The finalists have been chosen from about 80 entries submitted to the Prize in South Asia and were judged by a well respected Jury from around the region. The South Asia Jury members are:
- Rosanne Therese Koelmeyer Anderson (Sri Lanka): Associate Editor, the Sunday Observer.
- Ajit Bhattacharjea (India): Director, Press Institute of India, New Delhi.
- N. Ram (India): Editor, Frontline.
- Rama Krishna Regmee (Nepal): Head, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Kantipur City College, Kathmandu.
- IA Rehman (Pakistan): Director, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, former editor of the Pakistan Observer, View Point.
- Anand K. Sahay (India): Senior Leader Writer and columnist, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
- Ajith Samaranayake (Sri Lanka): Editor-in-Chief of Lake House English publications.
The finalists are:
- Muzamil Jaleel (India), "Setting out in Search of Kashmiriyat" Indian Express, March 24 2002
- Sukhmani Singh (India), "From Saffron to United Colours" Indian Express, May 26 2002
- Manimala (India), "Vajpayeji, You Must Resign" (Hindi) Dainik Lokmat, May 15, 2002
The Jury also commended the following entry:
W.T.J.S.Kaviratne (Sri Lanka), "A Durable 'Bridge' Between North and South" Daily News, August 10, 2002.
The jury was unable to offer the Prize to anyone in the broadcast category, but commended the following entry:
Srilal Sah (Nepal), "Dalits of Kaski are deprived of consumption of forest produce" broadcast on July 2 2002 on Ankhi Jhayal.
The winner of the Prize will be announced at the prize giving ceremony in New Delhi, India to be held on 2 May 2003 to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on May 3. The ceremony will be combined with a regional forum focusing on the aims of the Prize.
The IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize, promoting tolerance, combating racism and discrimination, will be awarded to journalists in five regions of the world.
The Prize, supported by the European Union, has been launched at a time when cultural, religious and ethnic differences are increasingly contributing to instability and unrest in many regions of the world.
For more information contact the IFJ South Asia Co-ordinator:
Laxmi Murthy
International Federation of Journalists, New Delhi
378/37 NOIDA,
U.P. 201 303, India
Tel: 91-120-2430644 (from Delhi: 95120-2430644)
Cell: 9818383669
E.mail: [email protected]
WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD OF DEVELOPMENT