Archive
Some
past news about ICF
The ICF takes sessions at the Eastern Economic
Forum’s Conference
Krynica, Poland – 7 to 10 September 2005
The ICF was asked to
present two sessions at the 15th Conference of the Eastern Economic Forum
from 7 to 10 September 2005 in Poland’s beautiful mountain resort
town of Kyrnica.
The event was attended by 1,700 participants from all the countries of East
and South-East Europe, from Russia
and the CIS. They came from business, politics, the media and
multi—national companies working in the area. Simultaneous
translation in Russian, Polish and English was provided for all sessions,
plenary and workshop.
The President and the Prime Minister of Poland
and former President Lech Waleska were among the main speakers, and they
were joined by heads of State and senior government ministers from the Baltic States and neighbouring countries. The
Conference was widely reported in the Polish print and broadcasting media.
The subjects of the ICF sessions were ‘Media and a Positive Image of
the World’ and ‘Public Relations, Advertising and
Values’, The first was chaired by Christian de Boisredon, Co-Founder
and Co-President of Reporters d’espoir of France, with supporting
panellists, William Porter, Founder President of the ICF; Thomas Schreiber,
former Eastern European affairs correspondent of LE M0NDE; Andrzej Zybala,
Vice President of the European Club of Journalists in Poland; and, as a
guest speaker. Alexander Klyukin, a Member of the Russian Duma, a former
television journalist and Vice-Chairman of the Committee for Information
Policy.
The second session was chaired by Ron Nahser, Provost of the Presidio
School of Management. San Francisco, and President of Corporantes Inc, a
consultancy for management development, and the panel consisted of Peter
Alvarez, spokesperson for the European Public Relations Confederation; and
Charlotte Gutman, Managing Director of C.G.P., a European PR company based
in Brussels.
Bernard Margueritte, President of the ICF provided the working liaison with
Zygmunt Berdychowski, Chairman of the Economic Forum Council. Bernard also met with Lech Waleska, who
enthusiastically recalled his visit to the Caux Conference in 2003.
Back in Warsaw a preparatory meeting took
place for a launching event to establish an ICF Polish Chapter of the ICF,
It was led by Malgorzata Bonikowska, Director of the European Information
Centre in Poland,
and included Jerzy Klosinski, Editor of the weekly SOLJDARNOSZ: Andrzej
Krajewski, former Editor of the Polish READER’S DIGEST, Monsignor
Wieslaw Nieweglowski. Priest to the Warsaw
cultural community who drafted a Code Of Media Ethics, and Bernard
Margueritte. Draft statutes are being prepared and will be submitted for
association status, following a larger meeting of founder members.
“Do Something About It!”
We are
delighted to announce the publication of “Do Something About It!” by Bill
Porter, ICF’s Founder President.
Here is the story of
one who believes that the media can be a decisive force for justice,
freedom and peace in the 21st century. As his wife told him fifteen years ago,
“If you are thinking like that, don’t just complain – do something about
it!”
BILL PORTER worked as a
freelance journalist in Asia, Europe and America. Returning to Britain he became the Chief Executive of the
UK
arm of a Dutch publishing multi-national. After holding executive positions
with the Publishers Association and the Periodical Publishers, he was among
the pioneers of electronic and database publishing.
In 1990 he founded the
International Communications Forum, and was Chairman for ten years. In this
colourful and intimate autobiography Bill Porter tells his entertaining and
extraordinary story.
The book will be launched
at the ICF’s fifteenth anniversary meeting at Caux, Switzerland,
taking place from 16 to 19 July 2005.
The cover price of the
book is £12.50.
Click here to order
your copy.
Peter
Harland
Peter
Harland, former Managing Editor of Times Newspapers, London, and good
friend of the ICF, died on 6th June 2005.
The following tribute was
given by Sir Harold Evans, former former Editor of The Sunday Times:
Peter Harland, having
distinguished himself as a young editor in Bradford,
was reluctant to come to Fleet Street. I was blessed the day he finally
agreed to join me on The Sunday Times as Chief Assistant to the Editor. Ask
Peter Harland to reconnoitre some bramble patch and he would leap in with a
chuckle, chin up, and emerge with it all sorted out. Everyone had said it
was impossible to create a viable best-seller list for books. He solved it.
He grappled with the
introduction of what we laughably called "new technology" with
brio and perspicacity at a time when many journalists were leery and the
print unions hostile. He won everyone's respect, as he did in all his
endeavours, by his rock-solid integrity. He thought newspapers were
invented to do good and never bothered to affect the protective cynicism
traditional in the Street.
His contributions to
journalism went way beyond doing his work on a newspaper. He represented
the best ideals of journalism in professional associations with the same
breezy candor and sense of comradeship.
Bill
Porter on BBC 2 TV's Daily Politics programme
Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. 15 June 2005
The main points of the
following thoughts were given by Bill Porter, ICF’s Founder President, in
an informal round table discussion led by reporter Giles on BBC 2 TV's
Daily Politics programme on 15 June 2005.
The recent referendum
in France was not so much a vote on the issue of the European Union
Con¬stitution as a chance for many French persons to show what they
thought,, plus or minus, of their leaders and in particular Chirac and Le
Pen. Even those who wanted to vote on the Constitution were baffled by a
440 page document received at almost the last minute, which would have
required several hours of study. However, many briefing books and pamphlets
were published. Producing a few flash bestsellers and, doubtless, some
enlightenment.
The Pas de Calais where
Boulogne is France's largest fishing port gave the biggest NO vote of any
French department - 69.5 per cent, although there were some islands of YES,
such as Le Touquet, the seaside resort where I live, which gave a
resounding YES, certainly due to its support by Leonce Deprez. the town's
MP Mayor, whose local influence is considerable. So I am in the wrong place
to get an explanation of the NO, although many think that it is a hangover
from the department's high unemployment figures. Even a YES stance by Jack
Lang, one of Pas de Cala1s' most influential Socialist MPs, was
ineffective.
What can be done? For a
start the idea promoted by Giscard d'Estaing (a former President of France
and the Constit¬ution's main drafter) that nothing can be done, that there
is no Plan B, should be dropped. We have an array of elected politicians,
appointed administrators and trained diplomats, who are paid by the
electors to solve problems. And so they should get on with it, and we
should encourage them to come up with a uniting vision for Europe and practical proposals for the structures of
an outward-looking Continent. An inward-looking. siege mentality Europe would be doomed to failure and disintegration.
But a Europe motivated by what it can do
to bring peace, justice and prosperity to the whole world will contribute
to a great civilisation and be a happy place to live in.
Social
Responsibility Of The Media
Paris, 30 May, 2005
William Porter. the
ICF's Founder President took part in a conference in Paris today with the theme of The Social
Responsibility Of The Media. It was sponsored by UTOPlES. an NGO promoting
sustainable development, which is concerned about the lack of space and
comment given to this important subject.
The event was chaired
by Elisabeth Laville. who founded UTOPIES, and speakers included
Jean-Pierre Chapelle. Secretary General of the daily, Ouest France;
Margaret Hill, Editorial Policy Councillor for the BBC; Jo Confino,
Executive Director of The Guardian; Vincent Giolito, Vice President
of the French Economic and Financial Journalists Association; Thomas
Crampton of the International Herald Tribune; and Guillaume
Cheneviere, President of the Fondation Medias et Societe of Geneva.
Margaret Hill spoke of
the editorial values of balance. accuracy and transparence which are fundamental
to BBC news reporting, and of their acceptance that they have a social
contract with the British people based on trust.
Jo Confino's emphasis
that newspapers and journalists should demonstrate in their own practices
the values which they promoted in their editorial columns was well received
by the audience of Paris
journalists. media executives and business students.
Ouest France is France's most successful daily
and Jean-Pierre Chapelle illustrated the ethical principles that guide the
quality and coherence of their editorial and business policies. Guillaume
Cheneviere described his foundation's promotion of Quality Management
Systems. known as the ISAS BC 9001 Standard, which provides values and
performance guidance to radio, TV broadcasters and Internet Content
providers throughout the world.
This occasion was one
of an increasing number of initiatives being taken by civic and concerned
activities to challenge media individuals and organisations to accept
higher standards of social responsibility in their impact on their
audiences.
ICF
Vice President Bob Webb visits Ukraine
Bob
Webb's spring trip to Ukraine
was a journalist's dream. Coming in the wake of the Orange Revolution, it
meant he could assess it and try to help move it forward.
Click here for Bob's account of
his visit
TSUNAMI
DISASTER
An
open letter from the ICF's Founder President and President to Owners,
Editors and Producers of the Media
Dear Fellow Media
Professionals
Out of a brutal,
sudden, over-whelming world catastrophe we have been working to promote
generosity and sacrifice. to identify needs and to propose solutions, to
present heroism and to show pity; and to devote pages and broadcasting time
to the realities of suffering and courage, instead of to the irrelevant
posturings and murky behaviour of so-called celebrities and self-seeking
personalities.
We have even been
encouraging our leaders to show their best sides instead of just revealing
their petty weaknesses. And we believe that we have all been happier and
more fulfilled in this role. We may also be beginning to lose the embedded
negative mindset that has blighted and discouraged the lives of ourselves
and our audiences.
Whilst journalists are
not, like politicians and diplomats, paid to solve the world's problems. we
do influence the moral and social climate which makes it easier or more
difficult to solve these problems. This natural disaster has given us the
chance to be¬come a great inspiring force for a more worthwhile
civilisa¬tion. Let us resist all attempts from the sources of greed and
cynicism to divert us from this re-found path.
We can help to build a
world where blame-seeking and rights¬ claiming are replaced by
responsibility to society and ser¬vice to others. We can help to ensure
that the work and wealth of the world becomes available to all at the
exploit¬ation of none. We can work to bring understanding between
individuals, communities, nations and races, so that peace becomes the
permanent condition of humanity. It is up to each of us to respond
according to our conscience and our ability.
William Porter,
Founder President
Bernard Margueritte,
President
The
Tsunami disaster - an ICF colleague's loss
Vijitha Yapa, a former journalist and owner of a chain of bookshops in Sri Lanka
writes to tell us that he lost three cousins drowned in their own house and
an uncle during the recent tidal wave, which swept across the South and
East coasts of his country. His bookshop in Galle, a heavily damaged coastal town,
was totally destroyed. "And," he says, "the loss in monetary
terms is about 15 million rupees. But we are grateful that all our staff
were spared. Books can be replaced, but how can we replace lives lost?
"
Vijitha chaired the
one-day ICF seminar for 70 Sri Lankan journalists led by William Porter,
the ICF's Founder President, and Sir Mark Tully, (former head of the BBC's New Delhi bureau) in February, 2003 at the time of the
Commonwealth Press Union's biennial conference in Colombo.
We are grateful for Vijitha’s
safety and our hearts go out to him and his countrymen and women at this
tragic time.
Wise after
the Event
From an article in Tygodnik Solidarność (the Polish Solidarity
Weekly)
by ICF President Bernard Margueritte
Could it be that the
Tsunami tragedy in Asia was, if not a
warning from God, maybe a waking call. We have seen how, confronted with
the awful dimension of this tragedy, people felt suddenly that they were
citizens of the world, responsible for the common destiny, sharing the same
problems and sufferings. To the wave of the infuriated sea responded an
improbable wave of human compassion and worldwide solidarity. Even groups
fighting each other for 20 years in Sri Lanka got in contact to
make help possible. In Hong Kong Chinese stars recorded a new version of the
song “We are the World”, composed after the drama of the famine in Africa in 1985. They called it “love” and made clear
that they did not want to make any commercial use of it.
It seems that this
terrible event was an eye-opener for all people. It showed how our disputes
and confrontations are petty and even ridiculous. Our planet is small and
we are sharing the same fate. What is happening in the Amazon or in Indonesia has an impact on our lives in France or Poland. In this context our “strategic”
debates look ludicrous and sadly ridiculous. Is America a “super-power”? Is the
Atlantic alliance compatible with an affirmed European identity? Does Russia belong to Europe
or not? Or is China
the true new “super-power”?
Tsunami, my friends, shows
us with a dramatic power that all this doesn’t make sense at all! To speak
today about this or another “super-power” should only bring about a
bewildered smile. Not only because we see how the “super-power” that was
supposed to dominate the world cannot handle the situation in small Iraq.
Much more importantly simply because we are realizing that we are all sitting
on the same branch, we all live— with ever growing difficulty— in the same
boat.
This Asian waking call
is indeed extremely symbolic in more than one way. Some are wondering if
one dimension of this symbolism is not the fact that people died together,
those from a world so wealthy that it can give away its money on exotic
travel and, close to them, the poorest of the poor citizens of the
countries they were visiting. Shouldn’t this make us think about the sense
of our development, about justice, about human solidarity? Wasn’t this
God’s intervention?
And indeed confronted
with this tragedy (was it necessary to experience it?) people are beginning
to think, and even to think about God. In a very interesting article in “The
Los Angeles Times” (01/05), Mark Magnier writes about the bewilderment of
the citizens of the affected countries, when they see that places of
worship — Christian or Buddhist— have escaped almost untouched. They share
the amazement of the people, who in Europe
after the war, could not believe that cathedrals and churches were often
the only buildings remaining standing in a sea of ruins.
Lionel Eerasinghe, coordinator
of the NGO The Sri Lanka Foundation, observes: “Every place we go, the
Buddhist statues are without damage; people believe they have special
protection”. The Los Angeles Time’ notices: “Even those whose belief in
religion has waned admit that their brush with this raw power, which killed
more than 30 000 people in Sri
Lanka alone, has forced them to
reexamine their view of faith and spirituality” and many are not afraid to
speak about it openly. For example, a 47-year old lady from Denmark, who barely
escaped with her son, admitted: “I’ve started to think, what is wrong with
our global system, and why has so much pain fallen upon Sri Lanka?” and she
adds: “While I’m not a member of any organized religion, I find myself
praying to something out there for help”.
So it is that Mohammed
Nazar, a Muslim businessman from Galle in Sri Lanka
emphasizes: “Before, people weren’t sure there was a God, but now they are.
God has brought great floods as a warning. Whether you’re a Buddhist, a
Christian or a Muslim, this is a sign to live according to your religion”.
Let us then hope that
this tragedy could be the beginning of a new era. An era of brotherhood and
solidarity. Maybe this is just an utopian view. Maybe one tragedy is not
enough for that to happen. But, truly, why should globalisation remain the
globalisation of the bad, of money, of materialism, of a Godless world? Why
should not globalisation be also the globalisation of the good, the
globalisation of love, the globalisation of solidarity? Indeed, we all see
in these days that this is after all possible.
Click here
to read the article in Polish.
ICF
COLLEAGUES HONOURED DURING 2004
Judge David Edward, recently retired as the British member of the
European. Court of Justice, was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St.
Michael and St. George(KCMG) by the Queen of the United Kingdom. Judge Edward
spoke at our first conference in Le Touquet 1n 1992 and has consistently
supported the work of the Forum.
Dr. Zaki Badawi was made an honorary Knight
Commander of the British Empire(KBE), a very rare honour for a foreign
national. He is Egyptian, but has worked in the UK
for many years as Principal of the Muslim
College in London and has rendered great service to
inter faith relations. Dr. Badawi has taken part in ICF conferences in France, Switzerland
and Australia
and been represented by senior Muslim figures in our Canadian and South
African events.
Senator Dr. Jara
Moserova, a
former Vice President of the Czech Senate and a President of UNESCO's
General Conference was presented with the Ordre de Mérite de France by
President Chirac. She is a Vice President of the ICF and has taken part in
most of its conferences.
William Porter, our Founder President, was
given the Medaille d'Honneur en Or de la Ville du Touquet by Lèonce Deprez,
MP and Mayor of the town.
ICF
PRESIDENT ADDRESSES EDINBURGH MEDIA CONFERENCE - March 2004
On
9th March 2004 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Bernard Margueritte, president of
the International Communications Forum, addressed a one-day media
conference organised by The Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The purpose of the
Conference was to consider whether or not there has been a break-down of
trust where the media is concerned, and whether standards and quality of
journalism properly serve the public interest, this in view of the fact
that concerns continue to be voiced about the relationship between the
Scottish media, the Scottish Parliament and the public, also about ownership
of the media
The other main speakers
were Professor Philip Schlesinger, head of the Media Research Institute at
Stirling University; Lord Steel, ex-presiding officer, Scottish Parliament,
Tony Stoller of Ofcom, and Alastair Campbell, ex-Downing Street Director of
Communications. There were four Panel discussions each comprising a mixture
of journalists and politicians. The chairman was James Naughtie, presenter
BBC Radio 4.
Margueritte posed the question
“Isn’t it time we asked what our mission is supposed to be?” and he
submitted that the media have two main tasks: to give their audience
everything they need to know (and not only everything they want to know),
in order for people to know what is happening, why it is happening, so that
they can make up their own mind: to report about faraway countries, to
bring closer to their audience the civilisation and culture and also the
problems, the fears, the dreams of those faraway people, so that all can
move from understanding to mutual understanding.
He concluded an
inspired address by saying that the media can and should play a prominent role
in the battle to build a better world, but in order to do so “we have to
refind our dignity and sense of mission. Yes, we in the media do have to
change our visions and look in the same direction as the people of goodwill
on this planet. At stake is our own credibility, as media people and as
human beings, and at stake, ladies and gentlemen, is the future of our
societies and our world.”
The chairman commented,
“You have lifted our thinking to a higher level”
During his visit to
Scotland Bernard Margueritte was received in his chambers by the Lord
Provost of Aberdeen ,Liberal Democrat Mr. John Reynolds; was invited to
address the media students at the Robert Gordon University; visited the offices
of the Aberdeen Journals and spent an hour with “Press & Journal”
editor, Mr. Derek Tucker He spoke at a public meeting organised by the
Aberdeen branch of the Christian Socialist Movement and preached at the
morning service in the Aberdeen city centre church of St. Nicholas, after
which he had lunch as the guest of the minister, the Rev. Ross McLaren MBE.
The invitation to
Bernard to address The Royal Society of Edinburgh media conference came
from Dr. Magnus Linklater, a columnist for “The Times” of London and
“Scotland on Sunday”, who is himself a member of the Society media
committee. He also arranged a lunch for Bernard with the editor of The
Scotsman, Mr.Iain Martin. Bernard was accompanied on this visit by his
wife, Joanna a lecturer in architecture at Warsaw University.
To read the full text
of Bernard Margueritte's speech, click here
THE
ICF AT GLOBALISATION CONFERENCE - JULY 2003
The ICF
partnered Caux Initiatives for Business at the Caux Conference Centre in Switzerland
from 11 to 15 July with the theme of ‘Globalisation - As If People Really Mattered.’
ICF participants
comprised 41 persons from 14 Countries, including Magnus Linklater,
columnist with The Times of London; Senator Jara Moserova of the Czech
Republic; Donna Osipov, Executive Director of the Moldavian Independent
Press Association; Louise Sea1s, Managing Editor of the Richmond Times
Despatch (USA); Prof Stephen Ward of the School of Journalism at the
University of British Columbia; Graham Turner, feature writer for the Daily
Telegraph of London; and Danko Plevnik, writer for the Croatian daily,
Slobodna Dalmacija.
A main event was the dialogue
between Ignacio Ramonet, Director of Le Monde Diplomatique, France’s highly
influential political monthly, and José Maria Figueres, a former President
of Costa Rica and now Managing Director of the World Economic Forum of
Davos. They presented two radically different approaches to globalisation,
but succeeded in finding some areas of common concern, particularly in the
urgent reduction of world poverty and of the wide gap between the rich and
poor of the world.
Bernard Margueritte, the
ICF’s President, reported on the progress of the previous year, and speaking
of the future, said, “we will continue to work on our conference programme.
In 2004 we should have a Forum in India
in the Spring and another one in the Fall in Senegal. That will improve our
involvement in the African continent and develop a new one in Asia. The Lebanese Forum will be realised at last,
and in 2005 we shall have a new US Forum (this time in Boston). We are a1so preparing a
conference in Latin America, ensuring the
true ‘globalisation’ of the ICF.”
ICF
Founder President a Speaker at World Association of Newspapers Congress -
June 2003
Meeting
in Dublin from 8 to 11 June, 2003, the World Association of Newspapers
(WAN) attracted 1200 delegates from 85 countries representing some two thirds
of the world’s daily and weekly press. At a Round Table on “Media under
Threat - Press Freedom Challenged” William Porter was a Panel Speaker with
the subject “Sensationalism and the Erosion of Journalism”. His was the
only subject, among eight speakers, dealing with threats from within the
media rather from outside it, such as state oppression and economic and
political pressures. Hence it was a sensitive issue for the audience of
editors and senior journalists.
Porter’s talk was reported
in THE IRISH INDEPENDENT, Ireland’s largest circulation daily, under the
headlines “Industry warned of insidious threat of sensationalism”. The item
read as follows:
‘Sensationalism is a
less evident but more insidious threat to press freedom than posed by
dictatorships or those who seek to silence journalists through violence, a
world summit of newspaper executives heard yesterday.
‘But William Porter,
President of the International Communications Forum, stressed that this was
a threat which those working in the industry had the power to tackle. He
was addressing the annual World Newspaper Congress … the summit of over
1,100 publishers, editors and executives [to be] addressed by Bono and the
Taoiseach (the Prime Minister).
‘Mr. Porter told the
opening session on press freedom of the damage which can be caused by
internal ownership pressures and built-in mindsets.
‘Questioning the
tendency to sensationalise stories, he reminded delegates of the exodus of
journalists from Northern
Ireland when the conflict there ended. One
television producer working there had commented, “You can photograph war
but not peace”.
‘He reminded delegates
that newspaper audiences do not consist of violence-loving, sex-mad,
moronic idiots but of reasonable, hardworking, fami1y-loving, decent
people. “It is for them that we should fill our pages” he added.
‘Mr Porter said that
one of the easiest subjects to sensationalise was crime. “Many of us in senior
positions have bemoaned the Presence of violent crime”, he said, “at the
same time we have been falsifying our company accounts, using deceptive
advertising to sell our products arid entertaining all our contacts and
ourselves in an unnecessarily lavish lifestyle” And he hit out at those who
described a difference of opinion as a “row”, a mild indiscretion as a “scandal”,
a close win as a “resounding victory” and a sporting defeat as a “humiliation”.’
(end of story)
During the course of
the Congress Porter met with some fifty of the delegates including Sir Anthony
O’Reilly, Chairman of the Independent Newspapers Group. Gavin O’Reilly,
President of the National Newspapers of Ireland, Timothy Balding, Director
General of the WAN, Gloria B. Anderson, President of the World Editors
Forum, Andres Garcia Gamboa, President of the Inter American Press
Association; to mention a few.
Porter also attended a
session of the Irish Senate and met with Senator Martin Mansergh, who had
advised Irish leaders in the negotiations leading up to the Peace Process,
which ended armed conflict in Northern Ireland. Additionally,
he had a valuable meeting with Father John Litt1eton, spokesman of the
Irish Priests Association.
International
Journalism Group Meeting in Cape
Town, Address African Media Issues
CAPE TOWN, South
Africa - 10th April 2003
One hundred six
journalists from 26 countries from five continents, met this week to address
… “Changing media in changing societies.”
Less than a decade ago, South
Africa was a source of concern and
sorrow among those committed to the concepts of democracy, freedom and
fairness. Journalists were threatened and beaten on plantations along similar
lines to America’s segregation.
Today it is a leading contributor to press freedoms on the continent.
The International Communications Forum, a network of people of good will in
the media in 114 countries, met in Cape
Town, South Africa
(5-9 April) to discuss the status of their craft and work toward finding
solutions for troubling developments within the media and in society.
The International Communications Forum focuses discussions on a
person-to-person basis. More information on upcoming forums and other
information about the ICF can be found on their web site
(http://www.icforum.org).
The organization has no formal headquarters or membership; a voluntary dues
structure and a drive to continue meeting to help find solutions to a
declining state of news media.
Founder president William Porter, a former foreign correspondent and
multi-national publisher, welcomed the delegates with a challenge to take
the high road in reporting in the emerging nations of the African continent.
He challenged the delegates not to shirk from a responsibility to present
news that may be considered unsettling, but to also provide the
constructive side of life. Such a balance of news reporting, said Porter,
can be presented in an interesting way.
“If we have the privilege of freedom of information, freedom to publish and
present,” Porter explained in his opening remarks, “I think we have to be
concerned with the effect of our products, for good or ill, on the people
who read, listen to, and watch them. Are we pulling our audiences down or
lifting them up?”
The three days of intensive presentations and discussions produced a snapshot
of a reporter’s life in pre- and post-Apartheid Africa.
ICF President, Bernard Margueritte, explains the dual role of the media. He
said the media should provide the public all it needs to know to be proper
citizens within their country, and so promote democracy. Secondly, the
media should build mutual understanding between people and cultures.
The international turmoil in South Africa
as well as Iraq
is also a concern for Margueritte.
“War is always the result of a failure,” said Margueritte. “We are
concerned for the Iraqi people, the Iraqi families, who have suffered so
long under a despotic leader and cruel regime and are now suffering from
the war. It shows once again that we, in the media, are not fulfilling our
task of bringing people together.”
He stated the role of the media should accept the challenge to better serve
humanity, build a better media that contributes to replacing “the pseudo-civilization
of hate and violence.”
Following a passionate panel discussion on the status of freedom of the
press in Africa, Bernard Margueritte, a French journalist reporting from Warsaw Poland
and current president of the International Communications Forum, proposed a
resolution on the “reprehensible Angolan conduct”.
Margueritte said on March 2 the state-run daily newspaper, Jornal de Angola,
called upon the Angolan people to take to the streets to ‘beat up or kill
either slowly or at speed’ the remaining members of UNITA who dare to
remember their slain leader, Jonas Savimbi.
The International Communications Forum delegates called for the end to the
end of repression, frequently violently, of dissenting journalistic voices
and a violation of the freedom of expression principles contained in the
Windhoek Declaration. They also called on the Angolan government to commit
to a free flow of news and information and to end the harassment of
journalists and re-establish an environment of the freedom of speech.
Other panel discussions addressed the role of journalism in an open and democratic
society, the convergence “mania” in media businesses, and the status of the
broadcasting industry.
The forum was held at the Silvermist Mountain Lodge outside of Cape Town and was sponsored by Telkom South Africa.
A full Report on the
Cape Town Forum is now available -click here:
More...
Reprehensible
Angolan conduct
Resolution
passed at ICF meeting in Cape Town,
April 5-9
Delegates to an
International Communications Forum held in Cape Town on April 5-9 have learned with
horror of the Angolan government's use of the State-controlled media to
instigate genocide and ethnic cleansing against the surviving members of
the UNITA rebel movement.
Delegates were appalled when they were told that on March 2 the state-run
daily, Jornal de Angola, called on the Angolan people to take to the streets
to “beat up or kill either slowly or at speed'' the remaining members of
UNITA who dare to remember their slain leader Jonas Savimbi.
The delegates called on the Angolan government immediately to put a stop to
this reprehensible activity. They also called on the member nations of the
Southern African Development Community - of which the Angolan government
holds the presidency - to call the Angolan government to account and to
consider the imposition of sanctions on that country to force it to end
these attacks.
Delegates also noted with strong disapproval the continuing repression, frequently
violently, of dissenting journalistic voices and pointed out that this
unacceptable activity is in conflict with the African Union constitution
and the SADC's adoption of the freedom of expression principles contained
in the Windhoek Declaration. They called on the Angolan government to abide
by its commitments to the free flow of news and information and to end this
activity. They further called on the government to work for peace and
reconciliation for all its peoples
SOUTH
AFRICAN PRESS COMMENT ON THE ICF’S CAPE
TOWN FORUM
Here
are some extracts from coverage of the ICF’s successful Forum in Cape Town in the South
African media:
Date : 2003/04/08
Publication : Cape
Argus Page : 7
Media `must better serve humanity`
People have forgotten what it was like being a journalist under apartheid -
it is very different now. This sobering reminder was given by Raymond Louw,
editor and publisher of the South African Report, at a conference near Hout Bay. The conference, "Changing
Media for a Changing Society", is being held under the auspices of the
International Communications Forum. The chief executive officer of Telkom,
Sizwe Nxasana, delivered the welcoming address to the delegates
representing 26 countries. He said that a key element in a democracy was an
informed public and this can only be achieved under conditions of freedom
of expression and a culture of human rights.
Date : 2003/04/08
Publication : City Press Page : 6
Embrace info age Africa toldEmbrace info age Africa
told
If Africa's potential was to be realised, the continent would have to be
fully integrated in the information age, Telkom chief executive Sizwe
Nxasana said yesterday. Addressing an international communication forum
here, he said it was vital for Africa to
embrace the information age. Nxasana said the government could introduce
trade and tax reforms on information technology and telecommunications, and
boost education and training to tackle illiteracy.
Date : 2003/04/08
Publication : Business Day Page : 2
Africa must join the information age
If Africa's potential is to be realised, the continent will have to be
fully integrated in the information age, says Telkom CE Sizwe Nxasana. He
told a communication forum in Cape Town
yesterday that it was vital for Africa to
embrace the information age to unlock its potential. Government could
introduce trade and tax reforms on information technology and
telecommunications, and boost education and training to tackle illiteracy,
Nxasana said. He said sub-Saharan Africa
had the least developed infrastructure in the world with only 0,4 percent
of the world's telephone lines.
Date : 2003/04/08
Publication : Sake Burger Page : 17
Africa should share in IT
Africa should become a part of the information
era should it be interested in reaching its full potential. Sizwe Nxasana,
CE of Telkom, yesterday said that South Africa need information
and communication technology to reach its national objectives.
The
media in sad times
A
message from the ICF's President and Founder President:
War is always the
result of a failure. Our thoughts go out at this time to all those, who are
engaged in or suffering from the armed conflict in Iraq. We are concerned for the
Iraqi people, the Iraqi families, who have suffered so long under a
despotic leadership and cruel regime and are now suffering from the war, as
we are for the soldiers of both sides and their fearful loved ones.
We, of the ICF, reject
the concept of a “clash of civilisations”. We want our brothers and sisters
in the Arab and Muslim world to know that this war is not the war of the
Western and Christian world against them. Those of us in Europe do not
forget the respect and admiration we have for the Arab civilization, that
brought so much to Europe and the world.
We are equally concerned to maintain and strengthen the spiritual and
humanitarian tradition of much of European and Western culture.
Today’s failure is also
the failure of the media. At the end of the road our mission, our great and
simple mission is twofold: to inform honestly and broadly, in a balanced
way, so that those who read us and listen to what we say, are able to
understand what is happening in their town, in their country and in the
world. They can therefore make up their own mind and be properly citizens
and live in a true democracy. Our second mission is to inform about the
culture, the problems, the dreams of other people and thus build
understanding and mutual respect. In this sense war is also our own
failure. It shows once again that we, in the media, are not fulfilling our task
of bringing people together. If indeed there is so much hatred and violence
in this world, it is also because we, in the media, are not properly
helping people to understand and respect each other.
The sad times we are in
should therefore - this is the conviction of the ICF people - give us a
renewed motivation to better serve humanity, to build better media, that
can help bring about the “civilisation of love” that should replace the
pseudo-civilisation of hate and violence, and to make sure that together we
will build a world in which tomorrow freedom, justice and compassion will
prevail.
Bernard Margueritte,
ICF President
William Porter, ICF Founder President
Click here for a PDF
version of the statement:
More...
ICF's
Founder in Asia - February/March 2003
William
Porter, the ICF’s Founder President made an Asian journey in February/March
2003, where he attended an ICF Seminar in Colombo,
Sri Lanka for
journalists and broadcasters, represented the ICF at the Commonwealth Press
Union conference held in that city, and subsequently visited India, where he met politicians, newspaper
editors and students in Chennai (Madras)
and Nagaland.
Click here for William Porter's Report on his journey
More...
Lebanon Forum Postponed
A
message from Gebran Tueni, the chairman of "An-Nahar", the main
coordinator of our Lebanese Invitation Committee, to Bernard Margueritte,
President of the ICF:
I confirm our decision
to postpone the conference planned for Beirut in March 2003. As you know, our
region sits on a volcano that is at risk of erupting at any moment,
presenting a clear risk to delegates that would prevent them coming, a risk
both to their personal safety and life. Nevertheless, let us not lose hope.
The conference will take place eventually, but at a time when people’s
spirits will be more amenable to benefit from it fully, on the academic as
well as the moral level.
Gebran Tueni
5th March 2003
ICF
Founder President at the French-British Summit at Le Touquet, 4 February, 2003
Our
Founder President, Bill Porter, must have enjoyed his other role as an
honorary British Consular Officer for Le Touquet and its region, during the
recent visit of President Chirac and Prime Minister Blair for summit talks
in that city. As the leader of the local British community, he was given a
privileged position with his compatriots to take part in the arrival
ceremony and they were among the first to shake hands with the two leaders,
following their review of the ceremonial guard. This resulted in their
appearance in many TV news reports and the main front-page picture of LA
VOIX DU NORD, the Northern France main
daily newspaper, showing Porter shaking hands with President Chirac. In
another picture Porter is described as “Le plus Touquettois des
Britanniques”, which loosely translates as “the most enthusiastic British
Le Touquet Citizen”.
Porter was also
interviewed for five minutes by the Arabic TV station, AL JAZEERA, who were
among the more than 200 journalists from all parts of the world. The
serried ranks of photographers and TV cameramen on a special platform
blocked the view of some of the crowd, rather reminiscent of the New Testament
verse, “Zaccheus could not see for the press.”
Meanwhile the two
leaders plunged into the crowds taking what the French describe as a “bain
de foule”, a crowd bath, from which they emerged unscathed and moved into a
specially prepared room, normally reserve for marriage ceremonies, for
their serious discussions. These took place in a friendly atmosphere and
resulted in many constructive co-operations in defence, treatment of asylum
seekers and education, including the groundwork for an eventual Cross-Channel University. However, the issue of a
possible invasion of Iraq
remained on hold, and the lunch, prepared by students of the local hotel
school, took place with contented good humour. “Vive l’Entente Cordiale!”
ICF
President speaks on The Media and Globalisation - India, January 2003
Bernard
Margueritte, ICF President, was a keynote speaker at a conference on the
theme of ‘Globalisation – Embracing Opportunity – Creating Synergy’
held at the Panchgani Conference Centre, India. Here is the text of his
speech, delivered on 10th January 2003 to an audience of 170 business,
political and trade union leaders from Asia
and the Pacific.
More...
The ICF
at Windsor
- December 2002
Action
towards creating a UK Centre for Media Affairs
The International Communications
Forum was one of a group of media organisations brought together by the Institute of Global
Ethics UK Trust at a Consultation on establishing a Centre
for Media Affairs in the UK.
Over 30 people, including senior representatives of the media, media
professionals, representatives of media consumers, academics and national
charities, attended the Consultation, held at St George’s House in Windsor
Castle on 9th/10th December 2002. The ICF was represented by President
Bernard Margueritte (who was guest speaker at a dinner for participants on
9th December), Founder President William Porter and the ICF’s Executive
Director Robin Williamson, who was a member of the Planning Group for the
event.
Following the
conference at the Financial Times that they organised in 1999 (Click on
'more' below to read about the FT conference), the ICF together with a
group of UK media professionals has been seeking support for the creation
in the UK of an independent ‘Media Institute’ to conduct research, develop
training and provide a body to which media professionals could bring
ethical issues and seek guidance. In the last two years at least four or
five quite separate groupings having been developing roughly similar ideas.
All of these were approached by the Institute of Global Ethics to examine
how best their energies, resources and concerns might be combined to
produce the common desired result – an independent body which has the
confidence of both public and media industries and which could be a ‘clearing
house’ for dialogue, research and improvement in the sphere of media
ethics. The Consultation at Windsor
was the first step towards implementing these plans.
The consensus from the
Consultation was that action was needed to move the concept forward. The
Planning Group of which the ICF is a member is now taking action to build
on the consensus achieved at the Consultation. News on progress will be
available on this web site as the concept develops.
Click here to read
about the Conference held at the Financial Times in 1999
More...
“The
Media and European Governance” – Madeira, November 2002
The ICF
was strongly represented at the fifth Euroforum on the theme of “The Media
and European Governance” organised by the Association for Europe in Madeira, Portugal, from November 7-10
2002.
João Henriques Gonçalves,
President of the Association, observed that “civil society in Madeira needs to be participating more; that is the real
need”. The first speaker, Antonio Neto da Silva, former Trade Minister, speaking
on the subject “Good governance in Europe,
present-day and the future” surveyed the European Community, especially the
way it has been governed.
William Porter, the ICF
Founder President, and Hugh Nowell,
member of the Executive Committee, stressed in a panel discussion that the
best way to improve the media – a much needed task indeed – is for the
media person to improve first, and above all as a human being. Speaking on
the theme “Good Governance and Democracy”, Porter highlighted the
journalist as a human being and emphasised that a journalist spends his
life interviewing people but that systems and structures cannot be
interviewed. As far as responsibilities of the media are concerned, he
pointed to the need to promote dialogue with those in power, to report what
they have done and still have to do - something which has meant that media
personnel have often been targets of criticism and of being badly treated.
In concluding his talk, Porter affirmed that “behaviour is key for the
future of our civilisation”.
Bernard Margueritte, the
ICF President and a contributor to “Le Monde Diplomatique”, led a session
on “Europe and the Media”. He delivered a speech about the historical
opportunity, but also the dangers facing Europe
today. Unfortunately, he said, many of those dangers are largely ignored by
the media. No wonder then that the European Union is still far away from
the citizen and remains mostly the Union
of the bureaucrats and the businessmen. Where is the Europe
of the founding fathers? Where is the Europe
with a mission, with values, with a purpose and a programme in the world? Why
doesn’t the media address those essential topics? The same is true,
emphasised Margueritte, about the future enlargement of the EU. It is a
historical event, but it brings about many dangers for the cohesion and the
future of the Union. The people have the
right to know about them so that they can make the right decisions. How can
they do so if the media, once again, is not living up to the task?
ICF
President makes opening speech in Beirut at a Conference on “The Media and
Arab Culture”, October 2002
Bernard Margueritte, the ICF President, attended a conference organised in Beirut by the Lebanese American
University from
October 30 to November 3 2002 on the subject “The Media and Arab Culture”.
Thanks to the participation of many bright media people from Arab
countries, the USA, Germany and France, the discussion was very
intense and lively. Asked to deliver the opening speech, Bernard
Margueritte emphasised that, unfortunately, one of the key missions of the
media, to inform broadly and honestly about other cultures, other models of
civilisation, other people, remains largely unfulfilled. The ICF President
pointed out that hatred comes from the lack of sufficient knowledge and
understanding of each other. Therefore it is more urgent than ever for
media people to work for a better understanding in the world, and this is
particularly true if we are speaking about giving the West an honest
picture of the realities of the Arab culture and about showing a due
respect to our Arab and Muslim brothers and sisters. Bernard Margueritte’s
speech was extremely well received.
ICF’s
Founder President Meets Dutch Media Leaders: 19-26 October 2002
During a week-long journey to five Dutch cities William Porter, Founder
President of the ICF, met with Rob Pieterse, Chairman of the
world-spanning, multi-national publishing group. Wolters Kluwer; Hans
Verploeg, General Secretary of the Dutch Journalists Association; Herman
Bruggink, Chairman of the Dutch Advertising Authority; and other media figures.
The Netherlands’ role in working for a free and plural media, and future
events of the ICF and their financing were among matters discussed.
Porter was invited to
attend the Erasmus Prize-giving event at the Dutch Tropical Institute,
where he met with Gottfried Wagner, Director of the European Cultural
Foundation.
The daily GOUDA COURANT
interviewed Porter and an article will appear shortly.
The
ICF’s Founder President in Serbia
- September 2002
William
Porter was invited to be a main speaker at the Annual Conference of the
Serbian Association for Technology, Culture and Development at Lake Palić,
Subotica in
the Northern, majority Hungarian-speaking part of the country. A main
purpose of the Association is to strengthen the democratic and European
progress of Serbia and Montenegro.
The theme of the Conference, held from 10-14 September, was to explore the
role of Technology and Culture in determining Quality of Work, Products and
Life. Having been introduced by Professor Vlastimir Matejić,
Conference President and host, Porter spoke of the key part that the media
play influencing the behaviour of people and in stimulating leadership to
take action in feeding the starving, protecting the oppressed and ensuring
freedom. “I would like to make the serious point”, he said, “that
criminality begins from the top of society and not from its back streets
and football terraces. Many of us in senior positions have bemoaned the
prevalence of violent street crime, of the petty thieving by drug users to
feed their addictions and of the indiscipline of our own children. But, at
the same time we have been less than honest in our firms’ financial
accounting, have permitted deceptive advertising and have submitted highly
imaginary expense accounts . And the worst is that we thought all this was
clever, when in fact it was criminal. I personally decided to stop these
malpractices and to apply complete honesty to my personal and company
dealings. When we, in positions of comfort and responsibility clean up our
own act we shall see a corresponding freedom from crime at all other levels
of society. And I would add that we in the media have a major task in
reporting crime in a balanced and non-sensational way and in inspiring our
audiences to high levels of social behaviour.”
A Serbian Broadcasting
Corporation Television crew interviewed Porter, who emphasised the
importance of informing the people on scientific and technological issues
and on the ethical implications of genetic research and applications and of
environmental policy and of genetic behaviour. “The public are becoming
more aware of these matters and the media can help them to express their
concerns to political, diplomatic and business leadership”, he said, “Here
we have an educational function in trying to ensure that the public receive
accurate and non-sensational information on scientific and medical
developments.
During a few days in
Belgrade, the capital, Porter met a number of media and academic
personalities including Radomir Licina, Chairman of DANAS, a leading national
daily; Sonja Licht. President of the Open Society’s Serbian activities;
Stojan Cerović, senior columnist of VREME, an independent news weekly
published throughout the Milosović period; Gordana Logar, former
editor of NEW BORBA and an early President of the Independent Journalists
Association of Serbia; Professor Ivan Draganić, a world authority on
Radiation; Vida Ognenović, outstanding woman writer and playwright and
now the Serbian ambassador in Norway; Boris Milosavljivić, Deputy
Federal Secretary for Religious Affairs and Natasza Pejić, a brilliant
young journalist with the BETA News Agency. The DANAS newspaper interviewed
Porter for their main Sunday edition, highlighting the Sarajevo Commitment
as an expression of the media’s true function.
Commenting on his visit
Porter said, “I felt somewhat nervous as a Britisher returning to Serbia
after many years absence and in spite of my late wife being a Yugoslav. In
the event I was overwhelmed also by the warmth of welcome and by the
strength of support to the ICF’s ideas. Although the economy is in
difficulty and there is war damage to repair and a coat of paint is needed
everywhere, there is an emerging sense of hope and a determination to
rebuild.”
Armand
de Malherbe, a founder of the ICF, awarded the Legion of Honour - Paris, 3
September 2002
Armand
de Malherbe, a founder of the International Communications Forum, was awarded
the Legion of Honour, France’s highest decoration, by François Fillon,
Minister of Social Affairs, Labour and Solidarity in the present
government. The ceremony took place on 3rd September 2002 in a main
reception room of the Ministry, overlooking the Place des Invalides and
close to the building of the National Assembly. The award was made by order
of the President of the Republic and honoured de Malherbe’s remarkable
service to his country in time of War, through his work at the highest
levels in the advertising industry and a Vice President of the Conseil
General of the Sarthe department.
In his address, François
Fillon emphasised the selfless nature of de Malherbe’s contribution to his
nation’s life and also felt that he merited mention in the book of records
for having been elected mayor of his township for forty three years
continuously.
In his speech of
response, de Malherbe was forthright in his appeal for integrity at all
levels of government and business. He referred to his long association with
the media and underlined the need for its responsibility to society and
spoke of the presence in the audience of a friend (ICF Founder President
Bill Porter) who had initiated an effective movement to this end. He spoke
of the great service given to the community by thousands of grass-roots
municipal councillors and ended with expressing his heartfelt conviction of
the importance of sound family life and his gratitude for the presence of
so many members of his own family, wife, children and grandchildren, at the
occasion.
Representatives
of the ICF take part in a Debate on the Ethical Responsibility of the Media
- Brussels
28 August, 2002
The
European Business Ethics Network (EBEN) invited the International
Communications Forum to take part in a Debate on the Ethical Responsibility
of the Media held today in Brussels at the Royal Military Academy.
The occasion was presented by Professor Heidi von Weltzien Hoivik,
President of EBEN and a former Dean of the Norwegian Business
School and a member
of the Caux Round Table for Business and Industry. The debating panel was
made up of Belgian and Dutch academics and journalists.
The subjects debated
were:
1) the effect on
quality brought about by the intensified and globalised competition between
media groups;
2) the consequences of
tighter financial conditions and shareholder pressure on employment levels
and the rep1acement of salaried staff by free-lance reporters;
3) preserving media
independence in spite of complex ownership schemes and the influence of
political and indusLrial lobbies; and
4) Is the neutrality of
media organs possible or even desirable?
The ICF was represented
by Bill Porter, the Founder President, who came over from his home in Le Touquet, France
and Alick Sytor a Brussels
based Information Technology Consultant. They were able to introduce a more
positive note into a debate that was largely pessimistic about the ability
of the media to deal with their own weaknesses, by citing the effective
changes brought about in media situations by journalists broadcasters and
editors who applied ethical practices.
IC
Forums in Caux, Switzerland July 20 - August 3,
2002
On July
20-24, the International Communications took part in the Caux Conference
for Business and Industry, under the theme, 'Globalization - From
Conflict to Opportunity'.
The Opening Plenary was
addressed by ICF President, Bernard Margueritte, who called for another
globalization, - a globalisation of responsibility, of knowledge and
respect for each other. ICF Vice-President Dr
Frances Pinter, founder Pinter Publishers and visiting
professor at the London School of Economics, gave a key note speech on the
essential role of civil society organisations of which the ICF is one.
Workshops were led by the President on the 'Media - watchdog for
politicians and businessmen in a global context'. The President outlined
some of the tasks set out last year aiming to make the media more
responsible which have been achieved. He described in greater detail
objectives for the coming year, which can be read in the ICF Annual Report
July 2002. (Click on 'more' below to go to the text of the Report)
During the 'Road to
Renewal' Caux Conference which immediately followed, July 28 - August
3, the ICF held workshops on the 'Visual Arts and film-making' to consider
the manner in which entertainment could eradicate hatred and enhance human
dignity and respect. Several eminent film-makers took part. Among them,
Krzusztov Zanussi, famous award-winning Polish director and chairman of the
Polish Film-makers association; Jan Horn, documentary film-maker from South Africa; Ken Dodds, UK documentary film-maker; and a TV/film
team from Moscow.
More...
Call
by Slovenia's
President for Media to support Moral Values - May 2002
"A
Global World in Need of Ethics" was the tone-setting address by Milan
Kučan, President of Slovenia, to the International Press Institute's
World Congress in Ljubljana,
meeting from 9 to 12 May, 2002 in this beautiful and well-run country.
More...
ICF
Founder President in Australia,
Hong Kong and Slovenia
- March 2002
ICF's
Founder President, William Porter, made a number of media contacts in
Melbourne and Sydney in March 2001
More...
Scotland sets the pace - November 2001
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow host Forums...
More...
Media
ethics discussed in Denver
- May 2001
How to
regain the public’s trust in the media, at a time when only 15 per
cent of the public say they trust journalists, was a theme that emerged
during the 25th International Communications Forum, held in Denver, Colorado,
17-19 May 2001
More...
'Sarajevo
2000' World Media Assembly makes a commitment to citizens - October 2000
Sarajevo, Bosnia
and Herzegovina (October 2 2000)
A world
congress of journalists, organized by the International Communications
Forum in cooperation with the Independent Union of Professional Journalists
of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
facilitated a four-day meeting from 28 September to 2 October. The theme
‘The Media – A Decisive Force in Building a Free and Just
Society’ focussed on case studies from conflict areas, journalism
education and training, discussions on media standards, and media lessons
from the Balkans.
More...
2002-
An Overview
Click here for a Report on the ICF's activities in 2002 and a review of
future plans.
More...
Coup
d'œil sur 2002 - Perspectives d'avenir
Cliquez ici pour un compte rendu des activités
du Forum en 2002 et les projets d'avenir
More...
Annual
Report from the ICF's President - July 2002
Click
here to read the Annual Report from ICF's President, Bernard Marguritte:
uploads/Annual Report
2002.pdf
More...
September
11th 2001
Letter
from ICF President Bernard Marguerite
I am moved and
touched personally by the drama and the trauma of my American friends, in New York, Boston,
Washington, all over the
country and wherever they are in the world. I spent five years of my life
in this great country, five of my best years. I have so many close friends
there. I love America so much. How could I not feel the deepest sympathy?
But there is more. President Kennedy once said: “I am a Berliner!” Today
every peace-loving citizen of the world should say: “I am an American!”
More...
Speech
by ICF President Bernard Margueritte - July 2001
Speech
by Bernard Margueritte following his appointment as President of the
International Communications - Caux, July 2001
More...
Media
turns the spotlight on itself (1999)
More...
Pope
calls for communication not alienation (1999)
More...
Tax
protests focus Jamaican media's role (1999)
More...
Irish
journalists put media under the microscope (1999)
More...
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