Declaration of the National Council of the Mass Media for the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day
(Integral text approved in plenary meeting held on April 24th, 2009)
The National Council of Mass Media (CNCS), for occasion another World day consecrated to press freedom that happened on May 3rd, associates itself to all professionals in the area with the firm intention to contribute, with all means in its reach, so that the Angolan journalism assumes, in an accurate way, its responsibilities in the construction of a society each time more free, democratic and pacific.
The motto that UNESCO, the UN agency that sponsors the day, chose for the celebrations for this year of the World Press Freedom Day has a very narrow relation with the Angolan situation, seven years after the weapons have been silenced.
When placing the emphasis in the “possibilities that the media offers to foment dialog, mutual agreement and reconciliation”, UNESCO is transmitting a world message, whose reach, consistency and utility, Angolans in general understand perfectly.
The CNCS is convinced that the journalists, in a very particular way, will know how to value and use the Media as active spaces of dialog and reconciliation, in the frontal and responsible approach of all questions that can still make the agreement between the Angolans difficult.
Following the appeals reiterated in favour of a bigger openness of the Media to the contradictory debate and presentation of a plural information, the CNCS uses the motto of the World Press Freedom Day to call the attention of journalists, while media managers, use it for the importance of much there is still to do on the road to full reconciliation of Angola, happily already pacified.
Only in an environment where press freedom is effective, and that is important to keep consolidating every day, will journalists be in conditions to explore in depth and with the necessary openness all the possibilities that the Media has to offer in the promotion of dialog, mutual agreement and reconciliation.
With this certainty, the CNCS congratulates the Angolan journalists on this World Press Freedom Day, for the contribution that all have given in the assumption and defence of this basic right, without the exercise of which, the democratic project of society in which we are building our country would not make any sense.
Luanda, April 29th 2009.
The President,
António Correia de Azevedo
