The 6th conference of the South Asian Free Media Association, SAFMA, is being held in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

The event will discuss the Media, Peace and Poverty Alleviation. Opening the conference on August 18, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr. Ratnasiri Wikramanayake said, connectivity is the biggest problem in South Asia.

Mr. Ratnasiri Wikramanayake said, if the region is to become a union, it has to overcome the hurdles of access and movement of information.

Delivering the keynote address, the Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, said poverty is created by people who create systems.

The noble laureate described poverty as a complicated problem with a simple solution. Participants at the conference pointed out poverty as the greatest problem in the region.

Some 250 journalists from SAARC member countries including seven from Bhutan are participating in the two-day conference. Source: BBS