Free media, efforts for peace, stability and cooperation in South Asia
- The Norwegian Embasssy has followed the development and expansion of South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) with keen interest, since they started in 2000. We believe the association is doing a very important job to support and strengthen the independence of media in South Asia. SAFMA is also contributing to the efforts for peace and stability in the region. Together with the dynamic leadership of the organisation, the activities and strategy seem to have brought considerable success for SAFMA, says Mr Alf Arne Ramslien, Chargé d’ Affaires a.i at the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad.
The Embassy signed a new addendum to the contract with Free Media Foundation (FMF) regarding South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) the 27th of July of NOK 6 mill from July 2006-March 2007. This will support a broud hierarchy of activities like documentary, books, workshops, website, salaries etc.
Extensive network and beneficieries
- SAFMA has a broad target group and network, in the seven countries of South Asia; Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan. For instance the website South Asian Media Net feeds for approximately 5000 journalists, and reports of approximately 1,7 million hits per month. This is an extensive group of beneficieries and a broad usergroup for a website. The South Asian Journal is in addition reaching 4000 leading journalists, academicians and experts in all seven countries of South Asia, Mr Ramslien continues.
The goal of FMF/SAFMA is “Conflict Reduction through Media Collaboration; Media, Peace and Governance; to support and strengthen efforts for peace, stability and cooperation in South Asia and access to and free flow of information through media collaboration, besides mobilising the mainstream media to work for human rights, rights for minorities, democracy and good governance”.
Towards Free Media
Starting with the regional Free Media Conference “Towards Free and Vibrant Media” in Islamabad 2000, and followed by several conferences in other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, SAFMA has emerged as the leading and most dynamic mainstream media body of the region. The Pakistan-India Parliamentarians, journalists and experts conference in Islamabad in August 2003 is termed among the highly successful arrangements by SAFMA; contributing towards the arrangement of the SAARC meeting in Islamabad, early January 2004.
In December 2002, the Norwegian Government signed a Cost-Sharing Agreement with the UNDP to support a project regarding “Conflict Reduction in South Asia through Media Collaboration; Media, Peace and Governance” amounting to NOK 4 mill. Later, Norway has choosen to support FMF and SAFMA directly, first through a contract signed in March 2004, then with subsequent addendums dated September 2005 and April 2006. The direct support to FMF/SAFMA amounts to NOK 20.884.000, including the new addendum.
www.southasianmedia.net