Concluding Observations

Although many of the entries submitted in this first contest were excellent essays on social, environmental and other problems, it would be good, I think, if in the future entrants could try to view their subject in a broader overall context of development.

What I mean by this is that while preserving the excellent standard of on-the-ground reporting of problems, journalists should try to examine what efforts -- if any -- are being made by governments, multilateral institutions (such as the ADB or the World Bank) and by bilateral aid donors or non-governmental organizations to solve these problems. The awards scheme is about approaches to development -- rather than simply problems of poverty and under-development in themselves.

Critiques of this kind could help the development community to better understand its own strengths and weaknesses and its successes and failures in a way that no amount of official monitoring or surveillance can do.

I personally would also like to see more reporting on a subject which is of critical importance in developing Asia and elsewhere and that is the agricultural sector. How are development policies and trade liberalization impacting agricultural communities, and does the rural voice need to be heard more strongly on such issues? How is the decline of agriculture in many countries being managed? How is it impacting the environment and what are the human dimensions of landless people drifting to urban centers?

What about the record of the development community in providing basic infrastructure such as power generation facilities, roads, railways, water, sanitation etc. and how do ordinary people feel about this? Do they feel that such services are properly priced or over-priced? Do they feel that rural roads come a poor second to prestigious superhighways in government planning? How could the provision of infrastructure services be better managed, and do governments cooperate enough across borders in this respect? These are just a few suggestions for the future.

Now I want to close by quoting my other fellow judge, Suvendrini Kakuchi. "Overall", she said, " the entries represented very high standards of journalism. Choosing winners," she added, "was quite hard." Murakami-san agreed. "There are so many excellent women journalists coming up in Asia," he said, and "it was a very competitive race."

It was also very difficult for us to choose the winner of the "Young Development Journalist of the Year" award because again there were many good entries, but this is very encouraging because young journalists represent the future. I can only agree with both of my colleagues.

Last but not least, we should take off our hats to the ADBI for not attempting to stifle criticism of the Asian Development Bank itself, and of its policies. One of the entrants was in fact highly critical of a certain ADB-supported irrigation project in Thailand. But I can assure you there was no pressure to dissuade us from considering this submission for an award.

I had better not say any more about that particular entry until the awards are formally announced!

So, let me say thank you to you all -- to the winners and also to those who were not so lucky this time. Keep trying please.