DW Director General: The media must support the right to education

Those were DW Director General Erik Bettermann's words at the closing ceremony of the Global Media Forum. More than 2,000 participants from over 100 nations attended the three-day gathering to discuss the theme: "Culture. Education. Media - Shaping a Sustainable World."

Bettermann noted that key points of their interdisciplinary conversations "are already resounding around the globe throughout old and new forms of media." Bettermann said he felt certain that the some 500 journalists in attendance will be inspired "to pick up the topics and stories that should be told, so that the media lives up to its responsibility." He stressed that the media must develop a greater understanding of its role in educating people and make promoting education one of its goals.

Bettermann invited broadcasters everywhere to join Deutsche Welle in championing the global topic of education through project partnerships and co-productions.

The director general announced the theme of next year's Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum: "The Future of Growth - New Economies and the Media." In the course of the conference from June 17 to 19, Deutsche Welle will also be celebrating its 60th anniversary.

Bettermann thanked the German Commission for UNESCO, the Foundation for International Dialogue of the Sparkasse (municipal savings bank) in Bonn, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the European Regional Development Fund, the Minister of Federal Affairs, Europe and the Media for the State of North-Rhine Westphalia, the City of Bonn, DHL, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

KLICK! Photo Competition: Winner from Senegal

Conference participants also voted for the winner of the photo competition, "KLICK! Your View of Culture and Education." More than 10,000 Internet users from around the world voted for their favorite ten photos from all of the submissions in advance of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum. From these ten, Mamadou Gomis from Senegal with "Need to Know" was selected as the winner. Second place went to "Child Teacher" by Ehtisham Ahmad Farooqi from Pakistan, and in third place was Jake Reeder from the USA with "DPDHL TeachForAll. India School in Mumbai." The photos from the contest can be seen at www.dw-gmf.de.