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<div align="right"><font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica" size=5 color="#008080"><b>Bangladesh
NGOs Network for<br>
Radio and Communication<br>
</b></font><font size=1 color="#0000FF">Promoting Communication
Technology for a Fairer World<br>
</font><font color="#0000FF"><a href="http://www.bnnrc.net/" eudora="autourl">www.bnnrc.net<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
</a></font></div>
<font face="Verdana" size=5><b>Radio Sagarmatha wins <br>
AMARC International Solidarity Prize<br><br>
</b></font><font face="Verdana">Radio Sagarmatha, the pioneering
Kathmandu-based community radio broadcaster, has been awarded the AMARC
International Solidarity Prize 2006 in recognition of its outstanding
work in defence of human rights and democracy in Nepal.<br><br>
The AMARC International Solidarity Prize, which is awarded every
four years, as presented to Radio Sagarmatha at a ceremony in
Amman, Jordan on the occasion of the Ninth World Conference of
Community Radio Broadcasters <br>
(AMARC 9). <br><br>
Radio Sagarmatha, launched in 1997, is the first independent
community radio broadcaster to be established in South Asia. It has
led the way in opening up the airwaves in Nepal. On 1 February
2005, when King Gyanendra of Nepal declared a state of direct rule,
Radio Sagarmatha and other independent radio stations in
Nepal were occupied by armed soldiers who enforced a ban on all
news programming.<br><br>
Throughout the period of direct rule, Radio Sagarmatha and other
independent radio stations, grouped together in the Save the
Independent Radios Movement, pushed the boundaries of Royal decree
and military restriction. Through on air campaigns, street protests
and judicial proceedings they remained on air, regained the right to
broadcast news and information and made a pivotal contribution to the
defence of humanrights and in the eventual restoration of democracy
in 2006. <br><br>
The AMARC International Solidarity Prize was accepted in Amman by
MohanBista, Durga Karki and Raghu Mainali on behalf of all of the
independent radio in Nepal.<br>
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</font><font face="Courier New, Courier" color="#800000"><b>----------------------<br>
</font><font face="System" color="#0000FF">AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR<br>
Chief Executive Officer<br>
</font><font face="System" color="#008080">Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication<br>
&<br>
Member, Strategy Council<br>
UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID)<br><br>
</font><font face="System" color="#800080">House: 13/1, Road:2, Shaymoli,
Dhaka-1207 <br>
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh<br><br>
</font><font face="System" color="#0000FF">Phone: 88-02-9130750,
88-02-9138501<br>
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105<br><br>
</font><font face="System">E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net, bnnrc@bd.drik.net<br>
<a href="http://www.bnnrc.net/" eudora="autourl">www.bnnrc.net<br>
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