MAN Joins Media Forum to Discuss the Responsibility of the Press
Media Action Nepal (MAN) has participated in the first Nepali Online Media Forum on “The Freedom and Responsibility of the Press for a Just and Peaceful Society” on June 10, 2017. The forum hosted by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international NGO cooperating with national and local organizations, including youths, women and media experts for peace and stability.
This forum celebrating the ‘World Press Freedom Day’, May 3rd, designated by the UN aimed to discuss the role of the press in both protecting freedom of expression and promoting the public awareness of peace. HWPL introduced the theme of the forum “to discuss the specific role of journalists in creating a more just and peaceful society, and the ways to ensure the freedom of press when implementing it.
Participating in the forum Mr. Laxman Datt Pant, Chairperson of MAN examined the level of the freedom of expression and the responsibility of the press in Nepal. He emphasized on the role of media in maintaining peaceful and just society. He stressed that media has a role to respect to the diverse identities of the persons, societies and opinions. Mr. Gani Ansari of BBC Nepali Service commented that ideal peaceful society does not hold of any fear. People can express their views freely, and that also means law should be equal to each member of the society, he added. Mr. Rajendra Baniya of Avenues Television explained his view on the true meaning of the peaceful society by saying, “Silence is not peace, and silence sometimes is created due to fear. The peaceful society can be recognized as the society guaranteed with democratic rights, harmony and respect to each other, he added.
At the end of the forum, the participants agreed throughout the meeting that hearing a variety of journalists’ voices on one topic in relation to peace is important and challenging to develop their media platforms and to see how the matters of the public should be delivered for peaceful Nepali society. Voice of Press, the online forum of HWPL, has been held 12 times in different countries including Ukraine, Nigeria, Algeria, and Malaysia, and joint online forums are planned to be organized to promote peace in the international community including Ukraine and Russia, South Korea and Rwanda, Greece, and Albania.