Honored guests, students, faculty, members of the media, and others here today who believe strongly in the value of a free and professional press, thank you for inviting me to speak on such a happy occasion.

Today we are here to congratulate all of the students starting the one-year Journalism Diploma Program through the Sri Lanka College of Journalism. To the students, I would like to congratulate you on this important occasion which marks the beginning of your professional careers, as you prepare to become journalists. No doubt the next year will be challenging and exciting for each of you as you pursue your training.

I also want to commend the 18 young men and women from the Eastern Province and Uva Province who have received scholarships from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. These one-year scholarships will make it possible for them to receive professional training and then return to their home districts to work as members of the press.

The U.S. Government has a strong interest in helping to stabilize and develop the East so that livelihoods and good governance can be established and terrorism is never again allowed to take root. Development that preserves the existing ethnic balance in the East and develops new linkages between the diverse communities of the East and the more prosperous provinces in the central and western parts of Sri Lanka will help the entire nation, and could serve as a powerful example for how the north might be managed once fighting can be concluded.

Though the military campaign has long been over in the Eastern Province, there is still much work to be done to improve the daily lives of average people. There is a need to create jobs and encourage economic activity; to open schools and expand health clinics; to make the streets safe; to build confidence in local governments and local police forces: to help all three communities find ways to live and work together that bring about increased stability and prosperity.

The U.S. Government is committed to helping these efforts. Through the United States Agency for International Development, we are funding a number of programs that target these issues to help bring about stability and prosperity in the East.

One program is the Supporting Regional Governance Program or SURG. SURG is a three-year program that will expand and improve social equity or the ability of all members of society to participate; improve local governance; increase community empowerment; and enhance open dialogue.

These journalist scholarships supported by SURG are key parts of our goal to increase open dialogue between government and civil society in the East to help ensure that elected local government officials are responsive and accountable to the people they represent. Indeed, the media serves as an important mechanism for local and national leaders to get feedback on their programs and policies. And media provides an effective way for leaders to take their message to the public, the voters.

Media also plays an important role in ensuring good governance. Media and reporting by journalists can ensure that public money is well spent by exposing corruption or mismanagement by public officials at all levels. And, we should not forget the valuable role media can play in building civil societies, where all citizens can get the information they need to participate fully in their communities.

SURG will also strengthen regional journalist associations in the East, and improve the professional skills of journalists. There is a strong need for more reporting from the provinces, especially from the East. People living outside Colombo often complain that newspaper, radio, and television news do not cover the stories that are most important to their lives. And, people living in Colombo don’t have all the information they need to be well informed about the situation outside Colombo.

The SURG scholarship program is one way we can begin to address this gap. A new generation of well-trained journalists working in the provinces will improve the quality and the quantity of regional reporting. After all, our scholarship awardees represent the Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese communities in the East, and the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Moneragala. That diversity will create reporting that is more representative of a broader range of viewpoints. We are especially pleased that they are committed to helping build their home districts during this time of transition.

Let me conclude with final words to all the students with us today, not just the USAID scholars. You are preparing to start a new career in professional media. And, as Tuesday’s attack on the MTV facility showed, journalism in Sri Lanka has become a dangerous profession. This is not good for the public because it restricts the information that journalists can report on. And, it is not good for a democracy, because a media that is under threat cannot promote debate and discussion on important issues. We recognize the risk that comes with the profession but we also share the excitement you must feel for the important role you will play in building civil society and a better tomorrow for all the people of the East.

Finally, I want to thank the Sri Lankan Press Institute and the Sri Lanka College of Journalism for your efforts to build the next generation of Sri Lankan journalists. On behalf of the U.S. Government and my colleagues at USAID, we are proud to be a part of this program. Thank you.