Centre For Independent Journalism, Romania
To commemorate 3 May, the Centre for Independent Journalism, in co-operation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Media Monitoring Agency "Academia Catavencu", and the Association for Promoting and Protecting the Freedom of Expression will hold a convention of media organisations on 2 May to discuss possible ways to promote self-regulation as an alternative to restrictive media laws. On 3 May, journalists, politicians, and civil society leaders will participate in an event to provide the public with an opportunity to interact with prominent figures of the Romanian media. "JOURNALISTS TAKE THE STREETS" will take place in Piafia Universitãfiii, from 12.00 - 16.00. For more information contact Ioana Avadani, office@greekhelsinki.gr.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
On 3 May, MISA will launch a new campaign calling attention to the dangers journalists face in Southern Africa and the urgent need to provide practical support for victims of attacks. "Journalists Under Fire" includes an information package detailing the state of free expression in 11 member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). MISA invites media to participate in promoting press freedom and freedom of expression in Southern Africa by using these materials in their publications on May 3 or on the nearest publication day. To download the materials, log onto www.misa.org

For World Press Freedom Day, openDemocracy.net has launched

world media monitor. From Armenia to Brazil to Croatia, journalists,

academics, and media activists share their views on how, throughout the Iraq

crisis, TV and newspapers have played their part in shaping the way that

global events are represented and understood.

The Brazilian Association of Newspapers (ANJ)
The UNESCO Office Brasilia and The Brazilian Association of Newspapers (ANJ-Brazil) are organising a seminar on Freedom of the Press as an activity of 3 May - World Press Freedom Day. The seminar, to be held in Brasilia on 8 May, will discuss issues such as the responsibility and the role of newspapers, and the influence of governments and the market on the media. Speakers include: Claude-Jean Bertrand, professor emeritus at the Institut Francais de Presse of the University of Paris and author books on media ethics; Luiz Garcia (O Globo newspaper); Ricardo Trotti (Inter-American Press Association), Marcelo Beraba (Folha de S.Paulo newspaper), Beth Costa (National Federation of Journalists). For more information contact Juliana Toscano; e-mail desenvolvimento@anj.org.br or +55 61 223-7488.

UNESCO
UNESCO will be holding its annual World Press Freedom Day Conference from 2-3 May in Kingston, Jamaica. The principle theme for this year’s event is "impunity’. A series of presentations and discussions will be held over the two-day period, and the Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2003 will be awarded in an official ceremony. The UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Conference is an annual event that attracts participants from the media, government and press freedom organisations, from around the world. For more information log on to www.unesco.org/webworld

World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC)
For 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, the World Press Freedom Committee will highlight the urgent need to eliminate "insult laws"; laws that protect presidents and other state officials from scrutiny of their conduct in office and in certain countries are used ruthlessly against journalists. WPFC Chairman Jim Ottaway will also give a presentation on "insult laws" at UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day celebration in Kingston, Jamaica. For more information, contact Marilyn Green, Executive Director on + 703 715 9811 or mgreene@wpfc.org

Committee to Protect Journalists, New York, USA
To mark World Press Freedom Day, CPJ will be releasing its annual report on "The World’s Worst Places to be a Journalist" The report can be accessed on http://www.cpj.org/enemies/worst_pl...

For further information, contact Abi Wright, Communications Co-ordinator; +1 212-465-1004 x105 or awright@cpj.org

International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Visit the web site www.ifex.org of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) to find out what many of the network’s 57 members around the world are doing on World Press Freedom Day. IFEX also publishes two special editions of its weekly newsletter, the IFEX Communique, which reports on World Press Freedom Day activities held around the world. To sign up for the Communique, send an email to Geoffrey Chan, Communique Editor on communique@ifex.org

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
To mark World Press Freedom Day 2003 IFJ is joining with media organisations, unions of journalists and press freedom groups to launch the International News Safety Institute (INSI). The INSI is a global media safety network founded by the IFI in co-operation with the International Press Institute, and is backed by over 100 founding groups from the world of journalism, human rights and press freedom. The institute will promote concrete actions and foster best practices in the provision of safety training, materials and assistance to journalists and media staff. For more information contact Sarah de Jong, safety@ifj.org or + 32 2 235 22 01

The National Press Club of Canada, Ottawa Canada
The National Press Club of Canada will hold its 5th Annual World Press Freedom Day Luncheon on Friday, 2 May. Reza Baraheni, President of PEN Canada, and Carol Off, CBC correspondent, author and TV Host of "counterSpin" will be the keynote speakers of the luncheon. The winners of the National Press Club Press Freedom Award, and the NPC 3rd International Editorial Cartoon Competition will be announced, and the presentation of prizes made. A "Press Freedom Review" a booklet with articles surveying press freedom from various international press associations points of view, plus pages of cartoons, will be released at the luncheon as well. For more information please contact Spencer Moore, Chair: NPC Press Freedom Committee; combroad1@rogers.com or +1 613 824 2436.

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and PEN-Canada have teamed up with the Canadian University Press (CUP) to organise a campus campaign with student journalists to mark May 3, World Press Freedom Day. Student journalists are encouraged to write about freedom-of-expression issues during the month of April. CJFE and PEN-Canada have also prepared a Press Freedom Information Kit for use by student media. Articles from the kit can be reproduced in student newspapers, radio or television programs;- visit http://cup.ca/forums/ to view the kit. For more on this year’s campus campaign or on other World Press Freedom Day events, contact Tariq Hassan-Gordon; tariqhg@cjfe.org, or +1 416 515-9622

International PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee
On 3 May, during the presentation of PEN’s preliminary findings on impunity at UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day conference, PEN Canada executive director Isobel Harry will present the case of Nasser Zarafshan, an Iranian lawyer and author sentenced to five years imprisonment after being tried in secret by a military court for his crusade to win justice for the families of murdered writers in Iran. At the time of his arrest, Zarafshan was serving as legal representative for the relatives of two writers and journalists who were assassinated in November 1998. The cases of Edgar Damalerio, one of at least thirty-six journalists killed in the line of duty in the Philippines since the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, and Gerardo Bedoya, one of scores of journalists whose killings remain unresolved in Colombia will also be discussed. For more information contact: Sara Whyatt, Writers in Prison Committee, UK; intpen@gn.apc.org, or + 44 20 7253 3226, or Isobel Harry, PEN Canada; iharry@pencanada.ca, or 1 416 703-8448 ext. 22,

Independent Journalism Centre, Lagos, Nigeria
To mark World Press Freedom Day, the Independent Journalism Centre has invited a prominent Nigerian journalist to deliver a talk. The journalist, Mr Dare Babarinsa is the Executive Editor of "Tell Magazine," the most popular news-magazine in Nigeria. During Nigeria’s dark political days, it played a prominent role in the fight to get the military out of government, says IJC. The title of Babarinsa’s lecture is "Press Freedom in Nigeria: Prospects for the Immediate Future." For more information, contact Aregbeshola Cletus, Programme Officer; icjmonitor@yahoo.com or +234 1 49 24 998

The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) Chisinau, Moldovia
IJC will organise a host of events to mark the World Press Freedom Day. A press conference on 29 April will mark the beginning of the festivities. Its special highlight will be an award ceremony marking the end of a competition for the best cartoon on the topic of press freedom. Special events of the following day include the seminar "Defamation in the new Civil and Criminal Codes," and the inauguration of the photo exhibition "The year 2002 in press photography." On May 8, journalists are invited to take part in a solidarity march in downtown Chisinau, and participate in a discussion on "Mass media and corruption. For more information contact ijcnews@ijc.iatp.md

Journalists Against Corruption (PFC) Periodistas Frente a la Corrupcion, El Salvador
To mark World Press Freedom Day, the regional organisation PFC will publish its annual report on media freedom in Latin America with a focus on aggressions and other adversities facing journalists that investigate and report on corruption. The report will be available on PFC’s ’Free Press’ portal; http://www.portal-pfc.org/libexp. For more information contact Linda Hemby, Regional Co-ordinator on + 503 243 1951 or contacto@probidad.org

Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)
As part of its World Press Freedom Day activities, the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), in conjunction with UNESCO, will run three national workshops on media laws. Two of the media law workshops will be held in current trouble-spots: The Solomon Islands, which is still suffering law and order and governance pressures as it recovers from two years of deadly ethnic conflict, and the kingdom of Tonga, where there is currently controversy over continuing government bans on the import of the New Zealand-published bi-weekly Times of Tonga newspaper. The workshops complement national events being held throughout the Pacific Islands by members of PINA. For further information contact Nina Bolaitamana Ratulele, Co-ordinator, PINA Pacific Freedom of Expression Network, Pacific Islands News Association, pina@connect.com.fj. or + 679 330 3623.

Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES)
In commemoration World Press Freedom Day, CEHURDES will release its annual "Nepal Report 2003". The report, published since 1998, analyses the situation of press freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of information throughout the country. The report covers the period from 14 April 2002 up to 14 April 2003 and is available online at www.cehurdes.org.np. For more information contact Shobhakar Budhathoki, Director General; cehurdes@yahoo.com or +977 1 4-475283.