Gebran Tueni
was a unique figure in WAN affairs for almost twenty years,
as a leading member of our Press Freedom Committee, a Board member for more
than a decade, a regular participant in missions to press freedom 'hot spots'
and a constant adviser and support to the leadership of our organization
on Arab and press freedom issues.Perhaps no one individual contributed as much to our work in the free press
field as Gebran in the recent history of our organization.
WAN is honoring his memory with an award designed to encourage the emergence
of other courageous and independent publishers, editors and newspapers in
the Arab world.
The Gebran Tueni Award will be made annually to a newspaper publisher
or editor in the region.
It will consist of a bursary, or stipend, to the value of 10,000 Euros,
to enable the Award winner to undertake advanced newspaper leadership training.
Additional forms of support will also be given by WAN to the award laureate.
This will take place through the training institute of An-Nahar,
Gebran Tueni's newspaper in Beirut, Lebanon.
The Award will be made to the publisher or editor who is judged to have
best demonstrated the values incarnated by Gebran Tueni
and his newspaper: an attachment to the freedom and independence of the
press, courage, leadership, ambition, high managerial and professional standards.
The Award jury will consist of representatives of WAN and the Tueni family.
The first award will be given at a "Press Under Siege" conference
to be held in Beirut on 10 and 11 December 2006.
Mr Tueni, an outspoken supporter of Lebanese democracy,
was killed by a massive car bomb on 12 December, 2005. Although he knew
he was a high-priority target for the killers trying to undermine the political
process in Lebanon, he chose to stay at the helm of his newspaper, which
under his leadership was a beacon for independent journalism in the Arab
world.
For more information on the Gebran Tueni Award, contact Timothy
Balding, Chief Executive Officer of WAN, tbalding@wan.asso.fr
