On 11 May, the EPLO and its partners in the project "FONI: Freedom of New Ideas" awarded the authors of the three top papers, covering an outstanding issue of realization of freedom of press and freedom of expression in Moldova, analyzing the gaps and the current state of affairs and offering appropriate solutions based on examples presented at the lectures of the project, during a ceremony held at the Moldova State University.
FONI aims at the promotion of the freedom of expression, freedom of press and freedom of speech among the youth of Moldova, commenced in 2011 and is to be concluded in summer 2012. The project involved the organization of lectures addressed to students of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences of Moldova State University and the Institute of Languages and Literature of Transdnistria State University, faculty members of those two Universities, officials of the Ministry of Education of Moldova, representatives of local mass media organizations and non-governmental organizations that promote freedom of expression, freedom of press and peaceful assembly. The students that attended the lectures, as well as other interested researchers, were invited to submit the papers that were evaluated by a scientific board comprised of Professor Gheorge Avornic (Moldova State University, Professor Mihail Guzun (Moldova State University), Professor Svetlana Raspopova (Transdnistria State University), Mr. Ilias Kalamaras, Project Manager, Mr. Marin Domente (Periodical Publication "Law"Association) and Mrs. Iryna Zhenchak, Local Coordinator. The Board evaluated sixteen papers, written in English, Russian or Moldovian.
The authors and papers that were awarded are:
· Mrs. Irina Burea (Moldova State University) "Press Freedom - the strength of Freedom of Expression"
· Mrs. Ionela Mamaliga (Moldova State University) "Freedom of expression between norm and deviation"
· Mr. Oleinikov Sergei (Taras Shevchenko State University, Transdnistria State University) "Info-Communication technologies and socio-cultural trends in the mirror of the Transnistrian media"
The members of the scientific board, as well as the students that attended the lectures of the project were present.
The awarded papers will be published and distributed among the project digests and information material, while their authors will be offered a four-month long internship opportunity at the periodical "Law" Public Association.
FONI is a project co-funded by the European Commission and is implemented by the EPLO (leader) in cooperation with Moldova State University, the Periodical Publication "Law" Public Association and the Transdnistria University as associate partner.
