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| Sunday, 09 March 2003 |
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Asian journalists welcome Tolerance Prize by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE A panel comprising renowned journalists from Asia gathered in Colombo yesterday to select the winners of the Tolerance Prize organised by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The selection process was conducted at the boardroom of the Associated Newspapers Ceylon Ltd, (ANCL). The IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize is about promoting tolerance, combatting racism, and discrimination, and contributing to an understanding of cultural, religious and ethnic differences. The prize is an annual reward to journalists from all sectors of the media to promote better understanding among journalists from all communities in defence of human rights, particularly when it comes to reporting on minorities. The prize rewards individuals and their work, promoting benchmarks on how to tackle discrimination in whatever form it comes - whether on the basics of language , religion, or belief or ethnic origin. The prize promotes editorial independence , high standard of professionalism and journalists ethics and diversity in media and targets a number of key regions where coverage of minority affairs is often fraught with difficulties and tensions. The Journalism for Tolerance Prize is supported by the European Union.Anand of the Hindustani Times based in New Delhi, a member of the selection panel for IFJ awards, said, that this was the first Tolerance prize of the IFJ, for which a large number of entries have been received from South Asia. I. A. Rehman, Director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that there has been a storm of intolerance and discrimination of sex and gender and therefore it was a good thing to encourage positive trends in journalism. Ajit Bhattachari, Director of the Press Institute of India said that he was very happy to be in Sri Lanka for this occasion. It was a good idea to institute a prize for tolerance especially these times when the countries in the region are having problems. "Our papers seems to highlight conflicts than being together. IFJ has done a good thing by emphasising on tolerance that promote understanding among different communities. Editor in Chief of the ANCL English Publications, Ajith Samaranayake, a panel member said that the IPJ had decided to have the preliminary judging in Sri Lanka where several distinguished journalists from South East Asia have arrived in Sri Lanka to participate as panel of judges. |
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