South Asian Regional Forum of Media & NGOs on HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

South Asian Regional Forum of MEDIA and NGOs on HIV/AIDS

Human Right Journalist Forum of Bangladesh a HIV/AIDS & Media program based NGO

known as Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) organized a Regional

Media Meeting on HIV/AIDS, Media & Human Rights in Dhaka on 27-28 July 2002. The

meeting held in the Conference Hall of the YWCA and was participated by 24

journalists and representatives of NGOs working on HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh.

Besides, participants from India and Nepal also attended the meeting. Mr. Afsan

Chowdhury, Senior Assistant Editor of the Daily Star, Dhaka chaired the opening

session while Mr. Saleem Samad conducted the two-day sessions.

48 people representing various media institutions and NGOs attended the closing

session. Dr. Najmus Sahar Sadiq, Senior Program Officer of UNDP, Mr. Abu Jamil

Faisel, Chairperson of the National STD/AIDS Network, Bangladesh and Mr. Imam,

Assistant Editor of Daily Star were the special guests on this occasion.

The objective of the meeting was to explore the possibilities of cooperation,

collaboration and co-ordination among the regional NGOs that work on HIV/AIDS

with the various media institutions and recommend the future action plan to

achieve the objective.

Ms. Sumita Thapar from Center for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), India, Ms.

Anushree Mishra from PANOS, South Asia, Nepal and Mr. Ahmed Ilias from

Bangladesh presented their country situation in the context of HIV/AIDS, Human

Rights and role of Media.

Four NGO, the Bondhu Social Welfare Organization, SHISUK, PSKP and Al-Falah

presented their activities on HIV/AIDS in respect of their target community the

MSM, migrant workers, sex workers and urban slum dwellers.

During the two-day session some crucial issued emerged that generated lively

discussions among the participants. The media and the NGOs shared their own

perceptions whether HIV/AIDS is a development issue for the journalists. The

discussion originally ignited by the Chair of the opening session who personally

thought that Media would not have any role to play in the dvelopment issue if

is not involved in the planning process.

Media can only play the role of watchdog and inform. The participants shared on

the different roles of media and the NGOs in response to HIV/AIDS and Human

Rights issues. Media said NGOs must trust them, make information available to

them in a timely manner. NGO said media must be sensitive, respect

confidentiality, and not sensationalize specially while dealing with sensitive

groups such as MSM and sex workers. However, the Media and the NGOs both

identified the migration of workforce, trafficking in women and children and

drug trading as the three crucial common issues in the south Asia region.

Several recommendations that include, organizing workshops, seminars,

esyblishment of regional information cell, exchange of ideas/information through

email communication, establishment of a common platform, formation of a joint

committee etc. came up from the participants to achieve the objectives of the

regional media meeting.

Finally, the " South Asian Regional Forum of Media and NGO on HIV/AIDS " formed

with a 4-Member Steering Committee to develop the Terms of Reference for the

Regional Forum. The names of the committee members are as under:

Mr. Khairuzzaman Kamal (Bangladesh)- BMSF, Ms. Anushree Mishra (Nepal)- PANOS

Ms. Sumita Thapar (India)- CFAR, Mr. Shouket Ali (Pakistan)- PAPS, The

participants selected Mr. Saleem Samad and Mr. Ahmed Ilias as Consultants of the

Regional Forum.

Khairuzzaman Kamal

Executive Director

Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum-BMSF (Human Rights Journalists Forum of

Bangladesh) House # 312 Road # 02 Baitul Aman Housing Society, Mahammadpur

Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Phone: 88-02-9141462, 88-02-9136683

E-mail: bmsf@...