IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize Announcement of winners for South Asia

IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize Announcement of winners for South Asia

The winners of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Journalism for Tolerance Prize, South Asia were announced at a special prize giving ceremony and media forum held in Colombo today. The IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize, supported by the European Commission, is about promoting tolerance, combating racism and discrimination and contributing to an understanding of cultural, religious and ethnic differences. Each Prize carries a cash award of Euro 1000.

The winners in the three categories: Print/Online (English), Print/Online (Language) and Broadcast were selected from exactly one hundred entries submitted to the Prize in South Asia and were judged by senior journalists from South Asia. The prizes were awarded by Christopher Warren, President, IFJ and Wouter Wilton, representative of the European Commission in Sri Lanka.

The Winners:
Sweta Ramanujan (India), "Mill on the Loss",The Indian Express November 30, 2003 [Print/Online-English]
Subrata Basu (India, Bengali), "Nishabdo Biplab Shabdagaoner," (Silent Revolution in Shabdagaon) Ananda Bazaar Patrika, 25 October 2003 [Print/Online -Language]
Sharni Jayawardena (Sri Lanka), "Defiant Art", Young Asia Television, December 11, 2003 [Broadcast]

Finalists:
Massoud Ansari (Pakistan), "Valley of Death," Newsline, August 2003 [Print/Online-English]
Basharat Peer (India), "This did not happen in my Kashmir," www.rediff.com, March 2, 2003 [Print/Online-English]
Uvindu Kurukulasuriya, (Sri Lanka, Sinhala), "Sigiriya, Norway and the Sinhala Buddhist," Ravayya, August, 2003 [Print/Online -Language]
Tank Panta (Nepal, Nepali), "Nepalese girls in Indian brothels," Nepal Samacharpatra, January 20 2003 [Print/Online -Language]
Sharmini Boyle (Sri Lanka), "Women Waging Peace," Young Asia Television, December 4, 2003 [Broadcast]
Srilal Sah (Nepal), "Dudha Balak ko Bihe," (Infant Marriages) Ankhijayal, September 23, 2003 [Broadcast]

The jury also commended:
Naresh Fernandes (India, English), "Redemption Songs," Outlook Traveler, May 2003
Nilofar Suhrawardy (India, English), "Why we are all not terrorists," The Indian Express, September 10, 2003
Nirmala Sharma (Nepal, English), "New Life for Widows," The Rising Nepal, December 7, 2003
Jeyarani M (India, Tamil), "Ilaipara Virumbukirom" (Longing to Retire), Ananda Vikatan, December 21, 2003

The members of the Jury were: Minhaj Barna, Former Press Minister, Pakistan's Permanent Mission at the United Nations, Former President PFUJ and APNEC, Rawalpindi, Pakistan; Suman Chattopadhyay, Executive Editor, Ananda Bazaar Patrika, Kolkata, India; K Dua, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune Group of Publications, Chandigarh, India; Mrinal Pande, Editor, Hindustan, New Delhi, India; Jagadish Pokhrel, Associate Editor (Features), The Rising Nepal, Kathmandu, and Sunil Wijesirwardena, Media critic and Lecturer at the Sri Palee Campus, Colombo University Colombo.

The prize giving ceremony was organized by the IFJ with its associates in Sri Lanka the Federation of Media Employeess' Trade Unions (FMETU) and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association (SLWJA).

The event was combined with a regional forum on the topic, "Tolerance and Diversity in the Media - Challenges for South Asia". Eminent panelists included, Radhika Coomaraswamy, Chairperson, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Ajith Samaranayake, Editor-in-Chief, English Publications, Lake House, M.V. Kaanamylnathan, Chief Editor, Udayan Publications, H.K. Dua, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune Group of Publications (India) and Mrinal Pande, Editor, Hindustan (India).

For more information visit: International Federation of Journalists

Or contact the IFJ Tolerance Prize South Asia Co-ordinator:

Laxmi Murthy
Cell:+91-9818383669
E.mail: [email protected]

WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD OF DEVELOPMENT