


In dynamic partnership with private media, global philanthropists and the UN Alliance of Civilization, the AOCMF is addressing the urgent need for more balanced depictions of religious and ethnic minorities in entertainment media (as recommended in the Final Report of the UNAoC High-Level Group released on Nov 2006). The AOCMF mission has a global scope and universal perspective, but places priority on addressing relations between Western and Muslim societies as the most pressing current conflict. Entertainment media is responsible for many of the perceptions, or misperceptions, that fuel the conflict between Western and Muslim societies. Perceived Western aggression against Muslim peoples is a significant factor contributing to Muslim radicalization around the world, according to the Gallup Poll’s "Who Speaks for Islam?" (2008). Research consistently links violent and humiliating media images of ethnic and religious minorities with a rise in conflict. Therefore, how media shapes its stories about religious and ethnic minority groups has become extremely important. The AOCMF is launching a wide-reaching Media Advocacy Campaign to raise awareness of the real world effects of negative stereotyping as well as a Film Fund to support the production and distribution of entertainment media that can dispel misconceptions and promote positive change.