Alia Malek is a journalist, author and former civil rights lawyer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Policy, The New Yorker, the Nation, the Christian Science Monitor and other publications. In April 2011, Alia moved to Damascus, Syria and wrote anonymously for several outlets from inside the country as it began to disintegrate. She is the author of “The Home That Was Our Country” about the many places Syrians have gone (including Armenia), winning the Hiett Prize in the Humanities (2016).
The third edition of EVN Media Festival that took place in May 2024, featured an impressive lineup of distinguished journalists, innovators and scholars. However, beyond sharing journalistic expertise, the festival was a celebration of the power of media to shape narratives and ignite change.
This edition of our magazine features some of the exhibitions that were on display during the EVN Media Fest, the podcasts that we recorded with the audience about the turbulence felt by the individuals living through transitional and fateful times, and last but not least, this issue will feature some of the panel discussions that looked into the prospects of national security and capacity building, talked about visualizing realities and the creative aspects of storytelling and up close and personal discussions with journalists like Jon Lee Anderson and Ben Mauk, artists like Michael Goorjian and Molly Crabapple.
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Discussions
Panel Discussion: Resilience, Whole of Society
When surrounded by aggressive neighbors, smaller democratic states evolve by integrating their social and governmental structures into a comprehensive security system, bolstering their resilience. This panel, which includes representatives from the business community, IT sector, civil society and academia looks at the mechanisms through which societal structures can be mobilized and harnessed to increase resiliency both during times of peace and amid security threats.
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Panel Discussion: Visualizing Realities, Creative Storytelling
From illustrations to VR and filmmaking, there are creative ways through which to tell compelling stories. Writer and filmmaker Ben Mauk, artist and writer Molly Crabapple, and actor and director Michael Goorjian delve into their experiences documenting civil war, forced reeducation camps, and repressions, shedding light on the innovative and sometimes unconventional approaches to storytelling.
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Panel Discussion: National Security and Capacity Building
In the aftermath of the 2020 Artsakh War, and particularly in light of the Azerbaijani incursion into Jermuk in 2022, it became evident that Armenia had to rebuild its security architecture and change its thinking on security. Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, Dr. Anna Ohanyan and CNN senior media consultant James LeMay discuss potential approaches to augment Armenia’s security capabilities, mitigate nascent threats, and provide data-driven insights on the ongoing recalibrations in Armenia’s security environment.
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Panel Discussion: Recording Memory
The Recording Memory panel, featured representatives from StoryCorps, an organization renowned for showcasing the power of recording memories to foster empathy, understanding and inclusivity. The conversation explores the vital role of storytelling in preserving personal narratives and collective history.
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