I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Ms. Maria Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) is dedicated to strengthening ties between Japan and Asia as one of our five priority goals. As part of these efforts, SPF’s Asia Peace Initiatives Department has spearheaded a
series of projects that seek to build and deepen networks among journalists and media organizations in Southeast Asia and Japan to expand opportunities for inter-regional collaboration. Participants from Rappler, the social news website co-founded by Ms. Ressa, have been active and valuable participants in these exchange programs.
In August of 2020, Ms. Ressa also took time for a
virtual interview with SPF to reflect on the state of democracy in the Philippines and discuss the critical role of journalists and citizens in upholding the integrity of facts and democratic values in the face of challenges around the world.
Congratulations once again on this achievement.
Atsushi Sunami
President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation
