26-28 September 2004, Kathmandu

Objectives

A follow-up to a similar meeting held in Kathmandu in 2002, also with FES support, the September 2004 IFJ workshop's main objectives were:

a) To review the progress made since the 2002 Kathmandu meeting and review the status of the implementation of the action plan;
b) To enhance regional cooperation between journalists unions;
c) To build organisational and leadership capacities of the journalists unions;
d) To develop resources to assist journalists organisations to implement organising and campaigning priorities; and
e) To plan for future solidarity and strength.

Resource Persons/Participants

IFJ President Christopher Warren and IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park were the key resource persons who also served as moderators. Nepal Press Institute (NPI) Secretary-General P. Kharel and Deputy Editor of The Hindu daily newspaper of India, Siddharth Varadrajan, also made their presentations. Head of FES Nepal Office, Dev Raj Dahal also addressed the meeting.

There were about 35 participants from six South Asian countries-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Presentations/Discussions

Much of the discussion was generated by a background paper already circulated by IFJ to all participants several days prior to the actual start of the Kathmandu meeting.

The resource persons dwelt upon the significance of the media role together with its principles and practices. The rights of journalists are basic to a democratic society. They include the right to operate in a democratic legal framework with access to information, protection of sources, freedom to report professionally and to practice journalism in a safe environment and satisfactory working conditions. When these rights are under attack the very underpinnings of civil society are at risk.

IFJ President Warren stressed on the price that South Asian societies pay-that journalists pay-when free freedom, human rights and democracy itself are under threat. The criminalisation of politics, the corruption of police, the violence of terrorists and rebel groups have all contributed to the creation of a climate that legitimises the use of force against journalists. Increasingly journalists are seen as legitimate targets in conflict. It is only through journalists coming together collectively that media unions and organisations can stand up for press freedom.

Likewise, Ms. Park presented an overview of the work done in the previous two years, starting from the 2002 Kathmandu meeting and the resultant activities undertaken to promote media profession and the working conditions of journalists.

NPI Secretary-General Kharel referred to the prevailing political situation in South Asian countries and stressed that political systems and culture had a direct bearing on the growth and professional development of the news media. South Asia, in the prevailing circumstances, witnesses greater political pluralism today than at any given time in the past. But a lot remains to be done and achieved by way enhancing professionalism, working conditions of journalists and ensuring their physical safety and job security, for which journalists' unions and associations have to redouble their efforts.

Addressing the opening session, Dev Raj Dahal, Head of FES Nepal Office, dwelt upon a number of questions on the role of media in pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict situations Journalists are not only observers and reporters of events; they are also citizens with constitutional and human rights and duties. This requires them to formulate rational perspective in conflict perception. They can perform this role only if freedoms of the press and journalists' safety and professional autonomy are guaranteed. Media wears the face of rationality because it is grounded in the public ethics, reports to the public and justifies all of its activities in the name of public.

The issues that were raised included solidarity in the newsroom; media and journalism and South Asia; situation for journalists in Nepal; working panel reports; networks and campaigns for press freedom, safety and democratic media; challenges for journalists reporting conflict in South Asia; strategies for future work; and strengthening regional networks.

Country panel reports were presented by representatives from each country. Based on the issues raised in the course of presentations by resource persons, country panel reports and the subsequent floor discussions, mixed group discussions were held on issues and concerns of journalists in South Asia. This was followed by country group discussions. The group meetings sought to identify some of the major issues concerning the region and also individual countries. This was to be accompanied by identification of the targets and listing of suggestions for addressing the problems.

COMMON POINTS OF AGREEMENT

Working conditions for journalists continue to be difficult in many ways. The general consensus was that violence, job insecurity, threat to physical safety, lack of funds for journalists unions, lack of effective networking among unions, lack of proper wage boards in most countries, absence of adequate training, lack of unity among unions and need for effective code of ethics were some of the issues that drew a consensus among the participants as being problems that need to be addressed through unremitting vigour and sustained unity among unions.

Pledges/Plan for Action

At the end of the three-day workshop, the participants adopted a set of pledges and plan for action. The network unions and organisations represented at the workshop would:

• Continue to document attacks on press freedom and journalists rights;
  
• Provide information for the annual IFJ report on press freedom in South Asia;
  
• Encourage coordination between journalists unions and press freedom organisations at a national and regional level;
  
• Develop a standardised format for documenting press freedom violations and attacks on journalists; and
  
• Seek to convene a third biennial meeting of the network in two years time.

Plan for Further Action

The meeting also drew up a plan for further action, agreeing to work for addressing issues pertaining to:

1. A safe environment for journalists;
2. A fair workplace;
3. Human rights, diversity and conflict; and
4. Assistance programmes and follow-up work

In order to translate into action the four major areas of the plan, a series of measures have been recommended, including broad-based campaigns supported by coalitions or groups within civil society and journalism in defence of media freedom; professional training programmes covering conflict and tolerance; promoting values of citizenship a develop and strengthen independent systems of self-regulation under the jurisdiction of media professionals; to promote values of citizenship and diversity in media; swift response to media in crisis; and support for development of media and independent journalism in South Asia that is included within the international programmes being developed for the region, including the allocation of substantial funds to achieve the same.