellectual violence. And when they are trying to change the taste of the people and offer them sugary material, it is Psychological Violence. Dr Maja Herman Sekulic Vice-President, IAE, also pointed to the impending danger of promotion of violence by films and the media.
Dr Dijana Milosevic insisted that theatre offers transformational experience because it is a part of art and culture, and does not cater to entertainment alone. She wanted that cine lovers should be able to distinguish between films which promote art and culture and those which are for pure entertainment and full of mindless violence. She pointed out that young minds are exposed to violence through video films which needs to be checked by collective action by all intellectuals, parents, social scientists and student bodies and teachers.
Dr Prasenjit Biswas was critical of the organized efforts to decenter the social narrative and reduce everything to images. He insisted that we have to regain our humanity by recentering the narrative in this war-shop of images where man has been relegated to nothingness, reduced to desire and impelled by TV ads to fulfill these desires. He called it self-emptying which was a sort of death wish.
Dr Tayron Achury, a political scientist, wanted critical and collaborative action against mindless entertainment so that youth and young kids could be saved from its evil effects.
Dr Parneet Jaggi, putting up a brilliant performance as a moderator brought down the panel discussion to one question: was it possible to check the rising violent trends, and how. She was able to bring the three panelists to the point that the issue is urgent, and it needs coordinated action at all levels of awareness.She assured that it was possible to effect a change in our perceptions if an awakened and alert populace decides what their kids will watch on TV.
Dr Anand while summing up the discussion said that all is not lost. He agreed with Dr Prasenjit Biswas that the film and media have made us passive consumers and objects of their commercial and targetted campaigns. We have to regain the position of the subject. Recenter the entire narrative and ignore the films made only for entertainment which carry no social responsibility.
Prof Jaggi proposed vote of thanks for the Panel, Dr Molly Joseph, Chief Coordinator as well as for Prof Randhir Gautam and Dr Mukesh Grover who were working behind the camera. The programme was watched by hundreds of active participants and members of the IAE on fb who were also thanked for their timely comments.
Link for the Panel Discussion
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