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SAARC Media Year |
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The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is a
manifestation of the will of the people of this region to pool
resources, both manpower and
material, to bring tremendous progress in various fields.
Collective strength to deal with their common problems in a
spirit of friendship, trust and
understanding has yielded several positive results. The idea of
forming a regional grouping was mooted in 1980 by seven
countries including India and the
first summit took place in Dhaka in December 1985 and adopted
the charter formally setting up the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation.
Afghanistan has become its eighth member last year and the other
members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Srilanka, Pakistan and
Maldives.
South Asian Grouping?
The Heads of State or Government recognised the importance of
connectivity which is vital to implement the vision of South
Asia community where there will
be smooth flow of goods, services, people, technologies,
knowledge, capital, culture and ideas in the region. The eight
member grouping has common
problems like large population, illiteracy, health hazards,
unemployment and terrorism. They worked out an effective
mechanism, a new weapon to deal with
these problems with firm resolve and thus the grouping was born.
Connectivity was recognised and communication is an important
tool towards it.
Tremendous progress in the fields of information and knowledge-
based industry has made the world a global village, bringing
radical changes in the life of
the people of SAARC countries. To bring together the people of
this region, priority was given to the dissemination of
information about SAARC and its
member countries. Several mechanisms like meetings of
Information Ministers, Heads of Radio, National Television and
News Agencies, Technical Experts and
digitalisation of TV and Radio were launched and the SAARC Audio
Visual Exchange Committee (SAVE) was formed. These developments
took place soon after
the first SAARC summit in 1985 and the successive summits had
lauded the smooth functioning of the SAVE programme as being a
useful medium for
promoting a South Asian consciousness among the people in the
region. It has already met more than 20 times.
Aim Of SAVE
The SAVE Committee aims at increasing awareness about each
other, among the people of the region, through disseminating
information on the socio-
cultural, economic and technical aspects of the member states.
This year, 2008, is aptly being observed as “SAARC Media Year”
as it has a crucial role to play
in getting the people connected. Plan of action adopted in the
field of disseminating information to promote information and
media for achieving SAARC goals
is regularly monitored and necessary changes are introduced for
effective implementation of SAARC vision of forming a South Asia
Community to get linked to
the world as a powerful economic grouping. SAARC goals in media
are, to ensure free flow of information, newspapers,
periodicals, books and other
publications, concessions in postal and telecommunication rates
for media transmission and information materials and cooperation
in exchange of information
between national news agencies of member countries. Annual
meetings of the heads of media, special programmes for SAARC
designated years, promotion
of cultural events and festivals, seminars and conferences are
also being pursued.
SAARC Common Position
It works for improving free flow of information among member
countries by building adequate communication network and
creating legal and institutional
systems. It also ensures accessibility of information to
everyone besides affordable technology. SAARC encourages public
service broadcasting and projection
of development activities and other achievements in different
fields through media in South Asia. The common position plan
aims to develop regional
networks and associations among SAARC media organisations.
The goals also speak of pursuing plurality of media including
promotion of private electronic channels. SAARC will accelerate
the steps to strengthen
cooperation in institution building and training of media
personnel and technological investments will get priority to
promote universal access to media.
SAARC information ministers in their meeting in Kathmandu in
2005 discussed the establishment of a regulatory framework to
balance functioning between
the private channels and public service broadcasters in the
region.
Media’s Role In Disseminating Information
Developments taking place in a country in various areas are made
public by the media only. Their role is significant in creating
awareness. In the field of
tourism, for instance, the enormous potential in the SAARC
region, its old civilisation, rich and unique cultural
diversity, exquisite cuisine, extremely diverse
and vast array of geography, attractive monuments are projected
by the media through different means to the world. Development
and proper projection of
tourism within South-Asia could bring economic, social and
cultural dividends. There is a sense of urgency in strengthening
media which alone can inform the
people across the country, region and the world the developments
taking place around. 2008 is the Year of the Media.
SAARC has been giving importance to other areas which contribute
towards achieving the goals of SAARC nations. 1989 was the Year
of Combating Drug
Abuse and Drug Trafficking, 1990–SAARC Year of Girl Child,
1991-Year of Shelter, 1992-SAARC Year of Environment, 1993 for
the Disabled, 1994 dedicated to
the Youth, 1995-Poverty Eradication, 1996 for Literacy, 1997
Participatory Governance, next was for Bio-Diversity, 2002-2003
Contribution of Youth to
Environment, followed by HIV/AIDS and South Asia Tourism Year.
And then a year of Green South Asia. This year is Media Year.
SAARC decades are also observed.1991 to 2000 SAARC decade was of
the Girl Child and 2001 to 2010 is the SAARC decade of the
Rights of the Child. SAARC
is rapidly changing the environment in which the information
societies are to be developed to face the new challenges in the
knowledge based industries.
*Freelance Writer
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors in this feature
are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views
of PIB.
RTS/VN
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