Meeting at its Board Meeting in Warsaw, Poland on 15 May, the Executive Board of the International Press Institute (IPI) announced the completion of the two terms of chairman Jorge Fascetto and warmly welcomed new chairman Wilfred David Kiboro.
Fascetto was the second Latin American chairman and the first Argentinean to accept the position. He leaves after promoting closer cooperation between IPI and the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA). Fascetto also encouraged IPI’s long-standing tradition of encouraging mutual understanding among journalists, particularly through the work of IPI’s affiliate organisation the South East European Media Organisation (SEEMO) in the Balkans.
His Chairmanship also oversaw the establishment of the International News Safety Institute (INSI), launched by IPI and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in November 2002 to help create a culture of safety for media in all parts of the world.
“It is with genuine warmth and friendship that I look back on Fascetto’s term of office. His drive and dedication was an essential feature of IPI’s work in areas of conflict,” said Director of IPI Johann P. Fritz. “Moreover his work has provided a solid foundation on which new chairman Wilfred Kiboro will be able to build.”
Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nation Group in Nairobi Kenya, Kiboro has had a long and distinguished career in the management of media companies and press freedom.
As chairman of Kenya’s Media Owners’ Association Kiboro has been instrumental in resisting government legislation seeking to introduce a state-sponsored media council. His active contribution to the writing of Kenya`s Constitution effectively halted proposals that would have introduced media censorship and rolled back liberties built-up over nearly 30 years of independence.
Moreover, Kiboro is a leading voice in the campaign for wider publishing space in Uganda and Tanzania, as well as through his position as head of a media group with interests throughout East Africa.
With IPI holding its Annual Congress in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2005, IPI hopes to strengthen its work in Africa under Kiboro’s chairmanship and reinforce its commitment to the region.
