Overcoming social exclusion through media literacy, critical thinking, and healthy debate
The SMITE project is fully funded with a €25,000 grant by the Iceland – Liechtenstein – Norway Active Citizens Fund operated by SOS Malta and is led by the African Media Association in partnership with NWAMI International Malta.
The project’s short name SMITE stands for ‘Stereotypes & Mass Information Together Explored’ was chosen due to its phonetic resemblance to the Maltese verb ‘smajt,’ (‘I/you heard’), reminding us of how easily influenced we are by what is whispered in our ears. The concept of SMITE is based on the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s notion of the Single Story and how this impacts our perceptions of one another, our attitudes and actions.
Through our project’s activities, we are seeking to bridge the gap between local and migrant communities and aim to promote community cohesion through engagement activities between representatives of local and migrant communities.
The activities will address issues concerning the creation, dissemination, and processing of one-sided media information.
Panel discussions which serve as educational awareness sessions with panellists representing local and migrant communities aim to educate the public on issues related to media literacy, address ethical issues in blogging and social media posts, encourage mindful listening, critical thinking, and encourage healthy debate.
