Director/CEO of the Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF), M C Rasmin, bagged the annual Peace Award of the Rotary Club – West recently.
He received the annual Peace Award from the current Chairmen of the Rotary Club – West, Mr. Doulat Kundan Mal. For the year 2011 Rotary club facilitates two winners. Rasmin was awarded for his contribution towards peace, reconciliation and ethnic harmony through the use of media. The first award winner was Ms. Pushpie Wijeykoon who has been working for various development and peace related organizations holding different senior positions.
Addressing the Rotarians M C Rasmin stated “I don’t agree with the fact that we have attained peace, because peace is something which cannot be achieved through weapons. To simply cultivate the sense of ethnic integrity, harmony, engagement and sustainable peace, space has to be created for the awareness of diversity and pluralistic values”.
M. C. Rasmin throughout his journalistic career has involved in enormous peace building activities. In 1998 Rasmin started his career as a sub-editor for a monthly magazine published by the Centre for Children and Youth Development (CCDY). Being a young sub-editor Rasmin has thrown in several pages to foster the values of ethnic harmony. In the same year he passed SLBC auditions to become a radio drama artist. Since then, he has been holding the position of sub-editor for a number of newspapers such as IDI, Ilavarasy, Tamil Kesary and Virakesary. With the exposure he had from these newspapers.
Rasmin made 9 publications, more than 5 novels and 6 research papers. Most of the fictions written by Rasmin reflect the context of ethnic crisis and its damages.
Being a community media activist, Rasmin has presented a number of research papers in various international conferences focusing on media pluralism, diversity and media, gender and media, community media and social development, online platform and community development etc. From 2004 to 2006 Rasmin produced a dedicated radio programme Called Adavar Arangam (platform for youth), through Sri Lanka Broadcasting cooperation where directed over 60 Radio plays focusing peace, ethnic relation and pluralistic values. In 2010 he directed a radio drama called “Though Its Paradise” a dedicated series of radio dramas focusing the issues faced by the IDPs of Sri Lanka and funded by internews Sri Lanka. In 2011 he directed a series of radio dramas (20 episodes) addressing the gender based issues of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. Apart from this, Rasmin has written and produced over 250 radio dramas emphasizing the need of sustainable peace. Having assessed these contributions Rotary has awarded him.
SDJF on behalf SDJF staff extends its appreciation to Rotary Club-West.
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