PWI Plans to Form ASEAN Journalism Education Center

Jakarta (Antara) - The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) will set up an ASEAN journalism education and training center in Palembang, South Sumatra, to help improve ASEAN journalists' abilities, PWI Chairman Margiono said. "We will announce the establishment of this institute during the commemoration of National Press Day 2014 in Bengkulu," Margiono said during a plenary meeting of the association's new executive board in Jakarta on Thursday. The plan to establish the center is part of the proposal by the PWI executive board's unit in charge of the Permanent Secretariat of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ), he said. The improvement of ASEAN journalists' competence and professionalism through education and training programs is also in line with the PWI executive board's five-year program, said Margiono, who is also president director of Rakyat Merdeka Group. Earlier, CAJ Permanent Secretary Akhmad Kusaeni said the PWI will propose establishing the center to the CAJ General Assembly in Manila when meeting from November 21-25. The support of the Jakarta-based CAJ Permanent Secretariat for various activities of CAJ, including improving ASEAN journalists' competence, is of great importance, said Kusaeni, who is also director of Antara news agency's editorial department. Kusaeni said he will also propose the creation of the CAJ official website and working group to discuss CAJ¿s status at the Manila meeting. "CAJ does not have an official website. The website will be managed by the CAJ Permanent Secretariat in Jakarta," he said. (*)