Have copied the declaration at the end of this meesage
----- Original Message -----=20
Subject: [wsis-prep1] Dhaka Declaration on Media and Democracy
Dear Sir,
Greetings from Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication.
I am sending herewith Dhaka Declaration on Media and Democracy for your =
perusal.
Please find the attachment.
With best regards
AHM Bazlur Rahman- S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication=20
=20
BNNRC is affiliated with World Association of Community Radio =
Broadcasters
( AMARC) =20
Developing Countries Farm Radio Network(DCFRN)
ONEWORLD/Radio, ONEWORLD.net and Inter World Radio=20
National Secretariat
House: 9/4 Road: 2 Shamoli Dhaka 1207 Bangladesh Phone: 8125181 Fax: =
9129395=20
e-mail: bcnnrc@bd.drik.net
www.bcnnrc.net
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Dhaka Declaration on Media and Democracy
We, the media-persons from the print and electronic media in the =
countries of South Asia, Having met in Dhaka on May 25-26, 2003, at the =
Third South Asian Free Media Conference, and having deliberated on the =
interdependence of democracy and media freedom, Recalling the =
universally upheld ideals of democracy and freedom of expression =
inscribed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the two =
covenants of 1966, other UN instruments, the UNESCO principles and the =
Johannesberg Principles on Media Freedom,
Recalling and reaffirming the principles and declarations inspiring the =
Joint Statement issued after the First South Asian Free Media Conference =
in Islamabad in July 2000, and the Declaration adopted at the Second =
South Asian Free Media Conference at Kathmandu on January 1-2, 2002, =
wherein faith in peace, democracy, justice and well-being of the family =
of the South Asian peoples was inscribed as the basic inspiration for =
free media in South Asia,=20
Reaffirming once again our faith in the South Asian people's right to =
democratic governance, Recognising the need of a democratic order for =
achieving the ideals of a free media in the region, Realising the =
responsibility of media-persons to struggle collectively and severally =
for the twin objectives of democracy and freedom of expression, Taking =
note of the uneven transition of South Asian nations to the contemporary =
ideals of participatory democracy and their peoples' empowerment, =
criminalization of politics and devaluation of systems of justices, =
especially of the situation in :
Bangladesh, where further efforts are needed to strengthen the gains of =
the people's heroic struggles for self determination and democracy, and =
the major political forces need to arrive at a closer understanding and =
cooperation in order to ensure the basic rights of the people, =
especially the disadvantaged.=20
Bhutan, where despite the welcome initiative for a new constitutional =
set-up progress towards democratisation of the state and the society is =
both unclear and uncertain, and where the right to citizenship and the =
rights of the diverse communities forming the nation are subject to =
arbitrary abridgment;=20
India, widely hailed as a secular democracy, has been threatened by =
forces of communalism and religious bigotry. Regional and sub-regional =
aspirations for devolution of powers have not been adequately addressed, =
resulting in frustrations and often also in the outbreak of violence. An =
established tradition of press freedom is being threatened by a growing =
criminalization of politics and abuse of judicial practice. These =
factors weaken India's pluralistic civil society and by that token, sap =
the foundations of democracy itself=20
Nepal, where the disruption of the democratic system is threatening to =
erase the people's rights secured through the democratic revolution of =
1990, and creating obstacles to democratic resolution of civil strife =
and matters concerning the deprived communities=20
Pakistan, where the state's return to the democratic path has again been =
thwarted and it is under a double squeeze by the forces of =
authoritarianism and religious extremism that reinforce each other and =
deny pluralism and will have extremely grievous consequences to the =
people's right to representative government and their basic freedoms;=20
Sri Lanka, where the suspension of hostilities and the process of =
negotiations have set the country on the road to peace, the prospects =
for consolidation of democratic institutions, pluralism and respect for =
human rights remain unclear; and=20
Noting that in almost all South Asian states the factors impinging on =
democratisation and respect for the people's basic rights and for =
pluralism in their multi-cultural societies, tend to inject political =
and cultural polarisation into the media, thereby interfering with its =
functioning as a truthful, independent and non-partisan sentinel of =
democracy and a watchdog of public interest and preventing the media =
persons from discharging their obligations to their people and their =
conscience, And noting with disapproval some recent trends on the global =
scene, in embedded journalism, that are undermining media's integrity in =
the region;
Resolve that all members of SAFMA, in pursuance of the principles and =
objectives inscribed in the association's foundational documents and =
commitments made by it subsequently, will strive
To uphold, collectively and individually, the system of multi-party, =
participatory democracy, wherein the rights of all sections of each =
country, especially the right to freedom of expression and dissent, the =
principle of gender equality and the rights of minorities, are fully =
respected;=20
to respect the demands of pluralism and social justice in our respective =
societies;=20
to strive for peace within and between nations of South Asia and secure =
the diversion of resources from wasteful acquisition of arms to public =
interest projects;=20
to eschew the use of language, terminology or tone that exacerbate =
differences between peoples;=20
to discourage hate-preaching, distortion of national characters, =
xenophobia, cultural chauvinism, racism, casteism, and exploitation of =
the poor and the marginalised;=20
to resist authoritarianism and religious extremist in any form and =
promote the media's function as the foremost school of good citizenship; =
to reject the demonisation of the "others" as an instrument of =
perpetuating conflicts;=20
to fight violence and terrorism as they undermine both democracy and =
freedom of the media;=20
to secure and enlarge the right to freedom of information for the media =
in particular and the people in general;=20
to promote regional media understanding and forums that could create =
space for themselves in the international context;=20
to foster professionalism and transparency in the media;=20
to develop intra-state and inter-state solidarity among media-persons in =
resistance to intimidation and violence by anti-democratic interests;=20
to raise a bulwark against intra-media forces and tendencies that =
support or strengthen the vested interests' assaults on democracy and =
media freedoms; and=20
to develop a system of consultation and cooperation among SAFMA's =
national chapters and individual members for the removal of doubts and =
difficulties that may arise in the pursuit of objectives mentioned in =
this Declaration.=20
Source: www.southasianmedia.net
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-------------------
Sender
AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication
E-mail: bcnnrc@bd.drik.net
695_2.html (attatchment)