Press Statement

Conference to discuss media freedom, safety and inclusion

09 Oct, 2017

Leading journalists, academics and policy makers are coming together to discuss freedom of expression and inclusivity in the media, in a conference organised by the peacebuilding organisation International Alert and Federation of Nepali Journalists, an umbrella network of working journalists in Nepal.

The “International Conference on Promoting freedom of expression and Marginalized voices in the Media” will take place 9-10 October in Kathmandu.

Panels will address a wide range of issues, including the challenges of reporting in difficult environments, self-censorship, alternative media and new technologies, gender and media, business interests versus editorial independence, disaster communication, and how to make media more inclusive of marginalised voices.

Rt. Hon. Onsari Gharti, Speaker of the Legislative Parliament of Nepal will inaugurate the conference. Distinguished journalists and civil society activists from Nepal and the wider South Asian region, international development partners, policymakers and government officials will join the inaugural ceremony of the conference.

Govinda Acharya, President of FNJ, said: “From the beginning, Nepal media has struggled for a free writing environment. There are incidences where journalists have been killed or attacked for doing their jobs. Only free, independent and strong media can become true defender of democracy and we hope this conference facilitates lessons and ideas encouraging Nepali media to defend its values and play proactive role in institutionalising democracy.”

Rabina Shrestha, Nepal Country Representative at International Alert said: “Despite some achievements, the media sector in Nepal still has a long way to go to truly become the voice of the voiceless. By promoting excluded voices and reducing threats facing journalists, we hope to contribute to greater media freedom of expression and pluralism in Nepal.”

The conference is part of “Right to Voice: Promoting media freedom of expression in Nepal”, a project by International Alert in partnership with Federation of Nepali Journalists, to promote freedom of expression and safety, and advocate for a more inclusive media sector in Nepal.

भोलिदेखि अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मिडिया सम्मेलन हुने

काठमाडौंमा असोज २३ गतेदेखि अभिव्यक्ति स्वतन्त्रताको प्रवर्द्धन र मिडियामा सीमान्तकृत समुदायको आवाज विषयक अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मिडिया सम्मेलन हुने भएको छ । नेपाल पत्रकार महासंघ र इन्टरनेशनल अलर्टको आयोजनामा हुने दुई दिने सम्मेलनमा पत्रकार, प्राज्ञिक क्षेत्र, नीति निर्माताले पत्रकारिता र अभिव्यक्ति स्वतन्त्रताका विविध पक्षबारे छलफल गर्ने छन् ।

व्यवस्थापिका संसद्का सम्माननीय सभामुख ओनसरी घर्तिमगरले उद्घाटन गर्नु हुने सम्मेलनमा पत्रकार, नीति निर्माता, प्राज्ञिक क्षेत्र, सरकारी अधिकारी, विकास साझेदार, नागिरक समुदाय लगायतको सहभागिता हुनेछ । कार्यक्रममा भारत, ब‌ंगलादेश, पाकिस्तान लगायतका देशका पत्रकार तथा विज्ञ सहभागी हुनेछन् ।

सम्मेलनमा कठीन अवस्थामा रिपोर्टिङ, पत्रकारको सुरक्षा, सेल्फसेन्सरसीप, अल्टरनेटिभ मिडियामा विभिन्न समुदायको आवाज, मिडियामा महिला, सम्पादकीय स्वतन्त्रता, समावेशी मिडिया, मिडिया र प्राकृतिक विपद् लगायतका विषयका विविध आयामबारे छलफल हुनेछ ।

नेपाल पत्रकार महासंघका अध्यक्ष गोविन्द आचार्यले लोकतान्त्रिक व्यवस्थामा मात्रै लख्ने स्वतन्त्रता र सबैका आवाजले स्थान पाउन सक्ने भन्दै त्यसलाई प्रवर्द्धन गर्न मिडिया सम्नेलन गर्न लागेको बताउनुभयो ।

इन्टरनेशनल अलर्टका नेपालका प्रतिनिधि रविना श्रेष्ठले सम्मेलनले पत्रकारले सामना गरेका सुरक्षा चुनौतीलाई घटाउन, प्रेस स्वतन्त्रता र विविधताका लागि सम्मेलनले सहयोग पुर्याउने विश्वास व्यक्त गर्नुभयो ।

यो सम्मेलन नेपाल पत्रकार महासंघले इन्टरनेशनल अलर्टसँग सहकार्यमा सञ्चालित ‘अभिव्यक्तिको अधिकार : नेपालमा सञ्चार माध्यममा अभिव्यक्ति स्वतन्त्रता प्रवर्द्धन’ अन्तर्गतको कार्यक्रम हो ।