The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands

President George W. Bush, US

For half a century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders.   After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical -- and then there came a day of fire.

We have seen our vulnerability -- and we have seen its deepest source.  For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny, prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder, violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat.  There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.  

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.    The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world. 

 America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one.  From the day of our founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this Earth has rights and dignity and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of heaven and Earth.     Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave.     Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our nation.  It is the honorable achievement of our fathers.  Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation’s security, and the calling of our time. 

 So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world. 

 This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary.  Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities.  And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own.  America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling.  Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way. 

The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations.  The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it.  America’s influence is not unlimited, but, fortunately for the oppressed, America’s influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom’s cause. 

My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people from further attacks and emerging threats.   Some have unwisely chosen to test America’s resolve, and have found it firm. We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation:   the moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies. 

 We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people.    America’s belief in human dignity will guide our policies.  Yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed.  In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty. 

 Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty--though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt.   Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals.   Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul.  We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery.    Liberty will come to those who love it.

Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world: All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know:  The United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors.   When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.   

Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know:  America sees you for who you are, the future leaders of your free country.

 The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did:  "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it." 

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know:  To serve your people you must learn to trust them.  Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.   

And all the allies of the United States can know: We honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom’s enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies' defeat. 

 Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:  From all of you I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure.  Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon.  Yet, because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom.    And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it.  By our efforts, we have lit a fire, as well -- a fire in the minds of men.  It warms those who feel its power; it burns those who fight its progress; and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world. 

Few Americans accepted the hardest duties in this cause -- in the quiet work of intelligence and diplomacy, the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments, the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies.  Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives -- and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice. 

 All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time.  I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes.  You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers.  You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs.  Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself -- and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character. 

America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home -- the unfinished work of American freedom.  In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.

 In America’s ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence.  This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights.  And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time.  To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society.    We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance -- preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society.  By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal. 

 In America's ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character -- on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives.   Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self.  That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people.  Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before -- ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

 In America's ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service and mercy, and a heart for the weak.  Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another.   Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love.  Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth.    And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time. 

From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many.  From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few:  Did our generation advance the cause of freedom?   And did our character bring credit to that cause? 

 These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom.   We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes -- and I will strive in good faith to heal them.  Yet those divisions do not define America.  We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart.  And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.    

We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom.  Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events.  Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills.  We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul.  When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner "Freedom Now" -- they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled.  History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty. 

When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, "It rang as if it meant something."  In our time it means something still.  America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof.  Renewed in our strength -- tested, but not weary -- we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.  (INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH United States Capitol  January 20, 2005)

Youth, Media and Peace-I

Dr. K.B. Bhattachan

MEDIA AND YOUTH

While talking about media and youth it is important to see representation of youth in media, representation of issues related to youth in media and problems facing youth in media.

Representation of youth in media

There is a conspicuous dearth of literature and data about the socio-demographic composition, including age, of media professionals. Therefore, it is not possible to analyse representation of youth in media on the bases of hard data. There are some publications that provide data about representation on the bases of caste/ethnicity and sex that would help to infer about representation of youth belonging to these groups

Sex: Representation of women in media is very low. It is estimated that about 100 women work as media professionals, and of them, about one fourth comprise female youth. A half of them work in FMs, followed by TVs. Very few women, including female youth, work in print media. They all are involved heavily in entertainment and talk programs, which are considered to be "easy" and less demanding. The main reasons for low representation of women, in general, and female youth in particular, include patriarchy, gender discriminations, violence against women, and lack of affirmative action for women and youth.

Caste/ethnicity: There are hard evidences that media professionals are often males, mostly from Bahun-Chhetri castes and some from the Newars. Representation of indigenous nationalities, Dalits and Madhesis is nominal. Representation of Madhesi indigenous nationalities and Madhesi Dalits is almost negligible. Lack of representation of indigenous nationalities, Dalits and Madhesis is due to the ideology, policy and practices of Bahunbad ("Brahmanism"), exclusionary system, racial discrimination, and lack of affirmative action. C. K. Lal (205818) is of the view that "equal opportunity," specialization/merit and biased recruitment criteria are the main means used by the Bahun-Chhetris to continue their domination in both government and private media.

Language: The Nepalese media is dominated by mostly Khas-Nepali language speakers and to some extent by English language speakers. Due to news in several mother tongues in Radio Nepal and radio programs in FMs and private TV channels, media professionals from different language groups are gradually on the rise. Low representation of males and females who speak different mother tongues is due to discriminatory language policy adopted by the constitution of 1990 and the ideology, policy and practices of Bahunbad.

Class: TV media professionals come mostly from upper and upper middle class backgrounds. Media professionals in radios and print media mostly come from middle class backgrounds.

Representation of Issues Related to Youth in Media

Youth, who are in media, are more interested in issues related to themselves than to other age groups. Their reporting and presentations often focus on entertainment and talk programs, sex, psychological issues, crime, life styles, technology, and current events. Media by and large ignore youth issues (Kharel 2001).

Representation of issues related to youth in media are as follows:

Print: Print media, specially daily broadsheets are over-occupied with political news and views, and advertisements, mostly focused on educational and training opportunities for the youths. Most of the news and views are directed to favour status quo or maintaining negative peace, which indeed is a breeding ground of structural and cultural violence. It needs to be appreciated that the daily broadsheets are increasing coverage of news and views concerning elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. Print media give some space to the issues of indigenous nationalities, Dalits, Madhesis, linguistic and religious minorities, but these are not adequate. Insensitive news and views towards these groups are published more than sensitive ones. Weekly and monthly newspapers are not sensitive towards such issues. Although indigenous nationalities and Dalits are not yet able to publish their own daily broadsheet, they publish several monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly magazines, which are considered as alternative print media, solely focusing on their own issues.

Radio: FMs (Frequency Modulations) are more "Friends Makers" (FMs) than opinion makers and educators. FMs air mostly entertainment programs, including songs and interactive discussions by accepting telephone calls from their listeners. Mostly female youths are involved in such programs. Also, FM programs have promoted programs in mother tongues, such as Tamanag, Magar, Limbu, Newari and Tharu. Youth from these indigenous nationalities are interested more in promoting their language and culture. It is believed that the Sagarmatha FM try to focus more on educational and advocacy issues. What is good about the these FMs is that it involves local youths, specially, females, of the respective areas and focus on local issues, including the issues of the local youth. Radio Nepal airs diverse programs, including entertainment and developmental but involves less youth in its program development and airing the programs.

TVs: Both government run and private TV channels' programs are mostly entertainment, such as songs and dances, interactive programs and cinemas (mostly Nepali and Hindi), followed by political discussions and news. Due to cable television services and choice of many international TV channels and many of their programs, such as MTV, Fashion TV, Animals World and National Geographic, appeal urban teens and youths.

Problems facing youth in media

Some of the significant problems facing youth in media are as follows:

Economic exploitation: Most of the youth in media are interested more in projecting their image in and through media and use it as a springboard for the advancement of their career. They have a perception that they are being exploited economically, they, however, continue to work due to some idealism and also some practical reasons, such as building their careers.

Difficulty in getting job: Rural and middle class youth find difficulty in getting job in TV channels, Radio Nepal and print media. Most of the youth who work in media work hard for little money.

Lack of training: Many youth who work in media do not have adequate training to excel in their professional works.

Discrimination: Youth belonging to Madhesi, Dalits and indigenous nationalities, and females are discriminated in Media. Most of them do not get full time or part time jobs in all kinds of media. If they get full or part time jobs, they are not trusted on their quality of works. Therefore, they are deprived from engaging in serious works.

Paper presented at a seminar organized by the telegraph weekly and FES. (To be continued)

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