www.bernama.com, 30 April 2009

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=330057

Peace is often taken for granted by the international community, or not given the due appreciation.

It is only when peace is lost that the poeple realise its importance, Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein said Wednesday.

"In this context, the media has an important role to play to promote global peace although the subject of peace might not normally make headlines in the newspapers, as compared to news related to war or crimes.

"The formula for bad journalism is...that only bad news is good news.

"I don't believe in that because people are much more interested in things which inspire them and they are more interested in the optimistic views," said the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation (IPF) advisory board chairman.

Prince Alfred was speaking at a media luncheon at a hotel here, to introduce the "Bridges-Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace (Bridges)" programme in Malaysia from this November to next April.

Present were the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Annuar Zaini and IPF founding chairman of the International Peace Foundation Uwe Morawetz.

The non-political and non-religious IPF with its headquarters in Vienna and its Asian office in Bangkok, had previously organised more than 700 events in Europe to build bridges towards peace and international understanding.

The foundation was invited by the governments of Asean countries (except Myanmar) to expand its "Bridges" programme.

Raja Dr Nazrin said that Perak Sultan Azlan Shah had consented for the Yayasan Sultan Azlan Shah to be a major sponsor and supporter of the "Bridges" programme.

Morawetz said the "Bridges" progamme in Malaysia would be held under the guidance of Raja Dr Nazrin as the honorary chairman and Tun Musa Hitam as the chairman.

-- BERNAMA