The contest to reveal the best mass media and journalists who cover the activities of nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations (NNOs) has been summed up at a press conference in the National Press Center of Uzbekistan.
The competition was announced in December 2013 by the National Association of NNOs of Uzbekistan, the Public Fund for the Support for NNOs. The undertaking has sought to cover extensively the practical effects of the government policy marshaled under the leadership of President Islam Karimov to shape a civil society and create a favorable environment for nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations.
The Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Uzbekistan’s National Association of NNOs N.Mirodilova, Chairman of the Creative Union of Journalists Sh.Gulamov and other speakers at the event noted that colossal efforts are underway in our country to shore up the public life. The citizens are entitled the right to be involved in government and society affairs, while the activities of nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations are being improved, and their rights and legitimate interests are upheld.
In independence years, more than two hundred laws have been passed in Uzbekistan and government programs been adopted to serve as a normative and organizational foundation for the steadfast realization of the principle “From a strong state to a robust civil society”. Resolutions are being approved gradually by the President and the Cabinet of Ministers aimed at perfecting the endeavors on this front. In the Concept of Intensification of Democratic Reforms and Formation of Civil Society in the Country put forward by the head of our state, tremendous emphasis is placed on tasks to bolster the status of civil society institutions and their extensive participation in the socio-political life of the nation.
As it was stressed at the occasion, all these efforts have been facilitating the dynamic rise of NNOs and their transformation into an important factor in safeguarding the democratic values, human rights, freedoms and legitimate interests. For the last three alone, the quantity of NNOs has grown by 22 percent, and they currently number more than 6 thousand. They are active in education, environmental security, healthcare, culture, social security of the population and many other spheres by succeeding in addressing, in the meantime, the most critical issues in the socio-humanitarian development.
In their turn, the mass media in our country are energetic in their participation in the extensive coverage of processes in the intensification of democratic reforms. The television, radio, papers and journals as well as internet portals regularly air and print news pieces and analytical materials covering activities of NNOs and projects they run, their input into the formation of a vigorous civil society.
According to organizers of the contest, in excess of 400 creative works published during the year 2013 have been applied for the participation in the competition. In selecting winners, members of the special commission paid a particular attention to works which discussed the cases of social partnership of the NNOs with government and management bodies, entrepreneurship entities, issues in healthcare, environmental security, social security of the population, of the youth in particular, as well as other aspects.
The best media outlets and journalists named triumphant received awards at the press conference. The winners were handed out diplomas and gifts.
