A distinguished, Malaysia-based independent publisher and expert in participatory information and communication processes, Mr Chin Saik Yoon, has won the UQ School of Journalism and Communication's 2008 Communication and Social Change Award.
Announcing the Award, the Head of School, Professor Michael Bromley ,
said that Mr Chin was internationally known for his long-term
commitment to communication for social change, especially as a regional
pioneer in the use of information and communication technologies to
empower the poor and disadvantaged.
"Mr Chin's publishing house, Southbound Press, is based in Penang, but
its reach extends around the world," Professor Bromley said.
"Southbound is renowned for its promotion of works by authors from
developing countries and its specialist focus on titles that address
key development communication issues, while Mr Chin himself is
recognised as a long-standing and consistent activist in communication
and social change issues, especially in the fields of publishing,
advocacy and non-government organisation development."
The award, which comprises a plaque and A$2500, was made by an
independent jury which chose Mr Chin and Southbound from 16 nominations
received from organisations and individuals in Pakistan, USA, Nigeria,
India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Iran.
Given the high-calibre of the entries received, the CSC Jury also
awarded a special Meritorious Commendation for Communication and Social
Change Award to Nigerian CSC activist John Dada.
Mr Dada is the founder and Program Director of a rural NGO called the
Fantsuam Foundation, which aims to build rural Nigeria's knowledge
economy through the use of information communication technology (ICT)
for human development.
The awards, which commenced in 2006 and are administered by the UQ
School of Journalism and Communication's Centre for Communication and
Social Change, recognise outstanding achievements by individuals or
organisations in the field. CSC is a fast-growing social science
discipline which promotes the use of various forms of communication,
including community media and ICTs, to bring about positive
participatory development and social change.
The 2008 CSC Award Jury was chaired by Professor Ken Wiltshire, AO (JD
Story Professor of Public Administration, The University of
Queensland).
Other Jury members were: Ms Annmaree O'Keeffe (Deputy Director-General,
AusAID), Mr Hugh Leonard (former Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific
Broadcasting Union), Dr Zala Volcic (Centre for Critical and Cultural
Studies, The University of Queensland) and Associate Professor Pradip
Thomas (Research Director, School of Journalism and Communication, The
University of Queensland.)
Mr Chin and Mr Dada's achievements will be honoured at the 2008 CSC Award presentation ceremony in Brisbane in November.
Additional details of the winners are attached.
Media: Ms Marsali MacKinnon, Centre for Communication and Social
Change. Email:
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telephone: +61 7 3365 1393.
Biographical summaries
• 2008 CSC Award winner Chin Saik Yoon/Southbound Press, Malaysia
Chin Saik Yoon is the founder and Managing Director of independent
Malaysian-based publishing house Southbound Press. He works across the
Asia Pacific region at community, national and regional levels in a
wide variety of roles as a publisher, technical consultant, project
designer and evaluator, analyst, researcher and advocate in development
communications.
The 2008 CSC Award citation reads:
"The award is made to you in recognition of your clearly demonstrated
credentials as a long-standing, consistent and proactive promoter of
communication and social change issues globally, especially in the
fields of publishing, advocacy and NGO development. The CSC award jury
is especially cognisant of your not-for-profit efforts, your volunteer
roles in support of South-South communication and social change issues,
your pioneering work in ICT for development fields, and your tireless
promotion of the works of authors from developing countries."
As well as his involvement with Southbound Press, Mr Chin is currently
Principal Technical Consultant to an ASEAN Foundation project
(designing a regional communications and information initiative to
monitor animal-borne diseases such as Avian Flu), and is a Board Member
of UNESCO-ORBICOM (the International Network of UNESCO Chairs in
Communications.)
Southbound Press is an independent scholarly publishing house based in
Penang, Malaysia. Founded by Chin Saik Yoon in 1990, Southbound was one
of the first publishers in the world to specialise in development
communication topics.
Its collections of publications and papers research and analyse themes
such as development communication, information and communications
technology (ICT) and the Internet, media, and research and development.
Southbound Press titles come from the Asia Pacific, South Asia, Africa,
the Middle East, Europe, the USA and Latin America. They are often
published in collaboration with other organisations to encourage
greater
involvement by authors, civil society organisations, researchers and international development agencies.
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