Press ReleasesIn Amman, Media Activists from 100 Countries Converge for Ground-Breaking Conference on Media DevelopmentGlobal Forum for Media Development Draws Overflow Crowd
AMMAN, October 2. The field of international media development came of age yesterday with the opening of the Global Forum for Media Development conference in Amman, Jordan. A three-day inaugural forum drew twice the expected number of participants on its opening day, attracting over 600 journalists and media experts from nearly 100 countries This was the first global gathering of media assistance practitioners, meeting to discuss the issues they face and, potentially, launch a process of collective action to increase the ability of media aid organizations to contribute to political and economic development around the world. Shashi Tharoor, the United Nations' most senior information official gave the keynote address (PDF), underlining the key role independent media play in democratic and economic development. Tharoor, who is United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said, "In the modern globalizing world, information sows the seeds of prosperity, and those who are without access to information are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to building a better future for themselves and for their children." Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Muasher, representing His Majesty King Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, described the government of Jordan's recent media reforms, adding, "The steps Jordan has taken are necessary for the development of a truly independent media in the country, but they are far from sufficient. . . . We need to evolve towards a culture where diversity is seen as a source of strength rather than a weakness, and where criticism of the state is tolerated by the state and society in general." The Government of Jordan, through the Jordan Information Center, is hosting this meeting of GFMD. Speakers at the opening session included Roby Alampay, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance in Thailand; David Hoffman, President of the US-based Internews Network; Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda in Nigeria; Jaime Abello Banfi, President of the Gabriel Garcia Marquez Foundation in Colombia; Basil Tarawneh, Director General of the Jordan Information Center; and Mohammed Alayyan, CEO of ATV and publisher of Al-Ghad newspaper in Jordan. The GFMD 2005 conference is organized by 18 organizations from around the world dedicated to media development issues, including Arab Press Freedom Watch, BBC World Service Trust, Colectivo de Investigación, Desarrollo y Educación entre Mujeres, Environmental Education Media Project, Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano, Institute for War & Peace Reporting, International Center for Journalists, International Federation of Journalists, Internews Europe, Internews International, Internews Network, Internews Russia, Media Development Loan Fund, Media Rights Agenda, Panos, Southeast Asian Press Alliance, World Association of Newspapers and Zambezi FoX. "The GFMD is the first attempt of its kind to combine the synergies of national, regional, and international media development and support groups in strengthening the role of a free and independent media," said Jeanette Minnie, a GFMD Steering Committee member. Minnie is an international freedom of expression consultant and heads Zambezi FoX, based in South Africa. GFMD is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, the Ford Foundation, the Government of Jordan, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Lodestar Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Open Society Institute, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, UNESCO and the United Nations Foundation. Al Ghad, Jordan National Bank, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Aqaba Development Corporation, Greater Amman Municipality Management, Jordan Aviation, the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance, and Jordan Kuwait Bank are conference sponsors. Media partners are Link TV and Jordan TV. Koordinata 20 in Russia provided in-kind support. CONTACT: Email contact@gfmd.info Global Forum for Media Development
|
|
||
