Two journalist from India and one from Sri Lanka are the winners of the 2004 Journalism for Tolerance Prize for South Asia, awarded by the International Federation of Journalists.
The prize, supported by the European Commission, was created to promote tolerance, combat racism and discrimination and contribute to an understanding of cultural, religious and ethnic differences. Winners are selected in Latin America, Central and West Africa, East and Southern Africa, South and Southeast Asia.
Cash prizes of EU1000 (around US$1210) are awarded in three categories for each region: print or online reports in English; print or online reports in other languages; and broadcast reports.
Sweta Ramanujan of the Indian Express won the Print/Online (English) Prize for an article about the closing of mills in the industrial towns of Maharashtra. Subrata Basu, also from India, received the Print/Online (Language) Prize for the article, "Nishabdo Biplab Shabdagaoner" (Silent Revolution in Shabdagaon). Sharni Jayawardena of Young Asia Television in Sri Lanka won the broadcast prize for the piece, "Defiant Art." IFJ awarded the prizes at an August 22 ceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The ceremony also included a forum on diversity in the media.
IFJ promotes coordinated international action to defend press freedom and social justice through the development of strong, free and independent trade unions of journalists.
