Media and information literacy in high conflict areas

Areena Omar in Yemen and Hania Bitar in the Palestinian territories live and work in complex social, political and media terrain. Both have found that Media and Information Literacy (MIL) can empower citizens to think critically about the news they read and hear.  

The two women met for the first time in early December at a DW Akademie MIL Meet-up in Amman, Jordan. Despite living in different cultures, much connected them in their work. The Amman meeting concluded a DW Akademie three-year strategy for Jordan and the Palestinian territories, funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The goal was for partner organizations in both countries, as well as in Yemen, to find new ways to work together. 

Areena is the CEO of the Yemen organization Media Sac, a DW Akademie partner, that focuses on media development and community advocacy. Hania is the director general of the Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation (PYALARA) and was recently appointed to UNESCO’s MIL Alliance Global Board as a Geographical Representative for the Arab States region. Also taking part in the Meet-up were the Jordan Media Institute (JMI) and Jordan’s FCPS (The Family and Childhood Protection Society) and SADA (The National Organization of Yemeni Reports). 

DW Akademie: What were your first impressions when you met at the MIL event in December? 

Areena Omar: I was impressed with Hania’s dedication to MIL and her nuanced understanding of challenges in the Palestinian territories. I had been focusing on youth and women in Yemen, conducting awareness campaigns, educational workshops and creating content to help people critically analyze news and information, and by meeting Hania I saw how similar challenges and solutions can resonate across different contexts, despite different circumstances. 

Hania Bitar:I first found Areena to be rather quiet – the opposite of me! But as we talked, I remembered that after finishing university I had worked as a professor, but that didn’t satisfy me. So, I started on my dream to create a space for young Palestinians to voice their ideals and opinions and to work and advocate for their issues. After a few years, I established a newspaper for young people but then realized I also needed an umbrella organization, which would be PYALARA. I actually didn’t have a salary in the beginning. This is similar to Areena's experience. She has faced challenges like I did, including suspicion, from the government and society, because we are women. 

Areena Omar: Right! I actually cried when we were finally able to rent a one-room apartment for our organization. We did not have any furniture and developed our first projects sitting with our laptops on the carpet. . 

What were your impressions of the MIL Meet-up? 

Areena Omar: I found the meet-up inspiring, bringing together committed peers from across the region and offering practical tools, innovative approaches and opportunities for collaboration. It helped me reflect on how to adapt MIL strategies to Yemen, particularly to reach women and youth in areas with limited access to reliable information. 

Hania Bitar:It’s very important to bring people together, especially in the Middle East. We don't have many opportunities to be together in an organized setting and learn from one another. It's different from online events, although they are helpful, too. It's good to hold meetings once or twice a year, and I hope DW Akademie continues to organize them, including for young people and journalists. 

What MIL tools have you found most effective in your work?

Hania Bitar:I think working with people directly to help them think critically about what they read or hear is the best and most effective tool. 

Areena Omar: I’ve also found interactive workshops, fact-checking guides and digital literacy campaigns to be effective. We focus on training youth and women to critically analyze sources, verify information and share responsibly. Storytelling and community-based approaches also make MIL more accessible and relevant to local realities. 

What are similarities and differences in your work? 

Areena Omar: Both Hania and I focus on empowering communities through media literacy, promoting critical thinking and countering misinformation and hate speech particularly among youth and women. The main difference lies in context: In Yemen, conflict and limited infrastructure make access to reliable information more challenging, while in the Palestinian territories, restrictions and digital surveillance are central concerns. However, we share the goal to create informed and resilient communities. 

Hania Bitar: I think that in the Arab context, there are also some natural similarities such as language barriers. 

Have you already started to collaborate? 

Hania Bitar:Not yet, but I would say that this has been the first step – just coming together. The next step is to strengthen our contact so we can then look for more opportunities, such as applying for joint funding. We aren't yet at the point where we know how to benefit from each other's expertise. But as (UNESCO's MIL Alliance Global Board) Geographical Representative for the Arab States, I need to learn more about the situation in Yemen, how MIL functions in society there, and also its challenges. 

Areena Omar: The MIL Meet-up in Amman highlighted areas that overlap in our work. I hope to collaborate with Hania on regional MIL initiatives, sharing strategies, resources and lessons learned to strengthen our impact across the region. 

The MIL Meet-up, part of the three-year strategy for the Palestinian territories with Jordan, is supported by BMZ.