The world day for cultural diversity for dialogue and development is annually held on May 21 to help people learn about the importance of cultural diversity and harmony.
The year 2002 was the United Nations year for cultural heritage. At the end of that year, on December 20, 2002, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared May 21 to be the world day for cultural diversity for dialogue and development.
The General Assembly emphasized links between the protection of cultural diversity and the importance of dialogue between civilizations in the modern world. The world day for cultural diversity for dialogue and development was first observed in 2003. Various events are organized to increase the understanding of issues around cultural diversity and development among governments, non-governmental organizations and the public. Many of these include presentations on the progress of implementing the universal declaration on cultural diversity, seminars for professionals, educational programs for children and young adolescents. Exhibitions would also be held to help people understand the history of various cultural groups and the influence on their own identities. The world day for cultural diversity for dialogue and development tends to be marked in countries that embraced their varied cultural history and acknowledged the importance of embracing it.
The day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to raise awareness worldwide about the importance of intercultural dialogue, diversity and inclusion.
Young journalists urged to concentrate on media ethics: Founding Chairman Department of Mass Communications (NUML) Brig (r) Syed Saulat Raza has urged the young journalists to focus on the sense of responsibility, media ethics and positive reporting to provide guidelines to the people in present scenario.
He was addressing the ‘Alumni gathering’ of former and present students of Mass Communication Department of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) here at Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA).
The gathering was organised by the Mass Communication Alumni Association NUML (MAAN) in which large number of media professionals, journalists, media students, Public relations practitioners and teachers participated.
Syed Saulat Raza termed it a very positive trend that more and more youth were joining media, despite present worst, financial, security and law and order, job security, organizational environment and unemployment conditions across the country.
Despite being at the top, among most dangerous countries regarding journalism, the journalists and media students in Pakistan were giving their best for the sake of the country as well as the nation.
Saulat Raza was of the view that in present conditions the media-men and journalists should play their positive role with dignity, as it was power of media which by highlighting the issues of public could provide nation with better guidelines to deal with problems. Mufti Jamiludin Ahmed, former head of Department, Mass Communication department of NUML, praised the contributions by the media students and young journalists in the field of journalism terming them encouraging.