A Brief on The Colombo Declaration
The Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom and Social Responsibility was signed by The Editor’s Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) in April 1998 together with the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka and the Free Media Movement after an international symposium held at the BMICH.
As most members are aware, the symposium was held in the backdrop of a campaign launched by TEGOSL and other fraternal media organizations to have the laws of criminal defamation repealed after five TEGOSL members had been indicted under the Penal Code for criminal defamation.
Among the international organizations that supported the Colombo Declaration were the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), the International Press Institute (IPI), the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU), Article 19, and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA).
The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) joined in on the deliberations but was unable to sign the Declaration. In December 2007, the SLWJA signed the Colombo Declaration and became partners in an exercise that launched the Sri Lanka Press Institute, the Sri Lanka College of Journalism and the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka.
Program– 10th Anniversary of the Colombo Declaration
October 21 (Tuesday)
Venue: SLPI Auditorium
9.15 am SESSION 1 – Revisiting the Colombo Declaration of 1998Chaired by Mr. Kumar Nadesan (Chairman – Sri Lanka Press Institute)
Panel :
Mr. Sinha Ratnatunga (President, The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka)
Ms. Lindsay Ross (Executive Director, Commonwealth Press Union)
Mr. Sanath Balasuriya (President, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association)
Open Discussion
Download Speech:
Session
1- Revisiting the colombo declaration of 1998 SPEECH by Mr. Sinha Ratnatunge
SESSION 2 – Press Freedom
in Sri Lanka
11.00 am Chaired by Mr Lakshman Gunasekera (President,
South Asian Free Media Association- Sri Lanka Chapter)
Panel:
Mr. Sunanda Deshapriya ( Head, Media Unit, CPA )
Mr. Robert Shaw (International Media Support)
Mr. E. Saravanapavan (Chairman-Sudaroli Publications)
Open Discussion
Download Presentation:
Issues
of media freedom in Sri Lanka oct 2008 by Mr. Sunanda Deshapriya
SESSION 3 – Self-Regulation;
Policing the Media by the Media
1.30 pm - Chaired by Mr. Jayatilleke De Silva (Member,
Dispute Resolution Council, Press Complaints Commission
of Sri Lanka)
Panel:
Mr. Tim Toumlin (Director, UK Press Complaints Commission)
Mr.Uvindu Kurukulasuriya (Convener-Free Media Movement)
Ms. Audgunn Oltedal (Journalism Lecturer, OSLO University
College )
Open Discussion
Download Presentation:
Self-Regulation
policing the Media by The Media Mrs. Audgunn Oltedal
Policing
the Media by the Media by Mr.Uvindu Kurukulasuriya
SESSION 4 Contempt of
Court – The need for a law on Contempt of Court
3.30 pm Chaired by Dr. P. Saravanamuttu (Executive
Director,CPA)
Panel:
Ms. Kishali Pinto Jayawardene (Attorney-at-Law)
Justice M.F.Saldanha ((Retired Chief Justice, State
of Karnataka)
Justice Shiranee Thilakawardena (Judge of the Supreme
Court of Sri Lanka)
Mr. Daupla De Liveria (Senior State Counsel, Attorney
General’s Department)
Open Discussion
Download Presentation:
Background paper on media Law Refrom re the Colombo
Declaration
Fernando - Text of UN Communication
UNHRC - DISSANAYAKE COMMUNICATION
Contempt of Court Draft Act - BASL
Contempt of Court in Sri Lanka - SLPI paper
October 22 (Wednesday)
Venue: SLPI Auditorium
SESSION 5 – Emergency Regulation
9.00 am Chaired by Dr. Deepika Udagama (Senior Lecturer, Law Faculty, University of Colombo)
Panel:
Mr. Asanga Welikala ( Senior Researcher, Legal Unit, CPA )
Mr. C.R. De Silva PC (Former Attorney General)
Open Discussion
11.00 am SESSION 6 – Reporting Conflicts
Chaired by Mr. Manik De Silva (Editor, The Sunday Island)
Panal:
Mr Charitha Herath ( Consultant, Ministry of Mass Media and Information )
Mr Amal Jayasinghe (AFP Bureau Chief, Sri Lanka and the Maldives)
Mr Iqbal Athas (CNN Correspondent in Sri Lanka, Defence Correspondent, The Sunday Times)
Open Discussion
1.30 pm - SESSION 7 – TWO PARALLEL SESSIONS
SESSION 7A – New Media and New Challenges
Chaired by Dr D.B. Nahalsinghe (Senior Fellow, University of Kelaniya)
Panel:
Prof. Rohan Samarajeewa ( Executive Director Learn Asia and Former Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory commission of Sri Lanka )
Mr Jayantha Fernando (Director & Legal Advisor ICT Agency of Sri Lanka)
Mr Sanjana Hattotuwa ( Senior Researcher, Media Unit, CPA)
- Open Discussion
Download Presenatation:
New Media And New Challenges Mr. Sanjana Hattotuwa
New media and challenges by Prof. Rohan Samarajiva
SESSION 7B - Business Ethics
Chaired by Mr. Dion Schoorman (Member, Dispute Resolution Council, Press Complaints Commission)
Mr Sujan Wijewardena (Director, Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.,)
Ms Neela Marikkar ( Managing Director, Grant McCan Ericson)
Mr Mangala Yapa ( CEO, Colombo Dockyard PLC. )
- Open Discussion
3.15 pm SESSION 8 Right to Information
Chaired by Prof. Arjuna Parakrama ( Head of Dept. Dept of English, University of Peradeniya)
Panel:
Ms Nandini Shai (Director, Media Information and Communication Centre, New Delhi )
Ms Dhara Wijethilaka (Secretary, Ministry of Planning)
Mr Rohan Edrisinha ( Head, Constitutional and Legal Unit, CPA)
Open Discussion
Download Presentation
The Right to Information by Ms. Nandini Sahai
October 23rd Thrusday
Venue: SLPI Auditorium
9.00 a.m. SESSION on Journalism Training
Chaired by Mr. Ranga Kalansooriya Director General of SLPI
Panel:
Ms. Annelie Evers ( Director, Fojo )
Prof. Tissa Kariyawasam (Former Head of Dept. Sinhala and Mass Communication Department, University of Sri Jayawardenapura)
Mr. Sundara Nihathamani De Mel ( Editor, Irida Lakbima )
|
