ABU GENERAL ASSEMBLY URGES BROADCAST MEDIA TO EMBRACE MULTICULTURALISM By Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 27, 2016 (Antara) - "Unity in Diversity" is the national slogan of Indonesia, which has a population of 254 million people, of which 300 ethnic groups speak 740 languages, and reside on the country's 17,000 islands. 
   This slogan was successfully presented before 700 participants of the 53rd General Assembly of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) held in Bali, on October 23 and 24.

        Indonesia believes that the "Unity in Diversity" concept is crucial for pluralistic content to promote peace amidst global issues, such as conflict, poverty, and social and political problems.     
   "Multiculturalism is crucial for world peace and has been adopted by ABU for broadcasting in Asia and the Pacific," Mohammad Rohanudin, president director of the Indonesian state-owned radio station RRI, said recently.     
   In his welcome speech, Rohanudin emphasized the protection of diverse audiences in the region, and urged broadcasters to further promote unity and a sense of togetherness among the people of the region.

        At the conclusion of the General Assembly, the participants adopted the Bali Declaration on "Broadcasting for All: Multiculturalism And Diversity."
  The Bali Declaration considers and recognizes that broadcasters have a responsibility to provide audiences in the Asia-Pacific with knowledge and information on how to improve people's lives.

        It also appeals to ABU members to devote substantial and increased radio and television broadcast airtime during both peak and lean periods, and to utilize the media to celebrate and embrace all forms of multiculturalism and diversity.

        The declaration also urged ABU members to make an effort to work alongside other stakeholders and consult national and local governmental institutions, NGOs and civil societies to enhance their capacity and resources to produce research-driven programming.

        They should also aim to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of their efforts, so that their contributions to cultural and economic diversity can be improved.

        It stressed that minorities are an important component of any society and their level of participation, involvement and portrayal should be adequately catered to in order to build a socially cohesive force.

        Besides, ABU members reiterated their 2014 Macau Commitment to reflect audience diversity in their employment policy by providing equal employment opportunities to women, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities and members of different cultures and deliver content, which reflects the diversity of the society.

        Broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific regions should, in particular, avoid negative stereotyping, an unrealistic portrayal of society and negative images of minorities.

        In the meantime, the Indonesian Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara, in his opening remarks said broadcasters have a mission to deliver "the right content" to the audience.

        He added that he was aware of the various challenges broadcasters were facing in the Asia-Pacific region due to digitalization and social media.

        The minister pointed out that it was a huge task for Indonesia to manage 1,000 licensed broadcasters throughout the country.

        More importantly, the minister said he has the responsibility to use all available resources to meet the challenges of the broadcasting industry, when the public remains a priority.

        Meanwhile, Hikaru Doumoto, acting president of ABU said that to overcome difficulties and adapt to a new environment, it is crucial for broadcasters to share information and learn from each other's success.

        "We must work beyond the borders of broadcasting and telecommunications and increase our capability to offer better content to our audience. The bigger the challenge, the greater the opportunity is to strengthen the unity among members," he remarked.

        Hikaru also emphasized that the media has a duty to convey any disaster related to information that can prevent a number of casualties and can save lives.

        Besides, disasters and climate change challenges were discussed at a super panel session on Oct 25 under the theme, "How Media Deals with Climate Change and Disaster Challenges?"
   Hikaru reminded the audience that most of ABU member countries are located in disaster-prone areas, such as Japan, India and Indonesia. These countries are included in the ring of fire, and are frequently hit by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

        The media plays a major role in educating people and conveying accurate information and news about climate change and the challenges that disasters pose, the NHK Japan's Executive Vice President, stated.

        Based on the theme, "Content for the Future," the general assembly was attended by representatives of the 278 members of ABU from 69 Asia and the Pacific countries.

        The 53rd ABU General Assembly in Bali, Indonesia, concluded with the election of Ko Dae-young, president and chief executive officer of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) as the new President and Supriya Sahu, director general of Doordarshan-India as the new Vice president of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union.

        Both the new President and the Vice President start their term with immediate effect and will continue their service to the ABU for the next three years from January 2017.

        Lastly, Dr Javad Mottaghi, secretary-general of the Union, recalled all the services provided recently to members for some big sporting events, such as the Incheon Games in Korea in 2014 and more recently during the Olympics Games in Rio.

        The ABU will support RRI and Indonesian state-run television station TVRI during the Asian Games scheduled to be held in Jakarta in 2018. ***4***
(f001/INE)