Promoting cultural diversity through the media will be the focus of a major regional forum in Bahrain next month.

Media personalities, authors, politicians, social media activists, political figures and academics from around the Arab world will convene for the second edition of the Gulf Forum for Political Media, organised by the Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) on November 13, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Entitled "Media and Cultural Diversity", the forum will feature speeches by His Majesty King Hamad's media adviser Nabeel Al Hamar and former Kuwaiti Transportation and Information Minister Sami Al Nisf.

It will be followed by three sessions highlighting the media's role in promoting acceptance of cultural and ethnic differences.

Experts will debate topics such as media diversity, new media and shaping public opinion through TV.

"This event spotlights one of the major issues in our society," Al Hamar told a media briefing yesterday at the institute headquarters, in Umm Al Hassam.

"Media is playing a pivotal role in shaping people's opinion and is now the cornerstone in our overall development, as well as a tool to communicate between different cultures.

"There will always be differences within the society, which I consider to be a healthy indicator that can measure civilisation, but at the same time they (differences) need to be handled with reason, flexibility and an open mind.

"Therefore, the media is a vital tool to create closer relationships between cultures and a common ground to understand and co-operate.

"It can embrace all cultural differences, no matter how major they are, without causing any crisis.

"This can be done by being neutral and subjective in all conditions and by avoiding any attempt to incite trouble or to side with anyone."

Al Hamar, who is BIPD's chairman, also encouraged all political societies to take part in the upcoming elections.

"I don't believe that boycotting the elections is a right thing to do as we can all argue, but we need to reach a settlement at the end of the day and this, from my point of view, is what Bahrain has always sought to do by encouraging everyone to participate in the national dialogue," he said.

"A candidate represents the entire country and not only his constituency. They represent every bit of Bahrain with all the differences of its people.

"A political society is never successful unless it works for the country's benefit and is on good terms with every sect."

Next month's forum is open to people of all ages and is taking place at the Gulf Hotel's Gulf Convention Centre, but spaces are limited. - TradeArabia News Service