Dear Editor,
Hope you are doing well and thanks for publishing my previous write-ups
This is an article about "Freedom of Expression, Access, and Empowerment". I will be highly honoured if you publish this article. I apprecite your time to read this article.
Thanks
Have a nice time
With Best Regards
Ripan Kumar Biswas
New York, U.S.A
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Freedom of Expression, Access, and Empowerment
Ripan Kumar Biswas
Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com
While celebrating 60th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day, like many other individuals, organizations, government agencies, and media groups, UNESCO pays tribute to the courage and professionalism of the many journalists and media professionals killed and wounded while carrying out their professional activities, by dedicating this Day to the themes of "empowerment and access to information."
"Press freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of empowering people by giving people the information that can help them gain control over their own lives. This empowerment supports participatory democracy by giving citizens the capacity to engage in public debate and to hold governments and others accountable," said Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO on the eve of the World Press Freedom Day 2008. Quoting from the Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts "Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right," he further added press freedom and freedom of information, are the founding principles for good governance, development, and peace.
There is some debate over which publication was the first newspaper because the definition of a newspaper has been flexible. In the English-speaking world, Nathaniel Butter is often credited with the creation of the first news periodical in 1622. The first newspaper in the American colonies, titled Publick Occurrences, was published in Boston, Massachusetts on September 25, 1690. (It was only published once so it is doubtful if it can be called a newspaper.) But its contents greatly offended those in power and caused such a public uproar that it was immediately discontinued after the one issue. Publick Occurrences was the forerunner of a new time, and in the 1700s, newspapers began to spring up in the American colonies.
Today's media not only refers newspapers but also with the help of technological advances it allows to reach more people in more places, allows people to share their opinions more readily, and allows information to flow across borders.
Hope you are doing well and thanks for publishing my previous write-ups
This is an article about "Freedom of Expression, Access, and Empowerment". I will be highly honoured if you publish this article. I apprecite your time to read this article.
Thanks
Have a nice time
With Best Regards
Ripan Kumar Biswas
New York, U.S.A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom of Expression, Access, and Empowerment
Ripan Kumar Biswas
Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com
While celebrating 60th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day, like many other individuals, organizations, government agencies, and media groups, UNESCO pays tribute to the courage and professionalism of the many journalists and media professionals killed and wounded while carrying out their professional activities, by dedicating this Day to the themes of "empowerment and access to information."
"Press freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of empowering people by giving people the information that can help them gain control over their own lives. This empowerment supports participatory democracy by giving citizens the capacity to engage in public debate and to hold governments and others accountable," said Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO on the eve of the World Press Freedom Day 2008. Quoting from the Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts "Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right," he further added press freedom and freedom of information, are the founding principles for good governance, development, and peace.
There is some debate over which publication was the first newspaper because the definition of a newspaper has been flexible. In the English-speaking world, Nathaniel Butter is often credited with the creation of the first news periodical in 1622. The first newspaper in the American colonies, titled Publick Occurrences, was published in Boston, Massachusetts on September 25, 1690. (It was only published once so it is doubtful if it can be called a newspaper.) But its contents greatly offended those in power and caused such a public uproar that it was immediately discontinued after the one issue. Publick Occurrences was the forerunner of a new time, and in the 1700s, newspapers began to spring up in the American colonies.
Today's media not only refers newspapers but also with the help of technological advances it allows to reach more people in more places, allows people to share their opinions more readily, and allows information to flow across borders.
Throughout the world, 3 May serves as an occasion to inform the public of violations of the right to freedom of expression and as a reminder that many journalists brave death or jail to bring people their daily news.
But the bitter truth is according to the end-of-year analysis of the Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ), 64 journalists were killed in direct connection to their work in 2007-up from 56 last year while other 22 deaths are under investigation whether they were work-related. This is unusually high numbers in 2007, making it the deadliest year for the press in more than a decade. CPJ has recorded only one year with a higher death toll: 1994, when 66 journalists were killed, many in conflicts in Algeria, Bosnia, and Rwanda. For the fifth straight year, Iraq was the deadliest country in the world for the press. Its 31 victims account for nearly half of the 2007 toll.
Knowledge of the empowerment is not a luxury, it's a necessity. It is not self-sustaining; it needs to be learned and passed down from generation to generation. Everyone has to know country's founding principals, how the institutions came into being, how they work, what the rights and responsibilities are.
Empowerment is a multi-dimensional social and political process that helps people gain control over their own lives. This can only be achieved through access to accurate, fair and unbiased information, representing a plurality of opinions, and the means to actively communicate vertically and horizontally, thereby participating in the active life of the community. Here's why media is so valuable.
The media fulfills an essential component of a democratic society as access to a free, independent and pluralistic media is essential for gaining awareness of the issues that matter both nationally and internationally. Empowerment of community members relies on access to diverse media outlets; however, several factors affect the extent to which the media environment can empower its citizens; including media variety, the existence of professional standards, and access to new technology.
Since while the contents of Publick Occurrences were offended or 32 newspapermen framed a constitution for the National Press Club in America in the F Street parlor of the Willard Hotel in Washington on March 29, 1908 to uphold freedom of expression, media often faces threats, intimidation, and actual violence as a direct result of the work throughout the world. These unconscionable acts impede the free flow of accurate and reliable information which underpins good governance and democracy.
A democracy like is only as good as the knowledge of the people who are part of it. The more people remember of the past, the better off they are--the stronger they are. The term "freedom of expression" in any constitution in the world, asserts that without the free flow of information and "truth" disseminated by different media, the future of democracy would be threatened. But tests, surveys, and facts are showing the lack of freedom of expression worldwide.
The decline in freedom, as reported in "Freedom in the World 2008," an annual survey of political rights and civil liberties worldwide, was reflected in reversals in one-fifth of the world's countries. Most pronounced in South Asia, it also reached significant levels in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. A substantial number of politically important countries whose declines have broad regional and global implications—including Russia, Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, and Venezuela—were affected.
A number of Asia's most important countries, many on the Indian subcontinent, suffered setbacks in freedom during 2007. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka all experienced downturns due to increased restrictions on civil society and, in three of the four cases, increased military activity. Declines were also noted in the Philippines, Burma, and Malaysia. Freedom of expression was first being attacked in those countries.
Even though no journalist was killed for their work in 2007 in Bangladesh, but there was a sharp decrease in the number of journalists physically attacked or receiving death threats or warning from political militants, criminals, and now from military backed interim government as it is administrated by the emergency law, which has been imposed on January 11, 2007. The arrests increased markedly, with almost 40 cases in 2007.
While some asserts that the media is now the parliament in the absence of a government formed by elections, but according to the Bangladesh Centre for Development, Journalism and Communication (BCDJC), a 'Reporters Without Borders' partner organization, the media is very often being clearly guided by the existence of censorship.
A commitment to removing all obstacles to press freedom, to improving the conditions for independent and professional journalism, and to empowering citizens' rights to engage in public debate, no one should restrict or attack the freedom of press or compromise the right of news media to gather, produce, and disseminate information in secure and safe conditions.
May 01, 2008, New York
Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New York
Empowerment is a multi-dimensional social and political process that helps people gain control over their own lives. This can only be achieved through access to accurate, fair and unbiased information, representing a plurality of opinions, and the means to actively communicate vertically and horizontally, thereby participating in the active life of the community. Here's why media is so valuable.
The media fulfills an essential component of a democratic society as access to a free, independent and pluralistic media is essential for gaining awareness of the issues that matter both nationally and internationally. Empowerment of community members relies on access to diverse media outlets; however, several factors affect the extent to which the media environment can empower its citizens; including media variety, the existence of professional standards, and access to new technology.
Since while the contents of Publick Occurrences were offended or 32 newspapermen framed a constitution for the National Press Club in America in the F Street parlor of the Willard Hotel in Washington on March 29, 1908 to uphold freedom of expression, media often faces threats, intimidation, and actual violence as a direct result of the work throughout the world. These unconscionable acts impede the free flow of accurate and reliable information which underpins good governance and democracy.
A democracy like is only as good as the knowledge of the people who are part of it. The more people remember of the past, the better off they are--the stronger they are. The term "freedom of expression" in any constitution in the world, asserts that without the free flow of information and "truth" disseminated by different media, the future of democracy would be threatened. But tests, surveys, and facts are showing the lack of freedom of expression worldwide.
The decline in freedom, as reported in "Freedom in the World 2008," an annual survey of political rights and civil liberties worldwide, was reflected in reversals in one-fifth of the world's countries. Most pronounced in South Asia, it also reached significant levels in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. A substantial number of politically important countries whose declines have broad regional and global implications—including Russia, Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, and Venezuela—were affected.
A number of Asia's most important countries, many on the Indian subcontinent, suffered setbacks in freedom during 2007. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka all experienced downturns due to increased restrictions on civil society and, in three of the four cases, increased military activity. Declines were also noted in the Philippines, Burma, and Malaysia. Freedom of expression was first being attacked in those countries.
Even though no journalist was killed for their work in 2007 in Bangladesh, but there was a sharp decrease in the number of journalists physically attacked or receiving death threats or warning from political militants, criminals, and now from military backed interim government as it is administrated by the emergency law, which has been imposed on January 11, 2007. The arrests increased markedly, with almost 40 cases in 2007.
While some asserts that the media is now the parliament in the absence of a government formed by elections, but according to the Bangladesh Centre for Development, Journalism and Communication (BCDJC), a 'Reporters Without Borders' partner organization, the media is very often being clearly guided by the existence of censorship.
A commitment to removing all obstacles to press freedom, to improving the conditions for independent and professional journalism, and to empowering citizens' rights to engage in public debate, no one should restrict or attack the freedom of press or compromise the right of news media to gather, produce, and disseminate information in secure and safe conditions.
May 01, 2008, New York
Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New York
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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
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Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
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MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
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Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
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German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
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Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
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VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
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