31-12-2010 (Quito) Improving freedom of expression monitoring in Andean region
The Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) of the University of Palermo (Argentina) and the UNESCO Office in Quito organized a meeting of organizations of the Andean Group of Freedom of Information (GALI) in order to evaluate the mechanisms being currently used to monitor violations of freedom of expression in the region.
31-12-2010 (Quito) Conference on freedom of expression organized in Bolivia
The Bolivian Press Association (Asociación Nacional de la Prensa, ANP), in collaboration with UNESCO’s Office in Quito, organized a conference under the theme “International Legal Standards on Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression” in La Paz on 17 December 2010. Attended by 75 participants, the Conference presented the results of a study of the current Bolivian legal framework.
30-12-2010 (Port-au-Prince) UNESCO supports training of Haitian journalists on election reporting
UNESCO and the International Media Support (IMS) have facilitated training for 300 journalists, supporting their attendance at a series of courses organized by the Haitian Journalism Association (AJH) on election reporting. The journalists come from towns across Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Gonaïves, Saint Marc, Hinche, Mirebalais, Jérémie, Cayes, Jacmel and Miragoane.
30-12-2010 (Quito) UNESCO supports study on potential of social networks for journalism
The Colombian organization, Consejo de Redacción, in collaboration with UNESCO’s Office in Quito and within the framework of the IPDC project, Strengthening Investigative Journalism through ICT, is conducting research on how social networks can be used for the dissemination of information.
28-12-2010 (New Delhi) National consultation on community radio convened in India
UNESCO, in partnership with the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcast (MIB), the Community Radio Forum (CRF) and the Ford Foundation, convened the 3rd Indian National Consultation on Community Radio. The event took place from 13 to 15 December 2010 at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi.
23-12-2010 (Paris) Second cycle of roundtables on media accountability finishes in South East Europe
UNESCO finishes the second cycle of national roundtables on media accountability, organized in the framework of the project, Alignment to International Standards in the Media Sector of South-East European Countries. This project, which began in 2008, has been funded by the European Commission and implemented by UNESCO, in cooperation with the South-East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
23-12-2010 (Paris) UNESCO launches first computer game for young people on HIV and AIDS
UNESCO is launching the first interactive multimedia tool on HIV and AIDS prevention for youth, available in English, French and Russian. The computer game Fast Car: Travelling Safely around the World aims to provide young people with accurate and reliable information about HIV prevention, while educating, entertaining and promoting healthy behaviour.
22-12-2010 (Paris) Director-General calls for safer working conditions for press
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has called for improved security for journalists and other media workers in areas of conflict or social unrest, to allow them to carry out their professional duties. The call comes after the death of Iraqi television journalist Omar Rasim al-Qaysi who was killed in a suicide bombing on 12 December.
22-12-2010 (Beirut) Iraqi representatives attend conference on right to information in Beirut
Iraqi legislators, public officials, and representatives of civil society and media advocacy groups met in Beirut, Lebanon, for a three-day conference to discuss the current status of right to information legislation in Iraq. UNESCO’s Office for Iraq supported the attendance of three participants.
21-12-2010 (Erbil) Reporting on environmental sustainability on agenda of UNESCO training in Iraq
UNESCO’s Office for Iraq, in collaboration with Canal France International (CFI), is holding a five-day intensive training course on Reporting on Environmental Sustainability: Water-Iraq. The training is taking place from 18 to 22 December 2010 in Erbil (Iraq) as part of UNESCO’s mandate to strengthen free, independent and pluralistic media, and communication for sustainable development.
21-12-2010 (Paris) Director-General condemns murder of Pakistani journalist Muhammad Khan Sasoli in Balochistan
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has called on Pakistani authorities to investigate the murder of journalist Muhammad Khan Sasoli. He was gunned down outside his home on 14 December in Khuzdhar, town in the southwestern province of Balochistan.
17-12-2010 (Muscat) Connecting Cultures receives UNESCO support to ensure peace and intercultural dialogue
Connecting Cultures, one of the world’s leading civil society initiatives, has recently been awarded a grant from UNESCO, within the framework of The Power of Peace Network (PPN), after a recent call for proposals, which had attracted over 1100 submissions from around the world.
17-12-2010 (Paris) Facing old dilemmas in the new media landscape: UNESCO promotes discussion on journalism ethics in Europe
On 27 January 2011 UNESCO will bring together internationally-recognized experts working in the field of media self-regulation in Europe to facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences on the current regional context with regard to journalistic professional standards and media self-regulation. The challenges for media accountability in emerging democracies, and the opportunities and obstacles posed by the digital revolution will also be on the agenda of the conference to be hosted at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris.
16-12-2010 (Apia) IPDC-supported press freedom network gains momentum
A regional training workshop on Media for Democracy and Human Rights in the Pacific was held in Apia, Samoa, during the last week of October. The four-day event, organized by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), brought together over 30 media practitioners from nine Pacific countries.
16-12-2010 (Paris) World Press Freedom Day 2011 to focus on 21st century media
“21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers” is the theme of the next edition of World Press Freedom Day, which will be celebrated on 3 May 2011. Events are planned in more than 100 countries to celebrate the Day, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration for the promotion of free and pluralistic media.
16-12-2010 (Paris) UNESCO Director General condemns murders of three Pakistani journalists
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova condemned the murder of three Pakistani journalists in two separate incidents on 6 December. Altaf Chandio was shot dead in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Abdul Wahab and Pervez Khan were killed during a suicide bombing in the north-west tribal area.
14-12-2010 (Paris) In support of Afghan women’s voices, UNESCO hosted conference and photo exhibition
In commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November), UNESCO welcomed at its Headquarters in Paris the photo exhibition “Voices on the Rise: Afghan Women Making the News”. The collection features portraits of women actively contributing to the reconstruction of a country struck by years of civil strife, through their engagement in media, civil society, politics, art and education, among other key areas of public life.
14-12-2010 (Los Queñes) Chilean rural community gets access to information thanks to UNESCO-supported project
Last month, a high-speed wireless Internet connection was installed in the Andean town of Los Queñes as part of an innovative connectivity initiative to bridge the digital gap in rural areas of Chile. This project, implemented by UNESCO’s Office in Santiago, the Regional Government of Maule, the University of Talca and the city of Romeral, provides the citizens and schools of the Maule region with access to information and new opportunities.
10-12-2010 (Doha) UNESCO and Al Jazeera to promote freedom of expression in the Arab world
UNESCO and Al Jazeera Satellite Network have signed an agreement to promote freedom of expression and access to information in the Arab world.
10-12-2010 (Cancun) IPS Africa correspondent shares her experience of reporting on COP 16 in Cancun
“It is important to have African voices and interests represented at global summits on climate change,” says Rosebell Kagumire, a Ugandan journalist who is reporting on the 16th edition of Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) for the Inter Press Service (IPS) Africa.
10-12-2010 (Rabat) Right to Access Information: The Way forward in Morocco
On 10 December 2010, on the occasion of Human Rights Day, UNESCO, Transparency Maroc and the Netherlands Embassy are organizing a workshop on the “Right to Access Information: The Way Forward for Morocco”. The event, which is taking place in Rabat, aims to present guidelines, standards and international good practices on access to information, and to make comparison with the situation in Morocco.
08-12-2010 (Paris) UNESCO to host International Symposium on Freedom of Expression
An International Symposium on Freedom of Expression, sponsored by the Swedish National Commission, will be organized by UNESCO at its Headquarters on 26 January 2011. Based on the premises that freedom of expression is a cornerstone of the human rights edifice, and that open and participatory communication is vital for successful development, the debates will focus on the status of press freedom worldwide, the safety of media professionals as well as the changes of the media landscape in the digital age.
03-12-2010 (Paris) ICT-Competency Framework for teachers workshop
The workshop on Teacher’s ICT-Competency: Developing the Knowledge Deepening Strand is taking place this week at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. International experts in the field of ICT in education gathered to develop syllabus and assessment benchmarks for UNESCO’s ICT-Competency Framework for Teachers project.
(News item omitted in the English version of last week's newsletter because of a technical problem.)
03-12-2010 (Amsterdam) South-East European media professionals attended AIPCE meeting with UNESCO’s support
For the second time, UNESCO sponsored eight representatives from South-East European countries who participated in the annual meeting of the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe (AIPCE), a European network of independent content regulators for press and broadcast media. The Alliance held its 12th annual meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 3 to 6 November 2010.
02-12-2010 (Paris) Music by Prudence: Oscar-winning documentary screened at UNESCO
On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated on 3 December, and in relation to the promotion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNESCO is organizing a screening ceremony of the 2010 Oscar-winning documentary Music by Prudence, produced by Roger Ross Williams (USA).
01-12-2010 (Brasilia) UNESCO publications focus on quality of Brazilian media
UNESCO’s Brasilia Office has launched four publications in the Communication and Information Debates series. The output of a study developed in cooperation with the Brazilian National Net of Press Observatories (Renoi), the four titles stress the need for quality indicators for Brazilian media companies.
26-11-2010 (Paris) Nominations are sought for UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2011
UNESCO invites Member States, regional and international organizations, professional and non-governmental organizations working in the field of journalism and freedom of expression to nominate candidates for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2011.
26-11-2010 (Paris) UNESCO’s Director-General condemns murder of Pakistani journalist Abdul Hameed Hayatan in Baluchistan
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has called on authorities to investigate the murder of Pakistani journalist Abdul Hameed Hayatan, whose body was found with gunshot wounds on 18 November outside of Turbat, in western Pakistan's Baluchistan province.
26-11-2010 (Paris) Positive Life: New DVD series on HIV and AIDS
A new DVD series on HIV and AIDS, entitled Positive Life, has been issued by UNESCO’s Network of Young TV Producers on HIV and AIDS in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).
26-11-2010 (Zadar) Roundtable discussed media self-regulation in Croatia
The UNESCO-supported roundtable, which took place last month in Zadar (Croatia), concluded that self-regulation of media should be the way forward to implement ethical principles. Self-regulation has already been successfully applied in many European countries, but also worldwide. The discussion finished with an appeal to all Croatian media professionals to revive incentives for self-regulation.
