May 3, 2017 was World Press Freedom
Day. World Press Freedom Day (every May 3) was a day proclaimed by UNESCO
(United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1993 to
look at and evaluate activities of the press, its security, and impact on
bringing about an inclusive and peaceful world. The theme for 2017 is “CRITICAL
MINDS FOR CRITICAL TIMES: MEDIA’S ROLE IN ADVANCING PEACEFUL, JUST AND
INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES”
In the first part of the theme the
word critical appeared two times, qualifying two nouns, minds and times. The
times here refer to what is happening now in the world. The fast pace at which
things are changing, the many turning points the world is going through create
critical times. The theme is telling us that such times require correspondingly
critical minds to deal with them. The end result of such a convergence ought to
be advancement in the quest to achieve an all-embracing world harmony and peace
as expressed in the second part of the theme.
The theme could be looked at from many perspectives. I am
looking at the theme from the perspective of the natural environment, for
obvious reasons. Specifically, I should like to bring the attention of the
press to the cause of a clean and sustainable natural environment, within the
framework of the theme:
Around the world natives are being uprooted for “development”. Sometimes
they are not properly consulted before they are removed. Sometimes they are
given little inducements. Sometimes they are forcibly removed. Tribes in the
Amazon forest are an example. The words peace, just and inclusive in the theme
hardly comes into play in this scenario.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, 2017, I should like
the press to do even better to focus their critical minds in these critical
times on the forceful ejections of natives with a view to achieving “peaceful,
just and inclusive societies”.
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