SJF conference insists on promoting press freedom

A two-day communications conference entitled ‘journalists’ role in nation building’ organized by the SAARC Journalists Forum (SJF) in India concluded by issuing a seven-point Delhi declaration.

 The event held on January 11 and 12 was supported by the Gautam Buddha University based in Greater Noida, India. It came up with commitments to promoting the freedom of the Press and expression by strengthening media norms, values, codes, and principles. It insisted on the role of the media in exploring the voices of the voiceless in the media.

According to Forum International Chair Raju Lama, the Conference has urged all governments in the SAARC nations to take steps in favor of the freedom of the Press and of expression and journalists’ professional rights, security, and well-being.

It has urged the bodies concerned to recognize the increasing Mass communications and journalism industry in the SAAR region as the ‘Fourth Estate’.

The event urges corporate agencies in the SAARC nations to abide by norms, values, and integrity, and cultivate the thinking for pro-people and sovereign nation’s building for advancing toward social transformations. It also wants the entire government in the SARRC to contribute to establishing durable peace to move toward development, progress, and stability.

The event witnessed paper presentations on around 50 parallel themes.

Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC) Director General Prof Dr. Sanjay Dwivedi and University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. RK Sinha addressed the inaugural session. In contrast, the concluding session was attended by India’s Minister for Industry Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey. The Conference endorsed an organizational report presented by Forum General Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rahman.

It has re-constituted a committee for the India chapter under the leadership of Dr. Anirudh Kumar Sudhamshu and nominated Prof Dr. Smrita Mishra for the vacant post of the international committee.

SJF Nepal chapter coordinator Prakash Silwal led a 20-member team to the Conference. The next SJF Conference has been scheduled to take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh next year.