Ruth Kronenburg has been appointed Executive Director of Free Press Unlimited. In the coming years, Ruth Kronenburg will continue the successful course of the organisation, while also leading the innovation needed in today’s turbulent time for press freedom.
After a well-considered decision, Leon Willems will step down from the board at his own request from 1 April 2022 and take on a new role as senior advisor international partnerships.
Ruth Kronenburg is very grateful to Leon Willems for the 13 years in which he has been the figurehead of the organisation. “We have worked together wonderfully for eleven years in the field of press freedom, which means that I can now continue to build on a solid foundation.”
Leon Willems warmly congratulates Ruth Kronenburg on her appointment as Executive Director: “I am very happy with this decision. Ruth combines strength and ability with involvement to further develop Free Press Unlimited’s mission and vision. I wish her every success in this new position and will support her with everything I have in me.”
Ruth Kronenburg (1964) has been associated with Free Press Unlimited as Director of Operations since 2011. Together with Leon Willems she formed the board of the organisation and was partly responsible for the growth of the organisation. In this role she was responsible for sound financial management, internal and external communication, and safe guarding knowledge and quality within the organisation. All her previous activities in the commercial media world come together in her current work for Free Press Unlimited, but with one extra dimension: contributing to a better world.
Ruth Kronenburg starts as Executive Director at a time when the world’s need for reliable information is greater than ever before. “During an intense information war, you realize once again how important the role of a free press is. We will be there, now and in the future, for journalists and media who fight for reliable information.”
Paul Hofstra, Acting Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Free Press Unlimited: “We are delighted that Ruth is taking on this new role, she is an excellent Executive Director who, with her knowledge, her network and her vision for the future of independent media, will help give the organisation new strength and direction. We are grateful to Leon Willems for continuing to use his knowledge and expertise for our mission.”
By bnnrc
AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR is Chief Executive Officer and founder Secretary of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). He has more than 20 years experience in leveraging community media and right to communication to create successful policy advocacy in Bangladesh in line with community media development. His areas of expertise straddle community media policy advocacy, training, project management especially in the area of community media.
He founded Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). BNNRC Devoted Entirely to Promote Community Media for Development (CM4D). BNNRC Leads Supports and Advocates for the Initiators to actively provide independent community broadcasting in Bangladesh since 2000. BNNRC represent the community electronic media sector to Government, Industry, Regulatory Bodies, Media, Academia and Development Partners from 2000. The BNNRC provides leadership and support for rural initiators to facilitate independent electronic community broadcasting services and to build and strengthen rural communities.
He actively works to improve recognition of the community electronic media sector [Community Radio | Community TV | Community Film] & its work in and involvement with the communities it seeks to serve. BNNRC's outreach extends to local, national and international forums for communicating Knowledge for Development (KM4D). In this backdrop, communication is recognized as an essential human need and, therefore, as a basic human right. Our working strategies are:
1. Communicating on the Public Sphere: The role of communication and media in exercising democratic political participation in society
2. Communicating Knowledge: The terms and means by which knowledge generated by society is communicated, or blocked, for use by different groups.
3. Civil Rights in Communication: The exercise of civil rights relating to the processes of communication in society &
4. Cultural Rights in Communication: The communication of diverse cultures, cultural forms and identities at the individual and social levels.
BNNRC now strives for the following core interventions to contribute in achieving 6th five Years Plan, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through:
Right to Information- RTI for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized
ICT for Development- ICT4D for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas &
Community Radio/Community TV/ Community Film for amplifying voices for the voiceless and Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction
He graduated from University of Dhaka and Post graduated from Asian University of Bangladesh in the field of Social Science (MSS) in Government & Politics and Participated in certificate course on Development Management by Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) New Delhi, India
He currently founder member of Bangladesh Working Group on UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) headed by Bangladesh Government, Community Radio Monitoring Committee of Ministry of Information, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, founder member of Bangladesh UN Internet Governance Forum( UN IGF) Headed by Minister, Ministry of Information, Multi-stakeholder Steering Group Members of Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (AP-RIGF) & Distinguish Fellow, Center for e-Parliament Research. Contact: ceo@bnnrc.net www.bnnrc.net
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