Culture of Constructive Dialogue between Governments and Citizens is the Cornerstone of New Middle East, Says Martin Luer King III

Building an effective and sustainable mechanism that fosters constructive dialogue between the government and its people is the cornerstone of a new Middle East, where the legitimate aspirations of its teeming millions will be met, said Martin Luther King III, human rights advocate and community activist.

Drawing upon the lessons learned from the African-American Civil Rights Movement between 1955 and 1968, and the historic role his father Martin Luther King Jr. played therein, King said: History teaches us that effective leaders work to create an atmosphere of trust and dialogue to build trust and bridge differences. This could eventually result in reconciliation of issues. While seeking to change a system that was not based on equality and justice, my father and his team were absolutely clear on certain points. They knew their movement would not be rooted in violence. So, they put together a route of civil disobedience and non-violence, a stance that yielded quicker and lasting results.

The comments were made during a special session hosted by the Government Communication Forum, which concludes today at the Expo Centre in Sharjah.

Suggesting certain similarities between the African-American civil rights movement and the revolution in Egypt, Martin Luther King III pointed out that effective leaders need to create an atmosphere of trust and dialogue that will bridge differences and result in reconciliation.

He elaborated on the five distinct stages of resolving conflict by non-violent means. The first is information gathering, which assembles all the facts pertaining to the issue. The second is to ensure both sides are committed to a resolution to the conflict. The third is negotiation, followed by direct action, and finally, reconciliation.

King added that the people too need to think of ways in which they can effectively and constructively engage with the government. Citing the example of Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger led to the black community boycotting the Montgomery bus service for 181 days, he said: Eventually, the authorities were compelled to sit down at the table and listen to our concerns.

Underlining the need for every leader to remain in sync with evolving modes of communications, King pointed out. Today, huge movements can be organized quickly by the sheer power of social media, as we have seen across the Middle East. Clearly, governments must ensure that they are fully engaged with the issues people consider important and express through social media channels.

King further remarked that he has a lot of faith in young people. The world is theirs for the taking. I think they will be much more connected than we are now, and they can achieve wonderful things if they use the opportunity right.

The session was moderated by Mona El Shazly, presenter at MBC Egypt channel.

Martin Luther King, III has been actively involved in driving policy initiatives to maintain the fair and equitable treatment of all citizens, at home and abroad. As a commemorative of the 44th anniversary of the assassination of his father, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, he launched the April 4th Revisited: Saving Lives, Building Dreams initiative in 2012, in collaboration with the CDC-funded Prevention Institute as a call-to-action to build peaceful communities.

In conjunction with Ambassador Andrew Young and other partners, King co-founded Bounce TV - the first-ever independently owned and operated television network featuring African-Americans. Bounce TV targets viewers who do not have cable television in major cities across the US.

King is credited with the founding of the non-profit organization Realizing the Dream, Inc., that eventually merged with The King Center. He has spearheaded nonviolence education workshops and youth development programs in Bosnia, Herzegovina, India, Palestine, Kenya, Sri Lanka and the US. Utilizing the principles of King-ian nonviolence, he negotiated a change in the state flag that was an offensive and divisive symbol for many Georgians.

Some of the initiatives that King has led include the King Summer Intern Program' to provide employment opportunities for high-school students; Hoops for Health', charity basketball game to increase public awareness on new-born babies who suffer the effects of substance abuse; and A Call to Manhood', annual event uniting young African-American males with positive adult role models.

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