Accepting the 2022 European Union Delegation Human Rights Award on Thursday, Stabroek News’ Editor-in-Chief (EiC), Anand Persaud, posited that democracy is no guarantee of adherence to human rights or press freedom as he called on all to work together to ensure these standards are upheld.
The European Union (EU) office on Thursday evening presented the award to Persaud for his work in journalism and human rights. Persaud has worked with Stabroek News for over 33 years and has been its EiC since 2008. The award was presented by European Union Ambassador, René van Nes, at a ceremony hosted at his residence in Bel Air Springs, Georgetown. The Ambassador also noted the newspaper’s advocacy and coverage of the war in Ukraine which he said was a very important issue to the EU.
In handing over the award, van Nes pointed out that the EU gives the award to individuals who do not always get the attention they deserve and are often overlooked for the work they tirelessly do to promote values.
“We really appreciate his relentless efforts to publish reports about the war in Ukraine which of course is the biggest human rights violation you can imagine,” van Nes said after presenting the award. The citation on the award said it had been conferred “In recognition of your relentless personal work in journalism and access to information in Guyana”.
Persaud in his speech, emphasised that all must work together to make Guyana’s democracy better.
“We all have to work assiduously to make sure where we see regression and where we see backsliding that we do everything we are doing to ensure we continuously try to raise the bar and to make our democracy better,” he said as he pointed out that improving democracy requires going beyond the ballot box.
“It really requires a lot of people working altogether and it is important that we take that to heart and do everything we can do to ensure we raise the bar,” he underscored.
He stressed that press freedom in Guyana must never return to the dark days experienced in the years since independence. He alluded to the instances of denial of licences to import newsprint, intimidation of journalists, libel actions brought to drive people out of business, the killing of a journalist in 1979 and the use of state advertisements as a weapon against the media.
“We must never have those things happen again in Guyana and if this [the award] means anything today, it is the understanding of the special role the press plays and we must ensure we never go back to those dark days.”
Persaud said that there is a golden thread that ties journalists from all around the world and he cited horrendous cases of murders around the world.
“Wherever it is justice is being denied we must persevere to ensure that everyone is brought to justice for those transgressions,” he said.
Persaud posited that much more needs to be done by international bodies to raise awareness of the killings of brave journalists across the globe. He referred to the killings of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta, Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, Shireen Abu Akleh in Palestine and closer to home in Mexico where dozens of journalists have been killed by drug cartels and paramilitary groups. He spoke of the importance of international bodies such as the European Union and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) using their diplomatic channels to engage in dialogue with Mexico to bring these issues front and centre to ensure they do not escape attention.
“I think much more can be done… through the EU-Mexico dialogue, the CARICOM-Mexico dialogue… It is very important that everybody does what they can do to (ensure) the problems come to the front and centre and do not escape attention.”
The Editor-in-Chief said that he was accepting the award on behalf of Stabroek News and its late founder, David de Caires, who was a visionary and took up the challenge of opening a newspaper in adverse and unsure circumstances.
“…I also accept this on behalf of all of those here who toil in journalism, and who do this unfailingly and unstintingly. They are definitely among the unsung heroes in this country and they should be recognized, and they should be treated with respect,” Persaud declared to loud applause from the assembled persons.
He adverted to the seminal role the local media played in ensuring that free and fair elections were upheld in March 2020.
Meanwhile, Van Nes in a brief speech praised Guyana for its response to the Ukraine/Russia war.
“That’s why I’m really proud to see every day that the European Union is more united than ever in supporting Ukraine. And we can only have that support and continue that support if we have the support of likeminded countries in the world, like Guyana.”
The EU Ambassador highlighted that Guyana is among 141 nations to reject Russia’s annexation of areas belonging to Ukraine and condemn the war against that country.
“…143 UN [United Nations] states condemned this infringement on the sovereignty of Ukraine. And this time, Guyana not only supported this, they were actually a co-sponsor of the resolution. I think that really speaks to the common values and the shared objectives that we have between the European Union and Guyana,” the Ambassador said.
