5 June 2011 - Local journalists in Bamyan officially inaugurated the media centre where for more than a year they have been sharing information and report on behalf of their news agencies and media organizations.

Speaking at the inauguration, Bamyan Deputy Governor Mohammad Asif said the media is proving to be the fourth pillar in Afghanistan’s developing democracy, next to the three pillars of government – the executive, legislative and judiciary.

Also in attendance were local officials, local officials, civil society members and UNAMA Central Highlands Region representatives

Mohammad Ibrahim Akbary, head of the Provincial Department of Education and Culture, urged the journalists to make impartiality and accuracy their journalism cornerstones, and for them not to be influenced by politics and differing ethnicities.

Agah Abbas, who heads the Bamyan Media Center and contributes to Voice of America, said local journalists registered the centre early this year with the Ministry of Information and Culture.

The centre was founded not only as a meeting place for journalists to share their news and coverage experiences, but also to provide close to 50 members with electricity and use of three computers which the centre managed to raise last year.

The centre is now looking for a way to be connected to the internet as there is no local internet provider in Bamyan which has only one internet stall in the market or “bazaar.” The journalists said the stall is always full, thus making it difficult for them to send their news reports.

In 2002, Bamyan had only one reporter but the number has since climbed to around 50 journalists contributing to news agencies, television and radio stations, print and multi-media websites and web blogs, according to Abbas.

The centre also intends to establish a Bamyan Media Archive to gather and preserve the earliest publications and newspapers circulated in this central highlands province of Afghanistan.

By UNAMA Central Highlands Region