UNESCO Beirut celebrates World Press Freedom Day
04-05-2006 (Beirut)
"And the next day the paper came out", this is how the book "One Hundred Years of Red Ink" commemorating assasinated Lebanese jounalists by starts.
The book covers the history of press freedom violations in Lebanon after dozens of young energetic journalists had to pay the price to defend press freedom in Lebanon.
Yesterday,UNESCO Beirut and MAHARAT, a Lebanese NGO, started the World Press Freedom Day by lighting a torch in commemoration of the last killed journalist Jubran Tueini, at the very same place where he gave his life defending press freedom.
In a brief ceremony, Gazi Aridi, Minister of Information, Abedl Moneim Osman, Director, UNESCO Beirut, a crowd of journalists and family members of the late Tueini, the Martyer of Journalism as he is referred to in Lebanon, all gathered where he had fallen and a torch was lit in his memory. Later the same crowd moved to the Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut to light another torch to commemorate all the Lebanese journalists who had fallen in the line of duty over the last hundred years.
Short remarks were said by Abdel Moneim Osman and Melhem Karam, the Editors Association President to praise all those who had to pay their lives, the ultimate price while trying to give others the news and enlighten those around them.
After that, a seminar on “The Role of Journalists in Promoting Press Freedom". was held at the UNESCO Beirut Office. The seminar was moderated by Walid Eido, and with the participation of Abdel Moneim Osman and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) representative Siham ben Sidrin and a number of journalists.
Yesterday,UNESCO Beirut and MAHARAT, a Lebanese NGO, started the World Press Freedom Day by lighting a torch in commemoration of the last killed journalist Jubran Tueini, at the very same place where he gave his life defending press freedom.
In a brief ceremony, Gazi Aridi, Minister of Information, Abedl Moneim Osman, Director, UNESCO Beirut, a crowd of journalists and family members of the late Tueini, the Martyer of Journalism as he is referred to in Lebanon, all gathered where he had fallen and a torch was lit in his memory. Later the same crowd moved to the Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut to light another torch to commemorate all the Lebanese journalists who had fallen in the line of duty over the last hundred years.
Short remarks were said by Abdel Moneim Osman and Melhem Karam, the Editors Association President to praise all those who had to pay their lives, the ultimate price while trying to give others the news and enlighten those around them.
After that, a seminar on “The Role of Journalists in Promoting Press Freedom". was held at the UNESCO Beirut Office. The seminar was moderated by Walid Eido, and with the participation of Abdel Moneim Osman and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) representative Siham ben Sidrin and a number of journalists.
Related themes/countries
· World Press Freedom Day 2006
· Freedom of Expression: News Archives 2006
· Press Freedom: News Archives 2006
· Lebanon: News Archives 2006
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Contact information
- UNESCO Office in Beirut
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