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University of Guyana students observe Press Freedom Day
Members of the group set-up the displays for the exhibition yesterday.
Renowned personalities, the likes of Janet Jagan and David DeCaires, both of whom are deceased, were prominently featured yesterday when a group of University of Guyana Third Year Communication Students had their observance of World Press Freedom Day.
World Press Freedom Day is observed internationally on May 3 and this year, it was held under the UNESCO prescribed theme ‘Media Dialogue and Mutual Understanding’.
The students’ observance of the day yesterday came as a result of the late opening of the University and was held under the theme ‘Free Media in a way to promote dialogue and education’, said group member Nelsonia Persaud-Budhram. Suelle Findlay-Williams, another group member, said that the emphasis on dialogue and education is needful if press freedom is to be highlighted in every facet of society including professionals, civil society and even school aged children.
According to Persaud-Budhram, the project is normally organised by the Centre for Communication Studies on an annual basis and represents about 10 per cent of their course work.
Their observance took on the form of an exhibition which was geared at targeting the entire university population as well as members of the public.
Persaud-Budhram said that they were able to set-up the display with the help of their lecturers which included books written by Janet Jagan, details about her (Jagan) life and that of David DeCaires and included information about international journalists who have died as a result of their work.
“Our idea today, is to display journalists who have died in the line of duty across the world and identify a few Guyanese Journalists who have made an important and outstanding contribution to press freedom,” said Persaud-Budhram.
The focus was on Jagan and DeCaires who spent their entire lives standing up in one way or another for press freedom.
The work of Ronald Waddell, another departed journalist was also featured at the exhibition.
“They have basically spent a lifetime fighting for press freedom in this country so it was the length and distance of their fight and their struggles that caused us to feature them. They lived their life for press freedom.”
The exhibition was also intended to have students of the Faculty of Communication and Law forge collaborations in order to focus on the need for regulations to govern the press and the implementation of certain policies.
“The law students will have an opportunity to see where legislation stands in terms of press freedom. Although there is freedom of the press, there is still need for it to be regulated.”
According to Persaud-Budhram, “We think that these two disciplines (Law and Communication) are relevant when it comes to press freedom but we also want others to be aware. If this story is featured in the media we hope that Guyanese in general can have an understanding of what press freedom is also.”
The group has also launched the University of Guyana Students For Press Freedom, a forum which can be accessed on Facebook. And already the forum has had 103 members who are able to discuss topics about press freedom. Other members of the group included Sarada Singh, Vanessa Devonish and Christine Chowargir.
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