The Edita and Ira Morris Hiroshima Foundation announced 15 May that its Hiroshima Foundation for Peace and Culture Award for 2023 will be awarded to Burma News International (BNI) in recognition of the organization’s efforts to monitor and report on peace and cultural issues.
The announcement said the foundation decided to give its 2023 award to Burma News International (BNI) – an umbrella organization made up of 15 news and media organizations that courageously disseminate news about ethnic groups inside and outside the country, reporting on atrocities and crimes against humanity, and translating the news into English for an international audience.
“This is an example of international recognition of ethnic media to some extent. I am delighted that the international community has begun to recognize the crucial role of ethnic media in encouraging the once underprivileged ethnic peoples to make their voices heard more than before,” BNI’s Managing Director Ma Tin Tin Nyo told Karen Information Center.
The BNI chief went on to say that this is the first award BNI has received, and that it can be seen as a fruit of the ethnic media’s uninterrupted coverage despite the lack of security in the wake of the military coup.
“This award is about peace and reporting the voices of ethnic minorities. On the other hand, we have continuously reported on traditional cultures and the importance of their communities. We understand that this award was given to us in recognition of our coverage of human rights violations, oppression and discrimination,” she said.
According to the foundation, the award is given to BNI for its years of peacebuilding efforts and unfailing commitment to human rights and democracy, especially since the February 2021 military coup.
BNI’s executive director Tin Tin Nyo is also a human and women’s rights activist who, along with her colleagues, has been working for peace and justice in Myanmar/Burma for more than a decade, the announcement said.
The Foundation presents awards to women and men who contribute, in a cultural field, to fostering dialogue, understanding and peace in conflict areas. The prize is usually awarded every second year, but intervals vary.
The 2020 prize was awarded to the Bi-Communal Choir for Peace in Cyprus.
The 2018 prize was awarded to Mike van Graan, a South-African born playwright and cultural activist, for his contribution to the fight against apartheid.
Currently, there are 15 ethnic and local news media under the umbrella of Burma News International, including the Karen Information Center (KIC), which works to promote the right to information in accordance with the ethical principles of an independent press and works toward a diverse media effort to provide information about events in Myanmar specific to ethnic regions inside and outside the country.
Sent by KIC.