The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has been awarded by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) for its role in defending media freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has announced on June 4 the selection of MADA and the Ambassador of Mexico to the United Nations in Geneva for the first prize. It has
confirmed in its statement that the award goes equally between MADA and the Mexican ambassador Luis Alfonso Dalba, for their prominent role in advancing the issue of journalist protection forward.
It is the first prize of the International Campaign and the first award made for the international effort to protect journalists which considered June 4, as a commemoration of those who have fallen during performing their job.
Ghazi Hanania, Chairman of MADA Board of Directors, who is supposed to receive the award and participate in its celebration, but circumstances prevented his travel at the last moment, sent a letter to President of the organization, Hedayat Abd An- Nabi, expressing his thanks for selecting MADA Centre for this year award. He emphasised that media freedoms have been deteriorated last year and the beginning of this year, whereas the Israeli occupation forces killed five journalists.
He also stressed that freedom of expression is "important for us as well as for every human being living on earth, but because we are still under the Israeli occupation the Palestinian people needs this freedom more than others for building its institutions and developing the Palestinian society." Hanania added, "We will make every possible effort as we have done over the last three years to defend this vital human right and to promote freedom of opinion and expression in the Palestinian territories."
Hedayat Abd An- Nabi said at the beginning of the ceremony, the International Campaign Award, which at the same time commemorates those journalists who were killed, is a renewed impetus to the international campaign to mobilise the international community in order to proceed in the establishment of a new international legal system for the protection of journalists in times of war, internal conflicts and in times of danger.
