Focusing on the role of the international mass media, these essays stress the urgency of building confidence in the relations among European states and populations in order to secure peace on a world-wide scale and to stop the arms race on the earth and prevent its extension to outer space. Titles and authors are as follows: (1) "Welcoming Speech Delivered by the Rector of the Karl Marx University" (L. Rathmann); (2) "Opening Remarks" (K. Nordenstreng); (3) "Legal Aspects in the Historical Development of Mass Media in International Relations" (W. Poeggel); (4) "International Confidence through Communication--Hazards, Alternatives" (Y. Littunen); (5) "New Communication Technologies and the Perspectives of Confidence-Building Measures in the Field of International Information" (W. Kleinwachter); (6) "Promoting Peace and Reducing Conflict" (T. Varis); (7) "New Thinking in the Nuclear Age and Confidence-Building in Communication" (H. Protsch and W. Ullmann); (8) "Culture, Information and Confidence-Building in Europe" (F. Raaz); (9) "Remarks on New Information Technologies (NITs) Bypassing Content-Related Regulatory Approaches of Communication Policies" (F. M. Bahr); (10) "The League of Nations and the Mass Media: The Rediscovery of a Forgotten Story" (K. Nordenstreng and T. Seppa); (11) "The Prohibition of War and Racial Propaganda under International Law" (H. J. Heintze); (12) "International Legal Regulation of the Direct Television Broadcastings and the Establishment of Confidence in Europa" (E. Konstantinov); (13) "Working Conditions of Journalists" (O. Miettinen); (14) "Television Programmes on Offer in Some European Socialist Countries" (Z. Jakab); and (15) "The Involvement of the Mass Media in the Campaign for Arms Limitation, Disarmament and Peace" (D. Riedel and H. Odermann). (JD)