‘Build South Asia as a community of peoples’

SAARC Charter Day message from SAFMA-SL

‘Build South Asia as a community of peoples’

The journalists of South Asia are happy to mark today, December 8th, the anniversary of the establishment of our very own, south Asian regional grouping, the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC). 

As the sole body of journalists of South Asia recognized by and affiliated with the SAARC Secretariat, the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) proudly follows in the footsteps of the region’s political leaderships in helping build our South Asian community. SAFMA, founded in 2000 in Islamabad, Pakistan, has now over a decade of various achievements that have contributed towards building that regional community. 

SAARC primarily comprises the governments and States of the South Asian region and today includes all 8 countries of the region: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, this political network was long preceded by the close cultural and ethnic ties that have bound the peoples of the region together since the beginnings of human society. 

Dravidian languages are known to have linked pre-historic communities in Pakistan and South India. The northern sub-continental languages cut across national boundaries of the region from east to west. An ancient, enduring religion links Afghanistan with Sri Lanka, along with every other South Asian country. Another, even more ancient faith also links India with Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries. Ancient technologies, arts and crafts, are shared throughout the region. 

In modern times, mass culture has burst south Asia’s national borders and the mass media leads the way in bringing South Asia’s diverse communities together in sharing of information about each other’s problems, aspirations, challenges and celebrations. 

SAFMA has done much in the past ten years in building a community of South Asian journalists committed towards information sharing, solidarity in endeavours towards professional excellence, and building peace and prosperity in the Region. These initiatives include the South Asian Media School, South Asian Women in the Media, South Asian Media Commission and the SAPANA network of South Asian scholars. 

SAFMA Sri Lanka Chapter is committed to furthering this ‘’togetherness’ of South Asian peoples.