The Forum in Mauritius, a new entity aimed at finding workable solutions to issues of global immediacy from the perspective of developing countries, will be launched on Friday, October 22.

 Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Rashid Beebeejaun of Mauritius will formally open the annual inaugural summit at the Labourdonnais Hotel, Port Louis. 

The theme of this year’s conference will be “THE INFLUENCE OF THE MEDIA IN THE WORLD”. 

The one-day summit has attracted more than 20 well-known international decision makers in media, business and academe, including Lord Swraj Paul, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, UK; Dr. Allan E. Goodman, President of the Institute of International Education and Administration of the prestigious Fulbright Programme; Mr. Raju Narisetti, Managing Editor, The Washington Post, Washington DC; Mrs. Barbara B. Knight, former White House Spokesperson and Press Secretary of US First Lady Laura Bush; Mr. Jamil K. Mroue, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Star, Beirut, Lebanon; and Mr. Ashok Advani, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Business India Group of Publications, Mumbai, India. 

The Forum in Mauritius has been initiated by Mr. Dawood Rawat, Chairman of the British American Investment Co (Mauritius) Ltd, one of the largest business groups in the country. For the organisers, it is highly appropriate for such an international meeting to be held in Mauritius, given its ideal location equidistant from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, three regions that are the focal points for many current geopolitical and intercultural tensions. 

Among the questions that panellists will debate with members of the audience are: How do special interests exert pressure on editorial positions? How do the media shape or reflect public opinion? How is information used for propaganda? Who speaks for developing countries in the corridors of political power that are populated mainly by Western groupings?