NEW DELHI: The first-ever South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) editors' conference, organised by the External Affairs Ministry and the Media Development Foundation (MDF), a not-for-profit public trust that runs the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) in Chennai, will be held here on February 9 and 10.
Giving this information, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said on Wednesday that the conference was being organised as a build-up to the 14th SAARC summit, to be held here on April 3 and 4. Yet it would not be a part of the official SAARC calendar, he stressed.
It was, possibly, the first time in the media field that such a public-private venture was being organised, the spokesman told this correspondent.
Mr. Sarna said the media was developing very quickly in the South Asian region and a "fruitful discussion" could be held on several issues and trends. This, he felt, could play a critical role in promoting understanding among the peoples in the region.
The spokesman pointed out that the "common platform" provided by the Ministry and the MDF would be used to bring together thinking practitioners in the profession and cover the print, broadcast and Internet media.
A concept note on the conference said the purpose behind the conference was to have "free and open discussion" and frame media-related issues that can help initiate a wider public and civil society debate in South Asia.
It was expected that the conference would promote a common understanding on core media values, directions and orientations in SAARC nations.
Growth trends and quality issues in the regional news media; convergence and the challenge of the Internet; freedom, accountability, and social responsibility; State, market and the media as well as media and foreign policy are some of the key issues which will be addressed by the participants.
The leading editors expected to attend the conference are: Kanak Mani Dixit, Narayan Wagle and Yubaraj Ghimire (from Nepal); Rehana Hakim, Imran Aslam, Najam Sethi and Abbas Nasir (Pakistan); Mahfuz Anam, Shyamal Datta and Saiful Bari (Bangladesh); Sonam Kinga, Tashi Phuntsho Wangdi and Dasho Kinley Dorji (Bhutan); Thavarajah, Jatila Wallabada, Sinha Ratnatunga (Sri Lanka); Abdullah Naeem and Mariyam Suhana (the Maldives) as well as Hamida Osman, Zaid Mohseni and Barry Salam (Afghanistan).
Top editors from India who have confirmed their participation are: N. Ram, N. Ravi, Sanjay Gupta, Nikhil Lakshman, B. Srinivasan, Vinod Mehta and T.N. Ninan. The conference moderator will be Sashi Kumar, MDF chairman.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will deliver the inaugural address on February 9 while External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to close the conference on February 10.
According to the concept note, valuable papers will be presented at the conference and if there was a consensus, a conference resolution or declaration could be issued.
